OREM—Dominick Nelson poured in 21 points, and Tanner Toolson added 17 to lead Utah Valley to a 72-64 victory over WAC preseason favorite Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the UCCU Center.

The win marks Utah Valley's fifth straight as the Wolverines improve to 10-6 overall and remain unbeaten in WAC play at 2-0. Grand Canyon drops to 11-5 overall and 1-1 in conference action. UVU remains perfect at home this season, improving to 6-0 at the UCCU Center. 

"I'm really proud of our defensive effort tonight," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "I thought we sat down and guarded one of the best offensive teams in the league. Winning the rebound battle was huge for us—not only on the offensive end but overall. We've been hitting our guys hard on that, and they delivered."

The game featured seven early lead changes before Utah Valley took control with a 13-12 advantage. The Wolverines extended their lead to as many as 12 points, 28-16, midway through the first half and carried a 35-25 advantage into the break.

UVU opened the second half strong, stretching its lead to 13 points, 38-25, within the first minute of play. The Lopes rallied with a 14-5 run over a five-minute span, trimming the deficit to a single point at 49-48 with 10 minutes remaining.

"They made that run, and we couldn't get anything going," said Phillips. "It felt like we were just marching them to the foul line, but we talked about staying in the game and staying in the moment. It was like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out—we were dodging punches—but then we got a second wind, made a couple of plays, and got out in transition to give us some breathing room. I'm really proud of our guys for staying the course."

Utah Valley responded to GCU's surge with a 9-2 run to regain control and built a double-digit cushion, 62-52, with just over three minutes to play. The Wolverines held off GCU down the stretch, securing the eight-point win.

Nelson led the Wolverines with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 7-of-9 at the free throw line. He added eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in a standout performance.

Toolson chipped in 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, knocking down two three-pointers and going 3-of-4 at the charity stripe. He also contributed seven rebounds, one assist, and a steal.

"Our three guards—Trevan, Tanner, and Dom—were phenomenal on the glass," said Phillips. "They had eight, seven, and eight rebounds, respectively. I chewed them out about rebounding a week ago, and they responded tonight. I'm really proud of them."

Carter Welling provided nine points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Off the bench, Kylin Green scored seven points, while Trevan Leonhardt stuffed the stat sheet with eight assists, eight rebounds, six points, and a steal.

"Trevan is a guy we've given more responsibility to this season, and he's been stepping up," Phillips said. "He doesn't turn the ball over often, gets in there to rebound with his length, and is a good shooter. As the season progresses, I think he'll keep getting better."

Utah Valley shot 36.5% (23-of-63) from the field and 31.6% (6-of-19) from three-point range. The Wolverines outrebounded the Lopes 45-37 while holding GCU to 29.4% (5-of-17) shooting from deep. UVU, which ranks fourth nationally in blocks per game (6.1), had an impressive 10 blocks on the night. 

"Winning at home is huge for us," Phillips said. "We've been really good at home, and we talk about it almost every day—we don't lose at home. This was a big one tonight against one of the best teams in the league, and we've got another huge one on Saturday."

The Wolverines continue WAC play on Saturday afternoon at home against California Baptist. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the UCCU Center, with live coverage on ESPN+ and the Wolverine Sports Network (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 and Grand Canyon traded leads early, with seven lead changes over the first seven minutes before the Wolverines took a 13-12 edge with 12:52 remaining. Tanner Toolson then buried a three-pointer to ignite a 12-2 UVU run over the next five minutes, giving the Wolverines a 25-14 lead with 7:32 to play in the half. Grand Canyon responded with six of the next nine points, trimming the UVU lead to 28-20 with 5:44 on the clock. Utah Valley closed the half by outscoring GCU 7-5, taking a 35-25 advantage into the break.

Second Half
Utah Valley opened the second half strong, extending its lead to 13 points, 38-25, in the first minute. The Wolverines held a double-digit lead at 44-34 with 13 minutes left, but Grand Canyon mounted a 14-5 run over the next five minutes to close the gap to one, 49-48, with 9:48 remaining. Utah Valley answered with a 9-2 run, pushing its lead back to eight at 58-50 with 4:42 to go. The Wolverines extended their lead to 11 points, 68-57, with just over a minute left and held off the Lopes down the stretch to secure the 72-64 victory.