UTAH VALLEY HEADS SOUTH TO TAKE ON SOUTHERN UTAH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT

• Utah Valley puts its seven-game win streak on the line Wednesday as the Wolverines travel down I-15 to Cedar City to take on in-state rival and future WAC foe Southern Utah. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
   
• UVU has won seven straight games, which marks the longest streak since the 2018-19 season (7 games) and the longest of the Madsen era. The longest win streak in UVU history is 13 games, which the team set during the 2011-12 season. The seven-game win streak is the fourth-longest win streak in the nation.
   
• Fardaws Aimaq earned multiple awards this week as he brought in his third straight WAC Player of the Week honor, a second Lute Olson National Player of the Week honor, and the ESPN Player of the Week award.
   
• For the first time in team history, Utah Valley is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Top-25 poll. Utah Valley also debuted at No. 41 in the first NCAA Net Rankings that were released on Monday. It is the second-best ranking in the WAC and UVU's best NET ranking in team history.
   
• Fardaws Aimaq recorded his seventh straight double-double with 24 points and 22 rebounds and Justin Harmon scored a career-high 24 points to lead Utah Valley to its first-ever win over a ranked opponent in a 72-65 overtime win over No. 12 BYU on Wednesday night at the UCCU Center.
   
• As of Dec. 6, Fardaws Big Maple Aimaq leads the nation in double-doubles (7) and defensive rebounds per game (10.50). He also ranks second nationally in rebounds per game (14.8) and total rebounds (118). Aimaq also ranks sixth in the country in offensive rebounds per game (4.25), 12th in free throw attempts (58), 16th in points per game (20.8), 16th in field goals made (63), 24th in minutes per game (36:14), and 36th in total points (166). He ranks in the top-25 nationally in nine statistical categories.
   
• 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.
   
• Utah Valley won the SoCal Challenge championship in Orange County over Thanksgiving break, 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.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Wednesday night's game against Southern Utah will be broadcast live on ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN app and at ESPNplus.com. 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 SOUTHERN UTAH
Southern Utah enters Wednesday night's game against the Wolverines with a 5-3 record after winning four straight. The Thunderbirds last loss was a double overtime 75-68 setback to California on Nov. 18 at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The team most recently opened Big Sky Conference play with a road sweep with an 89-76 win over Eastern Washington and an 81-75 win at Idaho. SUU was the favorite to win the Big Sky this season in the preseason coaches' poll. Dre Marin led the T-Birds in the win at Idaho with a team-high 19 points. Tevian Jones had 17 points, while Maizen Fausett had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Three of SUU's five starters average double figure scoring led by John Knight III's 18.3 points a game. Knight II also leads the team in assists at 4.0 a contest. He ranks 12th nationally in free throw attempts with 58. Jones averages 13.9 points a game, followed by Marin at 13.8 and Fausett at 11.0 a game. Fausett leads the team on the boards at 9.4 a contest. As a team, SUU averages 82.0 points a game while limiting opponents to a 76.4 points per game average. SUU ranks fourth nationally in team rebounds per game at 44.6 and eighth nationally on the defensive glass at 31.1 boards a game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. SUU
Wednesday's matchup at Southern Utah will mark ninth time the two teams have met on the basketball hardwood. The series, which dates back to the 2006-07 season, is tied at 4-4. SUU has won three straight over Utah Valley, including an 81-71 win last season at the UCCU Center. SUU just edged out the Wolverines, 73-72, the last time the two teams met in Cedar City on Dec. 7, 2019. UVU's last win in the series was an 85-75 win in Cedar City on Nov. 22, 2014.

All-Time Results vs. SUU (4-4)
Dec. 09, 2020    Southern Utah def. Utah Valley, 81-71    Orem, Utah
Dec. 07, 2019    Southern Utah def. Utah Valley, 73-72    Cedar City, Utah
Dec. 05, 2015    Southern Utah def. Utah Valley, 68-54    Orem, Utah
Nov. 22, 2014    Utah Valley def. Southern Utah, 85-75    Cedar City, Utah
Dec. 20., 2008    Utah Valley def. Southern Utah, 78-72    Orem, Utah
Dec. 15, 2007    Utah Valley def. Southern Utah, 91-88 (2OT)    Cedar City, Utah
Dec. 22, 2006    Utah Valley def. Southern Utah, 64-55    Orem, utah
Nov. 29, 2006    Southern Utah def. Utah Valley, 68-60    Cedar City, Utah

WOLVERINES RECEIVE FIRST-EVER VOTE IN TOP-25 COACHES POLL
For the first time in team history, Utah Valley is receiving votes in the Ferris Mowers Men's Basketball Coaches Top-25 poll. After its 72-65 overtime win over 12th-ranked BYU last week, Utah Valley received one vote in the poll.

UVU DEBUTS AT NO. 81 IN NCAA NET RANKINGS
Utah Valley debuts at No. 81 in the first NCAA NET Rankings. The Wolverines hold the second-best ranking in the WAC behind only Grand Canyon at 75. Abilene Christian is 85, followed by New Mexico State at 101, California Baptist at 154, Stephen F. Austin at 166, and Seattle U at 179. UVU's win over BYU (24) counts as a quad 1 win, while its loss to Boise State (110) is a quad 2 setback.

BIG MAPLE EARNS ESPN PLAYER OF THE WEEK, SECOND LUTE OLSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq has been named the ESPN Player of the Week, the Lute Olson National Player of the Week, and the WAC Player of the Week for his performance last week in a 72-65 overtime win over No. 12 BYU. The WAC honor marks the third straight week that Aimaq has earned the award. It is the second time this season that Aimaq has earned the Lute Olson National Player of the Week honor.

Aimaq, from Vancouver, Canada, recorded his nation-leading seventh straight double-double with 24 points and a season-high 22 rebounds to lead Utah Valley to a 72-65 overtime win over No. 12 BYU. He also dished out a season-high four assists and tallied a career-high five steals in the win over the crosstown rival. Aimaq scored his 24 points on a 7 of 19 clip from the field and an 8 of 13 mark from the free throw line.

Aimaq, a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award candidate, leads the nation in double-doubles (7), defensive rebounds per game (10.50), and total rebounds (118). He also ranks second in the nation in rebounds per game at 14.8 a contest.

UTAH VALLEY KNOCKS OFF #12 BYU IN OVERTIME, 72-65
Fardaws Aimaq recorded his seventh straight double-double with 24 points and 22 rebounds and Justin Harmon scored a career-high 24 points to lead Utah Valley to its first-ever win over a ranked opponent in a 72-65 overtime win over No. 12 BYU on Wednesday night at the UCCU Center.

UVU BECOMES FIRST NCAA DIVISION I PROGRAM TO WEAR JERSEY PATCH IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER, PARTNERS WITH 5 FOR THE FIGHT
The Utah Valley University men's basketball team has announced it will partner with 5 For The Fight to become the first NCAA Division I program to sponsor a patch in the fight against cancer on its jersey. The team debuted the patch tonight in its game against BYU.

UTAH VALLEY OFF TO BEST EIGHT-GAME START IN SCHOOL HISTORY
With a 7-1 record, Utah Valley is off to its best start in team history, surpassing the 2016-17 team, which opened that season with a 4-1 record before dropping its sixth game.

PERFECT IN OT
Four of Utah Valley's eight games this season have taken extra time. The Wolverines are a perfect 4-0 in those games with overtime road wins at Pepperdine and Long Beach State, and overtime wins at home over Denver and No. 12 BYU. Utah Valley has outscored its opponents 62-28 in its four overtime periods.

UTAH VALLEY EXTENDS WIN STREAK TO SEVEN GAMES WITH WIN OVER BYU, FIFTH-LONGEST WIN STREAK IN THE NATION
Utah Valley won its seventh straight game with a 72-65 overtime win at home over #12 BYU on Dec. 1, which marks the longest streak since the 2018-19 season (7 games) and the longest streak of the Madsen era. The longest win streak in UVU history is 13 games, which the team set during the 2011-12 season.