OREM—Tanner Toolson scored 18 points to lead three other Wolverines in double figures in a 96-80 Old Hammer Rivalry win over Utah Tech on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center, pushing UVU's win streak to eight games.

The eight-game winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest in the nation as UVU improves to 13-6 overall and remains unbeaten in WAC play at 5-0. The Wolverines also stay perfect at home this season, moving to 8-0 at the UCCU Center.

UVU clung to a narrow two-point lead, 54-52, before Kylin Green and Jackson Holcombe delivered back-to-back layups, followed by an Ethan Potter dunk, to ignite a 12-4 Wolverines run. The surge, capped by a Tanner Toolson and-one, stretched UVU's lead to 66-56 with 11:51 remaining. The Wolverines maintained their momentum, and a Carter Welling dunk down the middle of the lane kept the margin at 10 points, 79-69, with 5:27 left. Welling's dunk sparked a decisive 16-6 run, pushing the lead to 18 points, 93-75, with just one minute to play. The cushion secured a convincing 96-80 victory for UVU.

"We knew coming into this one it was going to be a dogfight," Toolson said. "In a rivalry game like this, you have to bring the energy and match their intensity. I thought we did a really good job of that, especially in the second half when we started crashing the boards and creating those extra opportunities."

Toolson led the way with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.

Dominick Nelson contributed 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including one three-pointer. He also went 4-of-6 from the free-throw line and grabbed four rebounds.

Trevan Leonhardt poured in 14 points, all in the second half. He shot 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from long range, while tallying four assists, three steals, and two rebounds.

"Leonhardt was huge for us in the second half," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "He's young and asked to do a lot, but he responded in a big way. I've been on him to take more shots, and tonight he knocked them down when we needed it most."

Carter Welling rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points, adding five rebounds and three assists. Welling also contributed to a dominant second-half effort on the boards, where UVU finished with 15 offensive rebounds after managing just two in the first half.

"In the first half, Utah Tech got all the 50-50 balls," Phillips said. "But we wore them down in the second half. Those offensive rebounds and extra opportunities were huge for us."

The Wolverines dished out an impressive 25 assists on 32 made field goals, shooting 55.2% (32-of-58) from the floor and 42.1% (8-of-19) from three-point range. Utah Tech also shot well, finishing 58.6% (34-of-58) from the field, including 31.3% (5-of-16) from beyond the arc.

UVU outrebounded Utah Tech 35-19 and got 32 points from its bench compared to the Trailblazers' 18. Both teams scored 42 points in the paint.

"I think the strength of this team is our depth," Phillips said. "We can play a lot of ways—whether it's a grind-it-out game in the 40s or an up-and-down game in the 90s like tonight. I'm just proud of the energy and the way we're sharing the ball."

Utah Valley will now hit the road for three straight games, beginning with a trip to Riverside to face California Baptist on Thursday night. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU and broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Wolverine Sports Network/ESPN The Fan (960 AM/103.9 FM in Utah County, 98.3 FM/101.5 HD2 in Salt Lake County).

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Utah Valley jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but Utah Tech answered with an 8-3 run to tie the game at 8-8 with 15:20 remaining. The teams traded blows through 13 lead changes and seven ties, with Utah Tech eventually taking a slim 34-32 lead into halftime.

Second Half
The teams exchanged buckets early in the second half before Toolson and Leonhardt knocked down back-to-back threes, sparking a 10-0 UVU run over a 2:26 stretch to take a 52-44 lead with 17:05 to play. Utah Tech responded with an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to two, 54-52, with 14:28 on the clock.

Kylin Green and Jackson Holcombe then delivered consecutive layups, and Ethan Potter followed with a thunderous dunk to start a 12-4 Wolverines run. The spurt, capped by a Toolson and-one, gave UVU a 66-56 advantage with 11:51 to go.
The Wolverines held onto their 10-point cushion, and a Carter Welling dunk kept the margin at 79-69 with 5:27 left. Welling's slam ignited a 16-6 run, pushing UVU's lead to 18 points, 93-75, with one minute remaining. The Wolverines cruised the rest of the way to secure the 96-80 win.