OPENING TIP
Utah Valley University faces a pair of stiff tests this week with two of the top three teams in the WAC standings on the slate. The Wolverines will first host Stephen F. Austin on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Lockhart Arena before traveling to league-leading Grand Canyon for a Saturday afternoon tilt. 

UVU (8-10, 3-6) has won two straight and three of four after holding off Seattle U last Saturday in the UCCU Center. The game against SFA is the 10th of the WAC season, marking the midpoint of the conference slate as the Wolverines aim for a spot at the WAC Tournament in March. Utah Valley currently sits in a tie for seventh, with the top eight teams qualifying for a spot in WAC Vegas. 

LAST TIME OUT
Tessa Chaney had 12 points and 15 rebounds and Halle Nelson finished with 16 points and seven boards as Utah Valley University survived, 59-56, against Seattle University on Saturday afternoon in the UCCU Center.

Chaney set a new career-high in rebounds while Nelson's scoring output is a new career-best for her. The two combined for 28 points and 22 rebounds with 22 points and 13 rebounds coming in the second half. The Wolverines got 49 of their 59 points from the bench and also won the rebounding battle 49-35. Jenna Dick, who had 10 points, hit a go-ahead three with 5:30 left during an 8-2 spurt that was stretched to a 12-2 run and led to a 53-48 Utah Valley lead. Seattle twice cut it to one but a 3-point attempt to tie the game went wide at the buzzer.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Stephen F. Austin enters the week in third place in the conference standings after going 1-1 on a road trip that took them through the top two teams in the WAC. The LadyJacks gave Grand Canyon its first conference loss in a 59-54 road win last Thursday before falling 97-75 at California Baptist. 

Kurstyn Harden leads SFA with an average of 15.7 points per game and leads the WAC in both field goal percentage (55.0%) and free-throw percentage (84.3%). SFA will also host UVU on Feb. 24. Utah Valley is 0-3 in the all-time series including 0-1 at home.