OREM—Baylee Steele scored a career-high 19 points to go along with 16 rebounds to lead Utah Valley to a 92-84 win over CSUN in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational on Tuesday night at the UCCU Center.
 
Utah Valley now advances to the CBI quarterfinals to face the winner of South Florida and Stony Brook on March 25 at a location to be determined following Wednesday night's CBI games.
 
Trailing 20-14, Utah Valley went on a 9-2 run capped off by an Isaiah White dunk to take a 23-22 lead with 11:36 remaining in the first half. The Wolverines then took a 34-32 lead with five minutes to go and then used scored 10 unanswered points to take a 44-32 advantage with 1:50 left in the half. The Matadors then scored back-to-back threes as part of an 8-0 run to close the half to cut the UVU lead to a 44-40 advantage at the break.
 
UVU and CSUN played evenly through the first 13 minutes of the second half as UVU held on to a five-point lead, 73-68, with 7:42 to play. Hanging on to a 78-75 lead with five minutes to play, UVU scored four straight points to extend its lead to seven points, 82-75, with 3:33 remaining. The Matadors cut it to three points, 84-81, with 1:48 to play, but UVU outscored CSUN 8-3 down the stretch to claim the 92-84 win.
 
Steele scored his career-high 19 points on a 6-of-8 clip from the floor, including shot from long range. His 16 rebounds are the second most he has pulled down this season.
 
Jake Toolson scored a game-high 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, including a pair of threes. He also knocked down 7-of-8 free throws. Toolson dished out four assists to go along with four rebounds, two steals and a block. Isaiah White and Richard Harward were also in double figures with 15 points each. Ben Nakwaasah led the Wolverines with five assists on the night.
 
As a team, Utah Valley shot 45 percent from the floor, 38 percent from three, and 78 percent from the free throw line. The Wolverines held CSUN to a 41 percent clip from the field and a 25 percent mark from three. UVU outrebounded CSUN 49-34.
 
Utah Valley now moves on to the CBI quarterfinals to take on the winner of South Florida and Stony Brook on Monday, March 25. The time and place will be determined following tomorrow night's CBI games.