OREM — Utah Valley returns home looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking road loss when the Wolverines host UC Irvine on Wednesday night in a Cancun Challenge campus game at the UCCU Center.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MT on ESPN+.
Utah Valley (2–2) is coming off a 75–74 setback at Fresno State on Saturday in which Jackson Holcombe's shot at the buzzer didn't fall. The Wolverines led 40–33 at halftime and 74–72 with 50 seconds remaining before the Bulldogs hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 22 seconds left. Hayden Welling scored 17 points, one shy of his career high, while Holcombe, Trevan Leonhardt and Tyler Hendricks also reached double figures as UVU shot 52 percent from the field and held a 36–30 edge in paint points.
Head coach Todd Phillips said the focus coming out of the loss has been on growth and execution in winning-time situations.
"This time of year is so much about growth and development," Phillips said on his weekly coaches show. "Whether we win or lose, we've got to get better, figure things out and learn to play with each other. It's not always about the last play. We've got to knock down free throws, get another stop and take the game out of the ref's hands."
Through four games, Utah Valley has been one of the nation's most efficient offensive teams, ranking among the national leaders in both shooting and sharing the ball. The Wolverines enter Wednesday ranked in the top 15 nationally in field goal percentage and assists per game, while also sitting among the leaders in blocks, effective field goal percentage and steals. Holcombe leads UVU at 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, Hendricks adds 13.5 points, and Leonhardt averages 10.8 points with 8.3 assists per contest.
The Wolverines have also turned the UCCU Center into one of the toughest venues in college basketball. Utah Valley owns a 93–20 home record since March 4, 2017, and a 244–66 all-time mark in the building. UVU has won 14 straight at home, the sixth-longest active home win streak in the nation. The Wolverines went 12–0 at home last season, the first undefeated home season in program history, and have opened 2025–26 with home wins over West Coast Baptist and Westminster.
UC Irvine (3–1) provides one of Utah Valley's stiffest early-season tests. The Anteaters picked up home wins over Lincoln (130–63) and Weber State (79–70) last week, and Wednesday's contest in Orem will be their first road game of the season. It is also an early look at a future Big West matchup, as Utah Valley is set to join the conference in 2026–27.
UCI has been elite nationally in ball movement and on the glass. The Anteaters lead the nation in assists per game at 25.3, helped by guards Tama Isaac and Derin Saran, who each average 6.0 assists and rank among the national leaders. They also own top-10 national rankings in blocks, rebounds per game, rebound margin, scoring margin and field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 32.7 percent shooting and 62.8 points per game. Offensively, UCI shoots 53.7 percent from the field and averages 98.8 points per game.
Sophomore guard Jurian Dixon headlines the Anteaters with a Big West–leading 19.5 points per game on 53.7 percent shooting from the field and 45.5 percent from three. Saran averages 13.3 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds after recording the first triple-double in program history with 20 points, 12 boards and 10 assists against Lincoln. Forward Harrison Carrington adds 11.8 points per game while leading the Big West in field goal percentage (.704), and 6-foot-10 forward Kyle Evans averages 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.75 blocks.
"UC Irvine is a great rebounding team," Phillips said. "They play four or five bigs and just keep coming at you, and their guards rebound too. We've got to hit them, block out and have our guards rebound down. We've also got to sprint back, build a wall in transition and then sit down and guard."
The matchup also features two of the most unselfish teams in the country. UC Irvine sits No. 1 nationally in assists per game, while Utah Valley ranks 11th behind Leonhardt, who is fifth in the country in assists. Both teams are among the national leaders in field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage, setting up a contrast between UCI's size and defensive numbers and UVU's offensive efficiency and home-court advantage.
Phillips said he likes the way his young group is responding to early tests.
"We're still a super young, super new team playing together, and there's a lot of growth still to happen," he said. "But our guys are definitely getting better. We've got multiple dudes who can score, and now we're figuring out who the go-to guys are at certain times. Games like Fresno State and this one against Irvine are really good tests for us."
Wednesday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Utah Valley and UC Irvine. The Wolverines are 9–10 all-time against current Big West opponents.
