PHOENIX, Ariz. – Utah Valley used a late second-half surge to knock off Grand Canyon, 73-69, on the road on Saturday night in Phoenix. The win was the Wolverines first win in GCU Arena since 2014 when UVU won the WAC regular-season championship.

With the win, Utah Valley improved to 9-13 on the year, including 3-4 in WAC play. The Lopes fall to 8-12 on the season and 3-3 in conference games.
 
"In some ways we've actually been better on the road with some of the big wins we've had this season," said Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen. "We can play this well at home and we need to play this well at home and translate this to the UCCU Center with two tough opponents coming up."
 
Both teams exchanged baskets to start the game off as the opening half had eight lead changes and seven ties. After a GCU driving layup, the Wolverines took control of the first with a 13-3 run, led by Cavit Ege Havsa and TJ Washington, to take a 32-26 lead with 1:59 to go in the half. The 'Lopes scored the final four points on free throws as Utah Valley took a 32-30 lead into the break.
 
The Wolverines scored the first five points of the second half to push their lead to 37-30 with 18:12 remaining before the Grand Canyon went on a 7-0 surge to tie the game back up at 37 apiece. Both teams battled back and forth through three more ties before the 'Lopes took their first and final lead of the second half at 55-54 with 9:20 left in the game. The Wolverines then blew the game open with a 14-2 run, giving UVU its biggest lead of the game at 68-57 with 2:53 left in the game. GCU then scored the next nine points, cutting the lead to 68-66 with 1:15 remaining. After a UVU miss, Casdon Jardine tipped in the rebound for the game-clinching bucket before Averette and Washington hit clutch free throws to seal the 73-69 win.
 
Utah Valley shot 49.1 percent from the field with seven shots from downtown. The Wolverines held the 'Lopes to just 40 percent from the floor and 19 percent from beyond the arc. UVU shot a season-low 43.5 percent from the foul line, its first time shooting under 50 percent since 2018 at Weber State. Utah Valley took care of the ball, finishing with just eight turnovers on the night.
 
"For Brandon Averette to step up to the free throw line and knock down two huge free throws was a huge play to win us this game," said Madsen. "He may be under six foot but he plays with the heart of a lion. Ege can flat-out play and he's such a good passer and changed the game with those two threes. Emmanuel Olojakpoke should be a candidate for WAC Defensive Player of the Year because his presence, game in and game out."
 
Washington led the charge with 24 points on 4 of 9 shooting from deep, to go along with four assists. Jardine notched his third double-double of the season, finishing with 10 points and a team-leading 13 rebounds. Isaiah White chipped in 10 points and Emmanuel Olojakpoke blocked another four shots. Averette added eight points, six rebounds, and a game-high six assists.

Utah Valley returns home to take on the Lancers of California Baptist on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7:00 pm M.T. The game will be broadcasted on the WAC Digital Network and ESPN960 AM. The Wolverines then take on Seattle U on Feb. 8 at 2:00 pm M.T. in the UCCU Center.