LONG BEACH, Calif. – Blaze Nield hit the game-tying shot and a pair of go-ahead threes in overtime as Utah Valley took down Long Beach State, 84-78, on the road in overtime. Fardaws Aimaq notched another huge double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds before Nield drilled the game-winning basket with 41 seconds remaining.
 
UVU improves to 3-1 on the season, stretching its win streak to three games, as the 49ers fall to 1-2 on the year.
 
"For Blaze to play the way he did was just phenomenal," said Utah Valley men's basketball head coach Mark Madsen. "All that work that he's been doing day after day showed forth itself today with big shots down the stretch. Fardaws was getting double and tripled teamed and he had to really work for his double-double. We tried to change our defenses and make adjustments and that was a huge key for us."
 
After a bucket by Long Beach State, Connor Harding hit a pullup three to get UVU going, marking his seventh-straight made shot from beyond the arc over the last three games. With the game tied at 7-7, the Wolverines scored five-straight points to open up a 12-7 lead with 14:11 to go in the opening half. The 49ers countered with an 8-2 run to retake the lead, 15-14, with 11:14 left in the first half. Both teams battled back and forth, with five lead changes in the final 10 minutes of the half before Harding and Le'Tre Darthard hit three triples to spark an 11-3 run, giving the Wolverines a 31-26 lead, with 1:30 to go in the half. Long Beach State got a dunk before the break as UVU took a 31-28 advantage into halftime.
 
Aimaq scored the first six points for the Wolverines in the second half as UVU maintained a 37-33 lead with 16:24 to go in the second half. Both teams traded baskets as neither team held a lead larger than three points the rest of the second half. Aimaq completed a three-point play to push the UVU lead out to 55-52 with 7:29 remaining in the second half. The 49ers scored five-straight points to retake the lead, 57-55, but Darthard hit a jumper to tie the game back up at 57-57, with 4:23 to go.
 
After LBSU took a 63-61 lead, Nield stole the ball and hit deep triple at the end of the shot clock to regain the lead with 1:17 to go in the half. Long Beach State countered with a three of their own but Aimaq got a put back to go to tie the game back up at 66-66 with 33 seconds remaining. The 49ers made a hook shot with 21 seconds left, but UVU got an offensive rebound before the ball ended up in Nield's hands as he knocked down a clutch midrange jumper with four seconds to go to send the game to overtime.
 
Following a basket by LBSU, Harding tied the game back up at 70 apiece with a hook shot from the block. Nield hit another shot to tie the game up at 72-72 but the 49ers converted a layup to go back up, 74-72, with 2:20 to go in the game. Aimaq hit a pair of free throws to tie the game back up but Long Beach State got another hook shot to regain the lead, 76-74.
 
Nield made a go-ahead three with 1:24 to go in overtime but Utah Valley was unable to get a stop as the 49ers made a put-back to give LBSU its last lead of the night. Nield hit a shot made another go-ahead three from deep to give the Wolverines the lead for good, 80-78, with 41 seconds to go. Aimaq and Harmon each hit a pair of free throws to ice the game away, giving UVU the win, 84-78.
 
Aimaq shot 9-16 from the field, adding three blocks and a pair of assists. Nield finished with a career-high 19 points, on 8-11 shooting from the field and 3-4 from deep, to go along with three assists and a team-high three steals. Harding chipped in 16 points, on 3-6 shooting from downtown, to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Harmon scored 14 points off the bench and Nield added eight points and a game-high seven assists. Darthard added 10 points, three rebounds, and three asssits.
 
Utah Valley shot 51 percent from the field, including 44 percent from downtown. UVU dominated the battle on the boards 45-28, leading to a 20-10 advantage in the second chance points. The game featured 17 lead changes and 18 ties as neither team had a lead larger than six points throughout the game.
 
"It was a hard-fought battle, and it came down to the wire, but I think the toughest team won and we proved that," said Nield. "It's a team sport so it's always next man up. We're a good team and we can all play. We are just going out there, working hard, and playing together and it's resulting in wins so we are going to stick with it."
 
The Wolverines continue on the road as Utah Valley will take on Idaho in the SoCal Challenge on Monday, Nov. 22, at 3:30 p.m. MT. The game will be held at the Pavilion at JSerra and will be broadcasted on ESPN 960 AM. Utah Valley then wraps up the SoCal Challenge with a matchup against either Cal Poly or Nicholls State on Wednesday Nov. 24 in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.