OREM, Utah — Utah Valley University used a big third quarter to move to 4-0 on the season with a 72-48 win over Cal State Bakersfield in the UCCU Center on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines (4-0) outscored the Roadrunners (0-4), 25-7 in the third to put the game away early.
 
Amanda Barcello, coming off a game that saw her connect on five 3-pointers, led all scorers with 14 points, making all four of her attempts from three and two free throws. In two decisive wins this week, Barcello averaged 14.5 points and was 9-for-12 from three. As a team, the Wolverines made 10 shots from three, with seven different players hitting at least one.
 
Danja Stafford Collins had 11 points and six boards and Halle Nelson snagged 10 rebounds, matching her career-high, along with seven points and four assists. Tessa Chaney had eight points and seven boards, and Tahlia White added five points and six rebounds. Ally Criddle dished out six assists with the Wolverines assisting on 22 of 25 made field goals.
 
"Amanda took the lid off and really sparked us with those makes. I thought at the beginning against their zone, as much as we prepared for it, we were a little stagnant, which is a credit to CSUB," head coach Dan Nielson said. "Once we saw a couple of shots go in, we played a lot looser. To get another 20-plus point victory at home and to get everyone on the court, it's a positive step, and now we've got to prepare for a big week next week."
 
The Wolverines hit on 25-for-53 overall (47.2%) and were over the 50% threshold until late in the contest. The Roadrunners (0-4) shot just 29% (18-for-62). Alli Dioli led CSUB with 11 points while Trinity Slocum added eight points and eight rebounds.
 
The Roadrunners were without a field goal for over six minutes to start the game, but UVU began just 1-for-7 from the floor and led 7-3 before a Gracie Sorenson bucket pushed it to 9-3. Both offenses sputtered in the first and both teams were hampered by six turnovers each. UVU held a 10-8 lead after one despite making just 2-for-9 from the floor.
 
The game was 17-17 when Barcello, who leads the team in 3-pointers made this season, knocked down the team's third triple of the game to spur a 15-2 run to end the half. That included the final 10 points of the half, with four coming from Stafford Collins. Her layup right before the break gave her a game-high eight points and UVU a 32-20 lead at halftime.
 
Stafford Collins and Barcello connected on consecutive 3-pointers to extend Utah Valley's lead to 20, 42-22, at the 5:43 mark of the third. Barcello hit another three and was fouled after the play, putting her at the line for two to turn it into a 5-point possession and 49-24 lead. She buried her fourth triple to go on her own 8-0 run, part of a bigger 18-2 run that gave the Wolverine a 30-point lead, where it stood after three, 57-27.  
 
Utah Valley had 11 different players get in the scoring column, including five points — including a 3-pointer — from Kennedy Carlyle. Sorenson had five points and three blocks, and Cambree Blackham scored six points.
 
The Wolverines will play back-to-back days next week when they host LMU on Friday night in the UCCU Center before hosting Bethesda on Saturday afternoon in Lockhart Arena.