OPENING TIP

• Utah Valley University begins WAC play with a two-game road trip to Texas beginning Thursday, Dec. 30 at Abilene Christian at 1 p.m. CT/noon MT. The trip wraps up on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT/1p.m. MT at Tarleton. Both games can be seen live on ESPN+.
   
• Thursday marks the start of Utah Valley's ninth season as members of the Western Athletic Conference. The Wolverines (5-6) are 52-65 all-time in WAC games including 19-10 over Dan Nielson's first two season. UVU was picked third by the media and fourth by the coaches.
   
• Josie Williams leads the team with averages of 16.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, which also ranks fifth nationally, while Maria Carvalho is scoring 14.6 per contest. Neither played at UVU's most recent game at Idaho State.

LAST TIME OUT
A shorthanded Utah Valley University team couldn't overcome a long scoring drought, falling in the final non-conference game of the season, 53-36, at Idaho State on Tuesday night. The Wolverines were without their top two scorers in first-team All-WAC returners Josie Williams and Maria Carvalho.

UVU led 32-30 late in the third quarter before suffering a 12-minute stretch of game time without a point while the Bengals went on a decisive 19-0 run. Shay Fano led Utah Valley with 10 points and eight rebounds while Babalu Stewart finished with eight points and seven boards. Estefania Ors led all scorers with 15 points for the Bengals.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Abilene Christian went 8-3 during its non-conference season and is set to begin the program's first season as WAC members against UVU on Thursday. The Wildcats are the top 3-point shooting team in the WAC and ranked third in the country with 11.3 makes per game and 124 made overall, while hitting 37% which ranks 22nd in the country. Jamie Bonnarens leads the team with 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Tarleton was also 8-3 prior to WAC play and is led by Iyana Dorsey's 10.3 points per game while Seynabou Thiam averages a team-high 7.3 rebounds. The Texas have a league best +7.5 rebound margin and boast the top scoring defense in the WAC, allowing just 53.9 points per game. UVU won both meetings last season, the first time the programs met. Tarleton hosts Dixie State in the WAC opener on Thursday.

COMING UP
The Wolverines will close out their current stretch of seven straight road games next Saturday at Dixie State in the Old Hammer Rivalry and the first game against the schools at the NCAA DI level.