STANFORD, Calif.— Dominick Nelson scored 22 points, and Tanner Toolson added 11, as Utah Valley fell 77-63 to Stanford on Tuesday night at Maples Pavilion.
 
The Wolverines drop their third straight game, falling to 4-4 on the season, while Stanford improves to 7-2. Utah Valley will conclude a stretch of seven straight road games on Saturday at James Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
 
Utah Valley started strong, holding a 12-6 lead early in the first half and trailing by just two, 28-26, with 4:29 remaining before halftime. However, Stanford closed the half on a 10-0 run to take a 38-26 lead at the break. The Cardinal extended its lead to 19 early in the second half, but UVU responded with a 14-4 run to pull within nine, 53-44, with 11 minutes left. Despite the rally, the Wolverines couldn't get closer as Stanford secured the 14-point victory.
 
Nelson led UVU with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. Toolson added 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc, and pulled down eight boards with one steal. Trevan Leonhardt chipped in eight points, while Carter Welling and Kylin Green scored seven apiece.
 
Utah Valley shot 36.9% (24-of-65) from the field and 29.4% (5-of-17) from three-point range, while Stanford shot 47.6% (30-of-63) from the floor and 25% (5-of-20) from deep.
 
The Wolverines will finish their road trip against James Madison on Saturday, Dec. 7, with a 2 p.m. MT tipoff. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Wolverines Sports Network (103.9 FM/960 AM in Utah County and 98.3 FM/105.1 HD2 FM in Salt Lake County).
How It Happened
First Half
The game was tied 4-4 early before UVU used an 8-4 spurt to take a 12-8 lead with 14:51 remaining in the half. Stanford answered with an 8-0 run to go up 14-12 at the 12:48 mark. The teams traded baskets before Stanford's 7-0 run gave them a 28-19 lead with seven minutes to play. UVU responded with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a Toolson dunk and an and-one play, to pull within two, 28-26, with 4:29 left. Stanford closed the half on a 10-0 run to take a 38-26 lead into halftime.
 
Second Half
Stanford extended its run out of the break, outscoring UVU 11-4 to take a 49-30 lead with 15:23 remaining. Nelson scored three consecutive buckets during a 14-4 UVU run to cut the deficit to nine, 53-44, with 10:54 to play. Stanford maintained a double-digit lead, holding a 61-51 advantage with 8:39 left. The Cardinal closed out the game by outscoring the Wolverines 16-12 in the final minutes to secure the win.