OREM—Dominick Nelson scored a season-high 21 points with eight rebounds and Tanner Toolson scored 16 to lead Utah Valley to an 89-60 win over UTEP on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center.
 
Utah Valley improves to a perfect 2-0 on the season and will now head out on the road for seven straight games over the next month on the road. UTEP falls to 1-1 on the season. 
 
"I'm really proud of our guys for the resilience they showed tonight," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips following the team's win. "UTEP is a talented team, and they feed off turnovers, turning those into easy points. We had 19 turnovers, which is still too many, but considering they usually force around 24 or 25, we did well limiting their transition opportunities. Our guys shared the ball, finishing with 23 assists on 25 field goals, and made a concerted effort to get to the free-throw line, which is a big part of our strategy."
 
Nelson scored his 21 points on a 6-of-10 clip from the field, including a 1-of-3 mark from long range. He knocked down 8-of-11 shots from the free throw line. Nelson nearly had a double-double, pulling down eight rebounds with two assists in 30 minutes of action. 
 
Toolson tallied his 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor with a 4-of-7 mark from beyond the arc. He also had six rebounds, three assists, and a steal. 
 
Hayden Welling recorded his second straight double digit scoring game with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including three shots from three-point range. He also had four rebounds and a game-high three blocks. 
 
Trevan Leonhard nearly had double digit assists with nine dimes to go along with two points and five rebounds. Ethan Potter was in double digits with 10 points and five rebounds. 
 
"I was also impressed with how our guys handled the physicality and pressure they faced. Tanner stepped up big for us, hitting four three-pointers, and Dominick was outstanding, getting to the basket and grabbing eight rebounds. Our front court held its own against theirs, out-rebounding them by 16, and that was a testament to our size and athleticism. Overall, it was a great team effort, and I'm excited about the growth we're seeing early in the season."
 
Utah Valley shot 52.1% (25-of-48) from the field with a 52.6% (10-of-19) clip from three-point range. The Wolverines held UTEP to just a 26.3% (15-of-57) mark from the field with a 33.3% (5-of-15) clip from long range. UVU outrebounded the Miners 44-28 and outscored UTEP 28-20 in the paint. UVU got 33 points from its bench.
 
Utah Valley now heads out on the road for seven straight games beginning with a trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota to take on the University of North Dakota on Nov. 14. The game will tipoff at 11 a.m. (MT) and will be broadcast live on the Summit League Network and over the airwaves on the Wolverine Sports Network (960 AM/103.9 FM in Utah County and 98.3 FM/101.5 FM HD2 in Salt Lake).
 
"As we head on the road, our focus is on growth," said head coach Todd Phillips. "I've been telling these guys from day one that we're going to experience highs and lows, and it's about how we respond, especially in tough road environments. We saw a lot of positives tonight, but now we need to carry that same energy and resilience when we're away from home. This next month is about coming together, defining roles, and continuing to push each other. If our bench is playing this well, it pushes everyone to step up, and that's exactly what we need to keep growing as a team."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Utah Valley got off to a quick start, taking a 16-2 lead over UTEP through the first six minutes of the game. The Miners then used a 12-3 run over the next four minutes to cut the UVU lead to five points, 19-14, with 9:32 remaining in the half.  The Wolverines then outscored UTEP 15-4 over the next six minutes to extend their lead to 16 points, 34-18, with 3:47 to play in the half. The Miners outscored UVU 10-9 over the final 3:31 as the Wolverines held on to a 15-point, 43-28 lead at the half.  
 
Second Half
The two teams played evenly through the first five minutes of the second half as UVU held on to the 15-point lead, 53-38, with 15 minutes to play. There was then a 15-minute officiating delay due to video review of a fight on the floor. Five players were then ejected, including three Wolverines. Utah Valley used an 11-4 run over a 3:31 span to take a 22-point, 64-42, lead with 11:45 to play. The Miners answered with an 11-4 run to cut the lead to 15 points, 68-53, with 6:33 remaining. UVU held on to the 15-point advantage, 73-58, with 4:36 to play. The Wolverines outscored UTEP 87-60 over the final