OREM, Utah — In a game that was deadlocked at 60 with under four minutes to go, it was visiting LMU who used a 10-2 run en route to defeating Utah Valley University, 76-68, on Friday night in the UCCU Center. The loss snapped the Wolverines' (4-1) four-game win streak to begin the season.
 
Amanda Barcello had 15 points to lead UVU while Danja Stafford Collins added a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Kylee Mabry scored 10 points off the bench while Tessa Chaney pulled down 11 rebounds and scored six points. Maya Hernandez and Naudia Evans both equaled Barcello's game-high with 15 points, with Aliʻa Matavao chipping in 13 off the bench for the Lions (3-1).
 
For the game, Utah Valley had a 49-40 edge in rebounds with 30 coming on the offensive glass and leading to 28 second-chance points. But UVU struggled to get the ball to drop as it lost despite getting 24 more attempts from the field than LMU. UVU was 25-for-79 (31.6%) overall and 7-for-36 (19.4%) from three while the Lions hit 49.1% (27-for-55) overall and were 7-for-14 from beyond the arc.
 
"Tonight came down to missed opportunities.  When you get 30 offensive rebounds, that means you're in the paint, but we're not finishing. Normally, we don't take 36 threes, but a lot of them were good looks and you've just got to make some of those," said head coach Dan Nielson. "LMU played well, so credit to them, but I think if we take care of the opportunities we get then maybe the outcome is different. You hate to lose, especially at home, but I think it's a good one to learn from, and luckily, we get to bounce back tomorrow."
 
The opening quarter saw both teams go on runs as the Wolverines jumped out to a 12-7 lead when Barcello hit a long two. The Lions closed the quarter by scoring 11 of the last 13 points, making five of their last six attempts from the field, to take an 18-14 lead after one.
 
LMU continued the run to start the second, getting an Allison Clarke 3-pointer on the first possession before Hernandez later scored to give the Lions a 25-15 lead. LMU's run to that point was 18-3 and came during a stretch of 9-for-11 from the field while UVU was just 1-for-11 in the same timeframe.
 
Brandi Williams extended the lead to 28-15 with a three before Utah Valley chipped away. Ally Criddle, who finished with nine points and three steals, got a steal and a breakaway layup to start a 15-2 run that saw the Wolverines tie it at 30 late in the half. Stafford Collins scored seven points during the run as she and Saige Gibb buried 3-pointers. Gibb also snagged four rebounds in the quarter, three on the offensive end, as UVU scored 12 second-chance points in the first half. LMU led 33-32 at the break.
 
UVU trailed by four when Stafford Collins and Mabry keyed an 8-2 spurt that gave the Wolverines a 45-43 lead. It was tied at 45-45 when Barcello scored on a putback and was fouled with the free throw, putting Utah Valley back up three.
 
LMU hit a trio of 3-pointers over the final three minutes of the quarter, two coming from Amelie Sitterud as the Lions closed the third on a 9-2 run and led 57-53 after three.
 
Carly Heidger hit a three to give the Lions a 60-55 lead with 8:19 to go before going over four minutes without scoring. The Wolverines tied it on Stafford Collins free throw with 3:58 left before Matavao started the game-deciding run with back-to-back buckets down low. Barcello scored to get it back to a 2-point game, but an Evans jumper extended it back to four before LMU went on to hit all 10 of its attempts from the line to ice the game.
 
Free throws were also a factor, with both teams getting to the line 19 times but LMU converted on 15-of-19 while UVU was just 11-for-19 from the line.
 
The Wolverines will conclude the current four-game homestand on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Bethesda in a game that will take place in Lockhart Arena.