#2 Utah Valley (22-9) vs. #3 Grand Canyon (21-10)
Friday, March 9, 2018  |  6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MST
Las Vegas, Nevada  |  Orleans Arena (9,500)
Complete Utah Valley Game Notes (PDF)  |  WAC Tournament Central  |  Tournament Bracket

GAME INFORMATION
TV: ESPN3 (Mychal Clanton/Joan Bonvicini)
Live Video: WatchESPN.com
Radio: ESPN 960 AM (Jim McCulloch/Josh Kallunki)
Radio Webcast: espn960sports.com
Live Stats Link: WAC StatBroadcast
 

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OPENING TIP
Utah Valley picked up an 81-74 win over No. 7 CSU Bakersfield on Thursday night to advance to Friday's WAC Tournament semifinal game against No. 3 Grand Canyon. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

Jake Toolson scored a team-high 19 points will Conner Toolson dropped in 18 of his own to lead Utah Valley to an 81-74 WAC Tournament quarterfinal victory over CSU Bakersfield on Thursday afternoon at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Jake Toolson also added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal to his game. Conner Toolson scored 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range and came away with three rebounds. Akolda Manyang was the final Wolverine in double figures with 11 while also collecting seven rebounds and blocking three shots. Zach Nelson was one-point shy of a double-double off the bench with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Five UVU players earned WAC postseason honors. Kenneth Ogbe was named to the All-WAC first team, while Conner Toolson and Brandon Randolph earned second team All-WAC honors. Akolda Manyang was named to the WAC's All-Defensive team and Jake Toolson was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team. Manyang was also named to the USBWA All-District team, becoming only the second player in UVU history to earn the distinction. NBA journeyman Ronnie Price is the only other UVU player to earn USBWA All-District honors (2004-05).

Utah Valley tied a single season school record with its 22nd victory of the season on Thursday afternoon over CSU Bakersfield. The win ties the UVU school record for wins in a season at 22. It is the highest win total of head coach Mark Pope's tenure at UVU, improving upon last season's win total of 17. It marks the fifth time in school history that a team has won 20 or more games. The last time UVU won at least 20 games was during the 2013-14 season when the Wolverines finished the season with a 20-12 record. The 22-win mark ties the 2006-07 team that also won 22 games.

Utah Valley is tied for the fourth-longest current home win streak in the nation at 13 games. South Dakota State holds the nation's longest current home win streak at 20 games, followed by the College of Charleston and Wagner at 16 games in a row. Utah Valley wrapped up its home slate this season with a school-record 15-1 mark at the UCCU Center, surpassing the previous record of 14-1 set by the 2006-07 team.

Utah Valley has five players averaging double figures. Kenneth Ogbe leads the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game. Akolda Manyang and Conner Toolson are tied for second on the team at 12.8 points per game apiece. Jake Toolson averages 11.7 points, followed by Brandon Randolph at 10.8.

UVU opened the season with what might just be the toughest 24 hours ever played in college basketball history as the Wolverines took on No. 4/5 Kentucky and No. 1 Duke on back-to-back nights to open the season. The Wolverines dropped a 73-63 decision at Kentucky before falling 99-69 at Duke. UVU has since won 21 of its 28 games since the loss at Duke.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday night's WAC Tournament semifinal game against No. 3 Grand Canyon will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Mychal Clanton and Joan Bonvicini will be on the call with Rachel Vigil handling the sidelines. ESPN3 can be accessed at www.WatchESPN.com. The game will also be available on the air waves at ESPN 960 AM radio with Jim McCulloch and Josh Kallunki handling the action. A live audio stream of the radio broadcast will be available through ESPN960sports.com and also through the ESPN 960 app, which is available for both iPhone and Android.

WAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Utah Valley makes its fifth appearance at the WAC Tournament this week. After its quarterfinal win over CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, the Wolverines now hold an all-time 3-4 record at the tournament. Prior to Thursday's win, UVU's lone victories at the tournament were a 83-63 win over UTRGV in the quarterfinals of the 2013 tournament and a 65-53 quarterfinal win over No. 5 Seattle U in the 2017 tournament. This year's No. 2 seed is the highest ranking UVU has earned since winning the regular season WAC title and taking the No. 1 seed into the 2014 tournament.

All-Time Results at WAC Tournament (3-4)
March 13, 2014    #1 Utah Valley 83, #8 UTRGV 63    Quarterfinals - Las Vegas, Nevada
March 14, 2014    #5 Idaho 74, #1 Utah Valley 69    Semifinals - Las Vegas, Nevada
March 12, 2015    #4 Bakersfield 55, #5 Utah Valley 40    Quarterfinals - Las Vegas, Nevada
March 10, 2016    #5 UMKC 80, #4 Utah Valley 78    Quarterfinals - Las Vegas, Nevada
March 09, 2017    #4 Utah Valley 65, #5 Seattle U 53    Quarterfinals - Las Vegas, Nevada
March 10, 2017    #1 CSU Bakersfield 81, #4 Utah Valley 80 (4OT)    Semifinals - Las Vegas, Nevada
March 9, 2018      #2 Utah Valley 81, #7 CSU Bakersfield 76    Quarterfinals - Las Vegas, Nevada

ABOUT GRAND CANYON
Grand Canyon enters Friday night's game with a 21-10 overall record. The Antelopes tied for third in the WAC this season with a 9-5 record. The third-seeded Antelopes defeated No. 6 Kansas City, 77-74, in Thursday's quarterfinal matchup. The 'Lopes are making their first-ever appearance at the tournament as the school went through a four-year transition period from NCAA Division II. With its 21 wins this season, GCU has won 20 or more games in each of its last three seasons under head coach Dan Majerle. The team leads the nation in three-point defense, holding teams to a 27.3 percent mark this season. The team also ranks in the top-15 nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 64.6 points a game. Senior guard Josh Braun and freshman center Alessandro Lever lead the team in scoring at 11.9 points apiece. Lever earned All-WAC First Team honors, while Braun was named to the All-WAC Second Team. Lever was also named WAC Freshman of the Year.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. GRAND CANYON
Utah Valley and Grand Canyon meet up on the basketball hardwood for the 12th time on Friday night. The 'Lopes hold an all-time 7-4 advantage in the series. Utah Valley snapped a six-game skid against the Antelopes with a 68-56 win earlier this season on Jan. 27 in Orem. GCU won this year's game in Phoenix, 60-59, on Feb. 24. The two teams have never met on a neutral floor.

All-Time Results vs. Grand Canyon (GCU leads 7-4)
Feb. 24, 2018    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 60-59    Phoenix, Ariz.
Jan. 27, 2018    Utah Valley def. Grand Canyon, 68-56    Orem, Utah
Feb. 18, 2017    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 77-71    Orem, Utah
Jan. 07, 2017    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 82-72    Phoenix, Arizona
Mar. 05, 2016    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 86-79    Orem, Utah
Jan. 16, 2016    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 99-88    Phoenix, Arizona
Feb. 14, 2015    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 83-57    Phoenix, Arizona
Jan. 15, 2015    Grand Canyon def. Utah Valley, 83-74    Orem, Utah
Feb. 06, 2014    Utah Valley def. Grand Canyon, 79-68    Phoenix, Arizona
Jan. 11, 2014    Utah Valley def. Grand Canyon, 65-58    Orem, Utah
Feb. 15, 2005    Utah Valley def. Grand Canyon, 71-49    Orem, Utah