OREM, Utah — Six players reached double figures as Utah Valley University pushed its win streak to four straight with a decisive 99-55 win over Seattle University on Saturday afternoon in the UCCU Center.
Tahlia White led the way with 23 points to go along with a career-high eight assists, seven steals, and seven rebounds.
Amanda Barcello, who went 6-for-8 from the field including 4-for-6 from three, matched her career-high with 17 points and tied
Saige Gibb's program record for steals in a game with eight.
Cambree Blackham scored 14, on 4-for-5 shooting, while
Danja Stafford Collins,
Kylee Mabry, and Gibb each scored 11 points. All 10 Utah Valley players in uniform got into the scoring column on Saturday.
The Wolverines (13-6, 5-2), who are among the nation's leaders in turnovers forced per game, took advantage of a season opponent-high 36 turnovers by the Redhawks (3-16, 0-6) to the tune of 46 points. In the first half alone, Seattle U had 22 turnovers, leading to 23 UVU points and a 44-19 halftime lead. Utah Valley finished with 25 steals, its highest total ever against a Division I opponent.
"I was really proud of our defense today," said UVU head coach
Dan Nielson. "A lot of people stepped up, not just defensively, but also scoring the ball. It was just a great team effort all around. We're dealing with some injuries, so it also was a good sign of the depth we have."
Utah Valley led 12-8 late in the opening quarter before finishing the quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 20-9 after 10 minutes. White scored nine in the opening quarter for the Wolverines and kept it going as UVU extended the run to 16-2 after scoring the first eight points of the second. She began the second with a bucket, followed by a Gibb 3-pointer. Stafford Collins' layup capped the spurt and gave UVU a 28-9 advantage.
The Wolverines were 11-for-27 (40.7%) from three and shot 46.6% (34-for-73) overall. Seattle U hit 10 3-pointers and went 19-for-45 (42.2%) from the field overall, but the 26-turnover differential—UVU finished with 10—led to 28 more field goal attempts for Utah Valley. The 99 points tied a team record for points scored in a WAC game, matching the output in a game against Utah Tech from the 2021-22 season.
Utah Valley will host league-leading Grand Canyon next Saturday at 2 p.m. MT in Lockhart Arena. The Lopes won their 17th consecutive game on Saturday and will play at Seattle U next Thursday before making the trip to Orem.