UTAH VALLEY HOSTS DENVER ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON

• Fresh of winning the SoCal Challenge title in San Juan Capistrano, California on Wednesday, Utah Valley returns home to face Summit League foe Denver on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center. Tip off is set for 3 p.m.
   
• Utah Valley won the SoCal Challenge championship in Orange County this past week, defeating Idaho, 83-45, before downing Nicholls State, 74-63, in the title game to claim the championship skimboard trophy. Fardaws Aimaq was named the SoCal Challenge MVP and Connor Harding was named to the all-tournament team. Aimaq averaged a double-double over the two games at 12.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game.
   
• With a 5-1 record, Utah Valley is off to its best six-game start in team history, surpassing the 2016-17 team, which opened that season with a 4-1 record before dropping its sixth game.
   
• UVU has won five straight games, which marks the longest streak since 2019 and the longest of the Madsen era.
   
• Fardaws Aimaq was named both the Lute Olson National Player of the Week and WAC Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Wolverines to a pair of overtime road wins last week against Pepperdine and Long Beach State. The redshirt sophomore opened the week with a career-high 34 points, adding 14 rebounds, in an 86-74 overtime win at Pepperdine. He then added 25 points to go with 16 rebounds in an 84-78 overtime win at Long Beach State. On the week, he averaged 29.5 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game, adding three blocks, two steals and a pair of assists.
   
• As of Nov. 26, Fardaws Big Maple Aimaq leads the nation in total rebounds (82) and ranks third nationally in rebounds per game (13.7). He also leads the country in both double-doubles (5) and defensive rebounds per game (10). He also ranks 10th in total field goals made (48) and 20th in points per game (20.5).
   
• The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq has been named to the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Watch List. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to Saturday's game are available at GoUVU.com/MbbTix. Both season tickets and single game tickets are available.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday afternoon's game against Denver will be broadcast live on ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN app and at ESPNplus.com. Brandon Crow will be on the call, while Josh Kallunki will handle the analyst duties. The game will also be broadcast over the air waves in Utah County game as Jim McCulloch, the radio Voice of the Wolverines, is in his 12th season with the team. The radio broadcast will be aired live on ESPN 960AM radio. A live stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at ESPN960sports.com.

ABOUT DENVER
Denver enters Saturday's game against Utah Valley with a 3-4 overall record. The Pioneers dropped a heartbreaking 66-65 decision at in-state rival Air Force in the final seconds on Wednesday at Clune Arena in Colorado Springs. Michael Henn led Denver with 16 points and a season-high nine rebounds. KJ Hunt helped with 15 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Jordan Johnson was also in double figures with 12 points on three shots from long range. Denver has wins over Regis, IUPUI, and Houston Baptist this season The team is 0-2 on the road this year with losses at UTSA and Air Force. Hunt leads the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game, followed by Johnson at 11.9 points a contest. Michael Henn is nearly averaging double digits at 9.9 points a game. Payton Moore leads Denver on the boards, pulling down 4.9 rebounds a game. As a team, Denver is averaging 67.4 points a game while limiting opponents to a 65.4 points per game average. Denver ranks 35th nationally in free throw attempts (133) and 39th nationally in total blocks (29). Trevin Smith leads the team in swats with 10 this season.

SERIES HISTORY VS. DENVER
Saturday's matchup against Denver will mark the fifth time the two teams have met on the basketball hardwood. The series is tied at two games apiece. The Wolverines had won two straight over the Pioneers before Denver took a 74-62 win in the last matchup on Nov. 9, 2019 in the Mile High City. UVU's last win over the Pioneers came on Dec. 1, 2018 as the Wolverines took a convincing 98-75 win in Orem.

All-Time Results vs. Denver (2-2)
Nov. 18, 2015    Denver def. Utah Valley, 75-62    Denver, Colo.
Nov. 23, 2016    Utah Valley def. Denver, 88-85    Denver, Colo.
Dec. 01, 2018    Utah Valley def. Denver, 98-75    Orem, Utah
Nov. 09, 2019    Denver def. Utah Valley, 74-62    Denver, Colo.

UTAH VALLEY CLAIMS SOCAL CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Utah Valley won the SoCal Challenge championship in Orange County this past week, defeating Idaho, 83-45, before downing Nicholls State, 74-63, in the title game to claim the championship skimboard trophy. Fardaws Aimaq was named the SoCal Challenge MVP and Connor Harding was named to the all-tournament team. Aimaq averaged a double-double over the two games at 12.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game. The Wolverines went 3-0 at the event with an off-site 86-74 overtime win at Pepperdine before winning games against Idaho and Nicholls State at the JSerra Pavilion in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

AIMAQ NAMED LUTE OLSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AND WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week and the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week after leading the Wolverines to a pair of overtime road wins last week against Pepperdine and Long Beach State. Aimaq opened the week with a career-high 34 points, adding 14 rebounds, in an 86-74 overtime win at Pepperdine. He then added 25 points to go with 16 rebounds in an 84-78 overtime win at Long Beach State. On the week, he averaged 29.5 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game, adding three blocks, two steals and a pair of assists.

DAWS RANKS IN THE TOP-20 NATIONALLY IN SEVEN STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
As of Nov. 26, Fardaws Aimaq already ranks in the top-20 in America in seven different statistical categories. Daws leads the nation total rebounds (82), double-doubles (5), and defensive rebounds per game (10.0). He ranks third in rebounds per game (13.7), 10th in field goals made (48), 16th in free throw attempts (39), and 20th in points per game (20.5). Blaze Nield is 33rd nationally in total assists (29).