OPENING TIP

• Utah Valley University continues its current three-game homestand on Saturday with a noon MT tip-off against Portland State University. The game will air live on ESPN+ and is part of a doubleheader with the UVU men's team, who hosts Denver University at 3 p.m. MT.
• After the current homestand, which ends next Wednesday against UNLV, the Wolverines will embark on a stretch of seven straight on the road. UVU (3-2) won't return until Jan. 13, four games into WAC play.
• Maria Carvalho leads the team in scoring at 19.4 points per game and Josie Williams is averaging 15.6 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Madison Grange rounds out three players averaging in double figures in scoring, at 11.0 per contest.
• Portland State is the second of five Big Sky Conference opponents this season for UVU. The Wolverines won at Southern Utah earlier this season and will also play road games at Montana, Montana State, and Idaho State.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Valley allowed just 14 points after halftime en route to a 62-50 win over Colorado Mesa on Tuesday night in the UCCU Center. The Wolverines used a 30-3 run over a 15-minute stretch of the game that ended the first quarter and extended into the fourth to fend off the Mavericks. Josie Williams finished with 17 points and 13 boards — her fourth double-double in five games to start the season — and Maria Carvalho scored 14 to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Kayla Anderson and Emma Martin had season-highs in scoring with 10 and nine, respectively, and Megan Jensen pulled down 12 rebounds. After trailing 36-27 late in the second quarter, Utah Valley outscored Colorado Mesa 35-14 over the final 21-plus minutes.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Portland State is 3-1 on the season with the only loss coming in a narrow defeat at Hawai'i on Nov. 21. Among the Vikings' wins is an 80-52 victory over Dixie State on Nov. 12. Freshman guard Esmeralda Morales leads the team with 20.5 points and 5.0 assists per game while another freshman, Rhema Ogele leads the club with 9.0 rebounds per game. PSU starts three freshmen under first-year head coach Kelsey Gregg, who took over  after six seasons on the staff at Portland State.

COMING UP
The Wolverines will host UNLV next Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center in the final non-conference home game of the season.