• Utah Valley brings a six-game win streak into Western Athletic Conference play this week as the Wolverines host top-rated league foe Sam Houston on Thursday night in the team's WAC opener. Tip-off at the UCCU Center is set for 6 p.m. Sam Houston sits atop the WAC standings with a 10-2 record and an NCAA NET ranking of No. 20--the best record and ranking in the WAC.
   
• Trey Woodbury scored a season-high 24 points with nine rebounds and six assists to lead Utah Valley to a 77-72 road win over Oregon on Tuesday night at Matthew Knight Arena. Leading by just two points, 68-66, with one minute to play, Woodbury knocked down a mid-range jumper out of a timeout to push the Wolverine lead back to four points, 70-66. Utah Valley then knocked down seven of eight free throws over the final 30 seconds to secure the 77-72 win.
   
• With its 77-72 win at Oregon on Dec. 20, Utah Valley became one of four WAC teams to pick up a win over a team from a Power 5 Conference. Utah Valley (Oregon) joins Sam Houston (Oklahoma, Utah), California Baptist (Washington), and Tarleton (Boston College) to pick up wins over teams from a Power 5 league.
   
• The Wolverines return to the UCCU Center where the team has won eight straight games. UVU has also won 12 of its last 13 games at home. The team's last loss at home was to Grand Canyon on Feb. 10, 2022.
   
• Trey Woodbury was named the Lou Henson National Player of the Week and the TicketSmarter WAC Player of the Week for his performance in Utah Valley's 77-72 win at Pac-12 foe Oregon on Dec. 20. Woodbury scored a season-high 24 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists.
   
• Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen picked up his 50th career victory in the team's 80-54 win over Antelope Valley on Dec. 16.
   
• Utah Valley has played three overtime games this season, all on the road. The Wolverines dropped a 68-65 decision at Wake Forest on a last second shot from three. UVU fell 73-72 to Morgan State in Jamaica. UVU then picked up an 80-75 overtime win at Northern Arizona.
   
• Aziz Bandaogo ranks in the top-20 nationally in six statistical categories. He ranks seventh in blocks (34), 10th in double doubles (6), 11th in blocks per game (2.62), 11th in rebounds (130), 13th in rebounds per game (10.0), and 17th in defensive rebounds per game (7.08). As a team, Utah Valley ranks fourth nationally in blocks per game (6.0), and 11th in defensive rebounds per game (29.38).

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night's game against Sam Houston will be broadcast live on the ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN+ app and at ESPNplus.com. Brandon Crow and Josh Kallunki will be on the call for the game. The game will also be broadcast over the Utah County airwaves on ESPN 960 AM with Jim McCulloch on the call.

ABOUT SAM HOUSTON
Sam Houston is the top-rated team in the Western Athletic Conference with an NCAA NET ranking of 20. The team holds a 10-2 record with a pair of Power 5 road wins over Oklahoma and Utah. The Bearkats lead the nation in bench points per game (40.75) and scoring margin (27.8). The team also ranks second nationally in rebound margin (12.0), fourth in field goal defense (35.0), fourth in scoring defense (52.7), fourth in turnover margin (7.2), fifth in offensive rebounds per game (14.50), sixth in turnovers forced per game (20.25), and seventh in steals per game (10.8). The Bearkats bring a three-game win streak into the UCCU Center after wins at ULM, at Texas State, and against Arlington Baptist. The team most recently picked up a 107-26 win over Arlington Baptist on Dec. 20. The team's Dec. 22 game at Missouri State was cancelled due to inclement weather. Senior guard Qua Grant leads the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game. Grant also ranks 17th in the nation in steals (30) and 18th in the country in steals per game (2.50). Senior guard Donte Powers also averages double figures at 10.9 points a contest. Senior guard Javion May leads the team on the boards, pulling down 4.7 rebounds a game. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEARKATS
Utah Valley and Sam Houston will meet up on the basketball hardwood for just the fourth time on Thursday night. It will also be just the second time that the two teams have played in Orem. Utah Valley owns a perfect 3-0 record against the Bearkats in the series. The Wolverines took a 57-54 win over Sam Houston the last time the two teams played on Feb. 5, 2022 in Texas. UVU took an 85-79 win in the only meeting against the Bearkats in Orem on Dec. 22, 2018.

All-Time Results vs. Sam Houston (3-0)
Feb. 05, 2022    Utah Valley def. Sam Houston, 57-54        Huntsville, Texas
Dec. 22, 2018    Utah Valley def. Sam Houston, 85-79        Orem, Utah
Dec. 22, 2017    Utah Valley def. Sam Houston, 75-64        Huntsville, Texas

LAST TIME vs. SAM HOUSTON: Utah Valley 57, Sam Houston 54 (2/5/22 - Huntsville, TX)
Justin Harmon hit the go-ahead layup with 58 seconds remaining as Utah Valley came from behind to knock off Sam Houston 57-54 on Feb. 5, 2022 at Johnson Coliseum in Hunstsville, Texas. Harmon and Fardaws Aimaq scored the final eight points of the game as UVU held the Bearkats scoreless over the final 3:38 to secure the win.

UTAH VALLEY PICKS UP 77-72 WIN AT OREGON
Trey Woodbury scored a season-high 24 points with nine rebounds and six assists to lead Utah Valley to a 77-72 road win over Oregon on Dec. 20 at Matthew Knight Arena. The win is the sixth straight for the Wolverines who improve to 9-4 overall on the season. The win marks the second straight season that Utah Valley has defeated a team from the Pac-12 Conference as the Wolverines defeated Washington last season in Seattle.

UTAH VALLEY PICKS UP WIN OVER POWER 5 TEAM FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON
With its 77-72 win at Oregon on Dec. 20, Utah Valley became one of four teams from the WAC to pick up a win over a team from a Power 5 league this season. It also marks the second straight season that the Wolverines have defeated a team from the Pac-12 Conference as UVU defeated Washington, 68-52, last season on Dec. 21, 2021. The other three teams from the WAC to defeat a Power 5 team include Sam Houston (Oklahoma/Utah), California Baptist (Washington), and Tarleton (Boston College).

WOODBURY NAMED LOU HENSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK, WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley senior guard Trey Woodbury was named both Lou Henson National Player of the Week and TicketSmarter WAC Player of the Week for his performance in the team's 77-72 road win at Oregon on Dec. 20. Woodbury neared a triple-double with 24 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals in the win over the Ducks. He scored his 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-4 clip from long range.

UTAH VALLEY HOLDS SECOND-BEST NCAA NET RATING IN THE WAC
Utah Valley currently holds the second-best NCAA NET ranking in the Western Athletic Conference at No. 90. The Wolverines are second behind Sam Houston at No. 20. New Mexico State is third (93), followed by Utah Tech  (119), Grand Canyon (120), Seattle U (137), Southern Utah (158), Tarleton (161), California Baptist (179), SFA (182), Abilene Christian (235), UTRGV (276), and UT Arlington (284).

UTAH VALLEY IS SECOND IN WAC RESUME SEEDING SYSTEM
Utah Valley is second in the WAC in the latest WAC resume seeding system standings. The WAC will be seeding its teams at the WAC Tournament based on an algorithm that will rate performance against all teams faced in the regular season, not just conference play, that will rank teams for the conference postseason tournament. Using this resume seeding system, teams will receive more credit by playing stronger opponents than if they play weaker opponents. WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton and WAC Associate Commissioner of Basketball Drew Speraw worked with Ken Pomeroy of kenpom.com to put together this formula.

UTAH VALLEY EXTENDS WIN STREAK TO SIX GAMES, HOME WIN STREAK TO EIGHT GAMES
With its 77-72 win at Oregon on Dec. 20, Utah Valley extended its win streak to six games. The win streak dates back to an 88-78 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 3. UVU then defeated BYU, Northern Arizona, SAGU, and Antelope Valley. Utah Valley's 80-54 win over Antelope Valley on Dec. 16 extended the team's home win streak to eight games. The Wolverines have not dropped a home game since falling to Grand Canyon on Feb. 10, 2022. UVU has won 12 of its last 13 games at home and 16 of its last 18.