OGDEN, Utah — Carter Welling scored a game-high 22 points, while Dominick Nelson and Jackson Holcombe each added 13 to lead Utah Valley to a 64-62 road win over in-state rival Weber State on Saturday night at the Dee Events Center.

The Wolverines secured their second straight Big Sky Conference road victory, improving to 7-6 on the season. Weber State dropped to 6-7.

The game was highlighted by a decisive 10-1 Utah Valley run midway through the second half, which gave the Wolverines a nine-point lead. Weber State rallied late, cutting the deficit to two in the final minute, but UVU held firm defensively. WSU missed a contested three-pointer at the buzzer which sealed the victory for Utah Valley.

"Defensively, we talk about it all the time—offense doesn't always travel, but defense can travel," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "To guard them at the end and not let them get a good shot off was big time by our guys."

Welling led the Wolverines with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting performance, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. He added six rebounds and matched a career-high with five blocks. Phillips commended Welling's resilience, noting that he played through a stomach bug. "Carter was really good tonight for us and carried us a lot of the stretch. He even went and got three offensive rebounds, which was huge for us," Phillips said.

Holcombe provided a spark off the bench, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting and tying a career high with eight rebounds. Reflecting on the final defensive stand, Holcombe emphasized the importance of staying solid defensively. "The goal is to make them shoot a tough, contested shot," Holcombe said. "You don't want to give them anything easy, especially on the road. I think we did a good job forcing them into a really difficult attempt."

Nelson added 13 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and connecting on a three-pointer while also grabbing seven rebounds, two steals, and a block. Kylin Green contributed six points off the bench, while Cory Wells and Trevan Leonhardt each added four. 

"Cory doesn't always get a bunch of stats, but he was huge for us defensively tonight," said Phillips. "It's hard to take him off the floor."

Utah Valley shot 46.9% (23-of-49) from the field and 35.3% (6-of-17) from beyond the arc, while holding Weber State to 45.3% (24-of-53) shooting, including just 25% (5-of-20) from three. The Wolverines also outrebounded the Wildcats 35-31, with their bench outscoring WSU's reserves 25-9.

Holcombe, a Utah native, spoke about the significance of the rivalry. "These in-state games are special," Holcombe said. "It's always a battle. The fan bases are passionate, and everyone wants those bragging rights."

Utah Valley will take a brief break for the holidays before concluding non-conference play at home against Bethesda on Saturday, Dec. 28. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

How It Happened
First Half
The teams were tied 9-9 through the opening 4:30 of the game. Weber State then outscored Utah Valley 5-3 over the next two minutes to take a 14-9 lead with 13:39 remaining in the half. A dunk by Holcombe ignited a 16-6 run for the Wolverines over the next seven minutes, giving them a 25-18 lead with 7:08 left on the clock. Utah Valley maintained its advantage, leading 27-22 with 5:28 to go. Weber State answered with a 9-5 run over the next three minutes, trimming the Wolverine lead to 32-30 with 2:38 remaining. UVU outscored WSU 6-5 in the final minutes of the half to take a 38-35 lead into the break.

Second Half
Utah Valley extended its lead to five points, 47-42, three minutes into the second half. Weber State responded with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 49-49 with 15:05 remaining. The Wolverines answered with a decisive 10-1 run over the next eight minutes, building a 59-50 lead with seven minutes left. UVU maintained its lead, holding a 64-56 advantage with just over three minutes to play. However, Weber State scored six unanswered points, cutting the lead to 64-62 with 1:28 left. After UVU missed a pair of free throws, Weber State had a chance to tie or win on the final possession. WSU's Blaise Threatt missed a contested three-pointer at the buzzer, and Utah Valley held on for the 64-62 victory.