OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University saw a late run by Kansas City propel the Kangaroos past the Wolverines, 68-64, on Thursday in Lockhart Arena in Western Athletic Conference women's basketball. 
 
UVU (10-9, 4-2) used a 20-3 run to end the third and start the fourth, but 11 straight fourth-quarter points helped UMKC (10-8, 4-1) move into a share of first place in the WAC standings with New Mexico State.
 
"I feel like the second half we had some toughness but in the first half they really took it to us. Credit to them (UMKC). They came in here and took it to us on our home court and our girls have to learn that you have to compete for 40 minutes," said UVU head coach Cathy Nixon. "UMKC is a really good team and they showed they have some fight and we just have to regroup and learn and get better."

Jordan Holland led the Wolverines 16 points while Eve Braslis, Madison Grange and Va'e Malufau each scored nine. Grange hit a trio of 3-pointers for her scoring output and also had a team-high seven rebounds and Malufau scored all nine of her points in the second half. 
 
WAC leading scorer Ericka Mattingly finished with 20 points, playing all 40 minutes for Kansas City, with Emily Ivory adding 19 and Kristen Moore scoring 18. The three players combined to score 57 points for UMKC.
 
Utah Valley trailed by 11, 51-40, midway through the third before starting the big run the spanned the end of that quarter and the start of the fourth. Grange knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during a 12-0 run to end the third. A layup in the final seconds from Malufau gave UVU its first lead since early in the contest, 52-51.
 
UVU extended the overall run to 20-3 with a bucket from Josie Williams at the 5:59 mark of the fourth for a 60-54 advantage. UMKC answered though, going on a decisive 11-0 run behind a trio of 3-pointers to take a 65-60 lead.
 
Holland scored on a driving layup to stop a scoreless drought for UVU and get the Wolverines within three with just under a minute to go. She then converted on two from the line to make it 65-64 with 14.5 seconds left. Ivory hit two free throws before Utah Valley's attempt to force overtime just missed.
 
The Wolverines hit 46.2 percent (24-52) from the field while Kansas City finished at 44.6 percent (25-56) and held a 35-29 advantage on the glass. UMKC also turned 17 Utah Valley turnovers into 28 points. 

UMKC used a 9-0 run in the first quarter to take a 16-10 lead after 10 minutes. The Wolverines began the second quarter with an 8-2 spurt to tie the game at 18-18. Kansas City caught fire, hitting six of its final nine attempts from the field to end the half, four of which came from three. UMKC led 31-19 with just over three minutes left in the second but Utah Valley closed the half by scoring eight of the final 10 points and, despite the 'Roos hot streak, got back within seven, 34-27, at the break.

The Wolverines will wrap up their quick, two-game homestand on Saturday against Chicago State at 3 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center.