OREM, Utah – Maria Carvalho scored a career-high 19 points as Utah Valley University won its fourth straight, 62-41, over Kansas City on Saturday afternoon in Lockhart Arena. The Wolverines (5-9, 2-0) limited the Roos (8-8, 1-1) to just 25.4% from the field for the game.
 
The 41 points allowed is the fewest points by an opponent since the 2017-18 season, when UVU held Chicago State to 30 points in a win.
 
"The whole year I keep talking about defense, defense, defense and I feel like were finally starting to gain that identity. One-day prep for a really good scoring and shooting team and holding them to 25% percent shooting. I'm really proud of our effort and preparation. We're making progress," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson.
 
The Wolverines were 22-for-22 from the free-throw line, and hit all 14 attempts in the fourth quarter when Kansas City was trying to extend the game. Carvalho was 8-for-8 from the line. Alexis Cortez finished with 16 points, making five of her six attempts from the field and Jordan Holland had nine rebounds, with UVU winning the battle on the boards, 48-37.
 
Utah Valley held Kansas City to just four points in the first quarter and carried a 10-4 lead after Cortez knocked down a three with 28 seconds remaining. The Roos hit just 1-of-9 in the quarter, missing their last eight shots.
 
Utah Valley led 15-13 midway through the quarter before an 8-0 run made it 23-13 with 1:48 until halftime. Carvalho, who scored eight in the half, capped the run with a jumper. Kansas City got back within six, 23-17 at the half. Jonaie Johnson hit consecutive buckets to close the quarter, including one just before time expired.
 
The Roos scored the first five points out of the break to get within a point, 23-22, when Cristina Soriano was scored and was fouled and knocked down the free throw. The game was 27-26 before the Wolverines answered with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game to that point. Cortez scored five points during the run and Madison Grange capped it with a 3-pointer. UVU led 40-29 after three after a Carvalho 3-pointer with under a minute to go.
 
Grange began the fourth with a baseline jumper and was fouled for three more points and a 43-29 lead. That stretched Utah Valley's run to 16-3 during which the Wolverines made five of their six attempts from the field.
 
UVU led by 12 before Josie Williams scored and was fouled and converted the free throw, and Carvalho hit two from the line to make it 50-33 with 5:40 remaining. The Wolverines outscored the Roos 22-12 in the final quarter and got 14 of their last 16 points from the line.
 
Williams, who scored all seven of her points in the fourth, also grabbed eight rebounds. Carvalho, Cortez, and Megan Jensen each finished with six boards. Soriano led Kansas City with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds while the Wolverines limited the Roos' leading scorer, Ericka Mattingly, to nine points on just 3-for-13 from the field.
 
Utah Valley was 17-for-54 (31.5%) from the field while Kansas City was held to 25.4% (16-for-63) overall as well as just 2-for-22 from three.
 
Utah Valley plays just once next week, on Saturday, Jan. 11 against Seattle University. Tip is set for 2 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center.