OREM, Utah — Jaeden Brown finished with 20 points and 20 rebounds as Utah Valley University outlasted Grand Canyon University in double overtime, 65-63, to open WAC play on Thursday in the UCCU Center.
 
Brown becomes the first player in the program's NCAA Division era with a 20-point, 20-rebound double-double, and it marks the seventh time the 20-rebound plateau has been reached by a Wolverine. Brown was 9-for-12 from the field also had six steals, four blocks and four assists in the contest, while Shay Fano added 13 points and eight rebounds, Ally Criddle added 11 points and Kaylee Byon chipped in 10 and also went 6-for-6 from the line.
 
"We found a level of toughness that we've really needed. We had some players step up and make plays when we had to have it," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "It wasn't the prettiest game, but the girls bought into what we were trying to do. Grand Canyon is really well coached and talented, so we're elated to get out of this one with a win."
 
In regulation, the Wolverines (4-8, 1-0) trailed 46-44 when Criddle tied it after a steal at midcourt and layup on the other end. She then gave UVU the lead with a driving layup with 2:55 remaining. The Lopes (8-4, 0-1) regained the advantage after Aaliyah Collins tied it and Evan Zars put in the go-ahead basket after corralling a loose ball with 1:21 remaining. Fano came up big for Utah Valley though, sinking two free throws with 16 seconds left to force overtime.
 
Tiarra Brown, who led GCU with 16 points, scored the first two baskets of the first OT, but UVU scored six straight to recapture the lead with 2:09 left on two Byon free throws. Brown tied it again at 54 with a basket before Criddle hit two from the line with 55 seconds to go to make it 56-54. Grand Canyon forced the second extra frame after a long rebound resulted in a layup on from Collins with seven seconds to go.
 
The second OT saw the Wolverines score the first seven points to take a 63-56 lead with just over one minute left. Kylee Mabry got the scoring started with a pair of free throws, Brown scored on an assist from Byon and, after Mabry hit one of two from the line, Fano knocked down both free throws on her trip with 1:04 to go.

Sydney Palma hit a big 3-pointer for the Lopes — one of just five combined makes from beyond the arc from both teams — to make it 63-59 with 54 seconds remaining. Collins later made two free throws with 27 seconds to go to get GCU with two, 63-61, before Byon stepped to the line and sank both with 17 seconds remaining. Olivia Lane got Grand Canyon back two within two with two from the line with seven seconds to go, and then came up with a steal in the waning seconds but Palma's attempt from three sailed wide and time ran out.  

The teams combined to turn the ball over 57 times — 31 coming from UVU — against a GCU squad the leads the country in steals per game and ranks in the top five in turnovers forced. GCU finished with 14 steals while the Wolverines had 17. UVU went 13-for-16 from the line during the two overtime periods and was 19-for-24 overall in the game while GCU hit just 6-of-13 from the line in the contest. 

The lead changed hands three times in the opening quarter, with Eleyana Tafisi scoring six points to lead the Wolverines to a 14-11 lead after 10 minutes. Grand Canyon scored six straight to begin the second, but that was answered with an 8-0 Utah Valley run behind six points from Byon. She scored four straight, assisted on a Brown layup, and then buried a pull-up jumper to give the Wolverines a 22-17 lead with 3:38 before the half. GCU scored the final seven points of the half and closed the quarter with 10-2 run overall. Zars' bucket just before time expired sent the Lopes to the locker room with the 27-24 advantage.
 
Tafisi was saddled with foul trouble and played just nine minutes in the opening half. She picked up two fouls in the first and her third less than two minutes into the second, forcing her to the bench for the rest of the first half. She picked up her fourth foul at the 6:42 mark of the third and then fouled out with 3:43 left in regulation and was limited to just 19 minutes on the night. 

Utah Valley will now head to St. George for the Old Hammer Rivalry for a Saturday afternoon match up at Utah Tech at 2 p.m. MT.