OREM, Utah — Shay Fano's free throw with 32.4 seconds left gave Utah Valley University the lead as the Wolverines used a big fourth quarter to defeat the University of Idaho, 59-57, on Wednesday in the UCCU Center.
 
Fano had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Eleyana Tafisi set a new career-high with 18 points and Jaeden Brown snagged a career-high 16 rebounds as UVU (3-8) held the Vandals (4-7) to just five points in the fourth quarter. Utah Valley trailed 52-45 after three before holding Idaho to just 2-for-16 shooting in the final quarter. The Wolverines also limited their second-half turnovers to just five and didn't allow a point off any of the five during the half.
 
"Idaho is a really good offensive team, and we knew we'd have to weather their runs," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "I loved our energy and effort, especially when they went on their runs. I think today we saw a culmination of a really tough preseason and the fact that this group stayed together and stayed positive says a lot about our character. We had some big performances today and to beat a good team like that feels really good as we move in the conference play."
 
Idaho led 52-42 late in the third after a 16-3 run, but Tafisi gave UVU some life when she hit a three right before the end of the quarter to get the Wolverines within seven with 10 minutes to go. That make started a 17-5 run that ended the game. In the fourth, Tafisi scored on the opening possession, Fano buried a three and Tafisi knocked down a jumper just inside the free throw line to cap a 10-0 run and tie the game at 52-52.
 
After six straight Idaho misses to begin the fourth, Beyonce Bea converted on a layup and a free throw to put her team back in front by three. Brown and Bea traded baskets again, with Bea's bucket at the 2:08 mark giving the Vandals a 57-54 lead. Brown tied it when she scored with her left hand and was fouled, knocking down the free throw to tie it at 57-57 with 1:18 to go. After Tiana Johnson missed a three on Idaho's next possession, Brown corralled the defensive board setting up Fano's trip to the line on the ensuing possession.
 
Fano missed the first but hit the second to give UVU the lead for good. Bea had a look with 21 seconds to go but her shot rattled around and out. Kaylee Byon then went 1-for-2 from the line to make it 59-57 with 17 seconds left before Brown had the defensive play of the game, blocking Bea's attempt to tie it. Idaho still had one last chance after Brown's block went out of bounds, but Sydney Gandy's runner wouldn't drop and UVU held on.  

Idaho entered the game ranked in the top 10 in the country in both 3-point attempts and makes and went 11-for-35 from long range after starting the game with four makes in its first six attempts en route to an 18-12 lead after one. Mae Afoa buried a pair of 3-pointers for UVU in the opening quarter.
 
Johnson, who led all scorers with 21 points, began the second with the Vandals' fifth 3-point make of the game to push the lead to nine, 21-12. That was answered with a Saige Gibb triple, but Johnson connected on another three during a stretch in which she scored 10 straight points for Idaho as they were able to extend the lead to 28-17. After a Gandy layup gave Idaho a 30-19 with 4:14 left in the second, the Vandals went scoreless over the remainder of the half. Meanwhile, the Wolverines got a Shay Fano layup and a Jaeden Brown jumper to get back within seven, 30-23, by halftime.
 
UVU continued the run to start the third with Tafisi burying a 3-pointer and then getting a steal and uncontested layup just seconds later to make it 30-28 two minutes in. The shooting woes continued for the Vandals, who missed their first seven attempts of the third to run it to 13 straight misses dating back to the first half. Tafisi made it seven straight with a stutter step move that led to an open layup, and Kylee Mabry had a steal and fed Ally Criddle for two to cap a 13-0 run that gave UVU its first lead since the opening minute of the game.
 
UVU led 35-33 when Johnson finally snapped a stretch of over 10 minutes of game time without an Idaho field goal with a 3-pointer to give her team a 36-35 lead. Afoa and Fano put the Wolverines back up three with consecutive buckets, but that was answered by Johnson's fifth 3-pointer that spurred a quick 10-0 run by the Vandals and UVU trailed 46-39. Fano drilled a three to stop the run, but Gandy and Asha Phillips continued the hot shooting with two more makes from beyond the arc UVU suddenly trailed 52-42 as the run stretched to 16-3. Tafisi's three came just before the horn to end the third as both teams had their best offensive quarter of the game, each scoring 22 points. 

Bea finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Idaho while Gandy and Phillips added nine points each. Afoa scored a career-high eight points off the bench for the Wolverines, who had a 15-3 edge in points off the bench.  
 
Utah Valley will now open conference play on Thursday, Dec. 29 against Grand Canyon at 2 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center.