FRESNO, Calif. — Ally Criddle had career highs with 15 points and six rebounds but Utah Valley University's attempt to comeback ran out of time in a 53-48 contest on Saturday in the Save Mart Center.
 
Eleyana Tafisi finished with 10 points, reaching double figures for the third straight game, and Kaylee Byon also established a new career high with eight points. The Wolverines (2-8) also turned the ball over a season-low nine times and got 16 points from the bench while also outrebounding the Bulldogs (7-5), 29-28. The Wolverines, already without several key players including senior Kayla Anderson, were also minus leading scorer Jaeden Brown, who missed the trip due to illness.
 
"I'm really proud of the way we competed," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "Our effort and the fact that we took care of the ball really kept us in it against a good team on the road. If we can continue to play that way and get some shots to fall, we'll see some positive results come our way."
 
Criddle hit a three for Utah Valley to begin the contest and Eleyana Tafisi later put the Wolverines in front, 5-4, early in the game. UVU trailed 10-7 after one quarter.
 
The Wolverines trailed 15-9 in the second when Byon knocked down a jumper. Byon later fed Tessa Chaney for a layup that trimmed an 8-point deficit to six, 21-15. The Bulldogs closed the half with the last six points though, taking a 27-15 lead into the break.
 
Fresno State pushed the lead to 14 early in the third before Criddle spurred a Utah Valley run that got the Wolverines within six, 33-27. Criddle scored eight points during a 12-2 UVU run, capping it with six straight points on a 3-pointer and a 3-point play with a layup and free throw. The Bulldogs responded, closing the quarter on a 7-2 spurt to take a 40-29 lead into the fourth.
 
Tafisi and Byon scored back-to-back buckets to begin the fourth quarter to get the Wolverines back within seven, 40-33. UVU trailed by 10 when Tafisi hit a floater and later hit two from the line to make it a two-possession game, 46-40, with just under four minutes to go.
 
West hit a jumper for Fresno State before Keely Brown knocked down a big 3-pointer to push the advantage back to 11, 51-40 with 2:58 remaining. Utah Valley came back with six straight, two each from Kylee Mabry, Criddle and Mae Afoa, whose layup with 50.2 left got the Wolverines within five, 51-46.
 
West then hit a tough shot that extended it to 53-46 with 20.3 left, on a runner that she banked in to beat the shot clock and make it a three-possession game and help the Bulldogs hold off the Wolverines.
 
Yanina Todorova led the Bulldogs with 14 points and 11 rebounds while West added 12. Chaney, Mabry and Afoa each had four points apiece for UVU, with Chaney also hauling in five boards.
 
The Wolverines will now host Idaho next Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center in the final non-conference contest of the season.