OPENING TIP

• Utah Valley University takes its Midwest trip in WAC play this week beginning with a contest Thursday at 7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. MT at Chicago State University. The Wolverines (13-11, 7-4) will also play at the University of Missouri Kansas City on Saturday afternoon.  
• With a win on Thursday, Utah Valley would move into a tie for second place with UT Rio Grande Valley. The Vaqueros host league-leading New Mexico State on Saturday. 
• Four of the final five remaining games in the regular season are on the road for Utah Valley.
• Jordan Holland is averaging 13.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Wolverines and has scored in double figures in  15 straight games. Eve Braslis is scoring 10.4 points and grabbing and 6.0 rebounds, Alexis Cortez is scoring 10.0 per game and Maria Carvalho is averaging 6.9 points and 4.6 assists per game. 
• Utah Valley leads the all-time series against Chicago State, 16-10. The Wolverines defeated the Cougars, 76-61, earlier this season in Orem. Holland led a balanced UVU offense with 14 points while Va'e Malufau added a career-high 12. Eight different players scored six points or more for Utah Valley in the win.
   

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Valley rallied from a 14-point deficit to knock off UT Rio Grande Valley 72-57 in Lockhart Arena last Saturday. Jordan Holland and Maria Carvalho each scored 16 points to lead five Wolverines in double figures as they finished off the regular season sweep of UT Rio Grande Valley. The Wolverines improve to 13-11 on the season, including 7-4 in conference play. The Vaqueros fall to 14-11 and 8-4 WAC play. UVU fell behind 39-25 in the second quarter before outscoring the Vaqueros 47-18 the rest of the way. Utah Valley tightened its defense as it held UT Rio Grande Valley to just three field goals the entire second half. The Wolverines offense took off as well as they shot 72 percent from the field in the second half.

ABOUT THE COUGARS
Chicago State dropped a pair of road games at CSU Bakersfield and Grand Canyon last week. Tyeshia Bowers leads the Cougars (1-23, 1-10) with 12.8 points per game while Ines Mata Boix ranks second in the WAC with 11.1 rebounds per game.


UP NEXT
The Wolverines play at UMKC on Saturday at noon CT/1 p.m. MT. Next week UVU hosts California Baptist in the final home game of the season, on Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. in Lockhart Arena.