OPENING TIP
Utah Valley University returns from the holiday break and jumps exclusively back into WAC play on Thursday at California Baptist University. Tip is set for 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT. The Wolverines (5-6, 0-2) are coming off of a 73-69 overtime win over Sam Houston on Dec. 21 that closed out the non-conference schedule. 

UVU is led in scoring by Kaylee Byon's 8.4 points and Tessa Chaney's 6.5 rebounds per game.  Kylee Mabry is averging 7.6 points and ranks third in the WAC with 2.64 steals per game as the Wolverines lead the WAC and rank 13th in the nation with 12.3 steals per game. 

LAST TIME OUT
UVU's overtime win over Sam Houston featured 58 combined fouls and 79 free throws between the teams. Tessa Chaney finished with a career-high 14 rebounds, none larger than one on the offensive glass with 32 seconds left in the overtime. She pulled the missed shot down and laid the ball in to put the Wolverines ahead for good. Ally Criddle then knocked down two free throws to ice the game with 7.5 seconds left. Jenna Dick finished with 14 points to lead UVU while Tahlia White added 10 points, and the trio of Liana Kaitu'u, Ally Criddle and Eleyana Tafisi each scored nine. Halle Nelson had a career-high nine rebounds for the Wolverines.

WHERE THEY RANK
UVU leads the WAC in turnovers forced, turnover margin, steals, and bench points. The team's 12.3 steals per game also ranks 13th in the country while the 29.5 bench points in 16th nationally. In the turnover categories, the Wolverines are 19th in the nation with 22.18 turnovers forced per game and are 25th in turnover margin, giving it away -5.82 fewer times than their opponents. 

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
California Baptist is off to a 9-1 start overall and won its first two league games on the road over SUU and Utah Tech. The Lancers sit atop the conference in both the overall standings and WAC resume seeding. Two-time WAC Player of the Week and conference leading scorer Chloe Webb leads the team with 19.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. CBU also gets to the line more than any other WAC team and ranks 11th in the country in free throw attempts per game. The Lancers roster also includes Sydney White, the younger sister of UVU's Tahlia White. CBU leads the all-time series 9-1, has won six straight over UVU, and is 6-0 in games played in Riverside.

UP NEXT
UVU will play at Southern Utah on Saturday at 5 p.m. before returning home for a three-game conference homestand beginning Jan. 11 against UT Arlington.