ST. PAUL, Minn. — Utah Valley University ran out of time in its attempt to comeback, dropping a 70-62 Saturday afternoon contest at the University of St. Thomas inside Schoenecker Arena.
Tessa Chaney led the team in scoring for the second game with 10 points off the bench.
The Wolverines (1-2) had a balanced offensive output, with six different players scoring seven points or more.
Amanda Barcello added nine points while
Kylee Mabry chipped in eight and had a pair of steals. Chaney pulled down seven boards to lead UVU in that category.
Eleyana Tafisi finished with six points and a game-high eight assists.
The Tommies (2-1) got a game-high 28 points from Amber Scalia, who was 16-for-16 from the free-throw line in the contest. St. Thomas was 23-of-32 overall from the line while Utah Valley converted on 13-of-22 from the charity stripe.
UVU found itself in an early hole after St. Thomas hit six of its first seven shots, including a trio of 3-pointers to score the game's first 13 points less than four minutes in.
The Wolverines chipped away at the deficit, getting it to 20-12 after one quarter, and then to within three on two occasions in the second. Scalia was rewarded with a foul on a 3-point attempt as time expired in the first half and hit all three to push the Tommies' lead from four to seven, 33-26, at the break.
UVU stayed within striking distance and got within two, 33-31, with an
Ally Criddle triple just over one minute into the third. Barcello buried a corner three at the 5:36 mark of the third to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip. Utah Valley took its first lead of the game on a free throw from
Kaylee Byon with 4:24 left in the third, giving the Wolverines a 38-37 advantage.
That would be the only lead the Wolverines would enjoy though, as a 6-0 spurt pushed St. Thomas back in front by five. The Tommies led 50-42 after three quarters and extended it to 12, 54-42, after completing a streak of nine straight points to end the third and begin the fourth. That deficit left UVU in scramble mode for the rest of the afternoon. The Wolverines got it to as close as a six-point game but not until 22 seconds were remaining.
Utah Valley returns home to host Westminster on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the UCCU Center and will also travel to Idaho for a game against the Big Sky's Vandals on Saturday, Nov. 25.
