CANCÚN, Mexico—Jackson Holcombe scored a game-high 21 points and Trevan Leonhardt added 15 to lead Utah Valley to an 89-45 win over Samford on Wednesday night in the Wolverines' final game of the Cancún Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
The victory caps a perfect 3-0 showing for Utah Valley (5-2) at the Cancún Challenge. The Wolverines opened the event with a 79-72 home win over UC Irvine before going 2-0 in Mexico, defeating South Dakota State 79-52 on Tuesday and Samford on Wednesday.
Utah Valley took control early, using a 16-2 run to build a 23-9 lead with 7:45 left in the first half. The Wolverines held Samford to just six field goals in the opening half and took a 42-14 advantage into the break. UVU shot 54.5 percent (18-of-33) in the first half while holding Samford to 20.7 percent (6-of-29) from the floor.
The Wolverines continued their dominance after halftime, extending their lead to as many as 49 points in the final minute. UVU outscored the Bulldogs 54-22 in the paint and forced 21 turnovers, converting them into 21 points. Utah Valley also outrebounded Samford 44-34.
Holcombe led all scorers with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting, adding five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Leonhardt filled the stat sheet with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Isaac Davis finished with six points and four rebounds in just over nine minutes before exiting with an ankle tweak, while Tyler Hendricks added 11 points and six boards.
Head coach Todd Phillips praised his team's defensive effort and discipline against a high-volume three-point shooting opponent.
"We did a really good job guarding the three," Phillips said. "They're one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country, and we did a great job running them off the line and making them try to score over our length. I'm really proud of our guys."
Phillips also highlighted the Wolverines' physicality and execution inside.
"You look at the rebounding thing, that's a huge thing for us. We out-rebounded them by 10, and points in the paint, we doubled them up. Those are big things that lead to wins for us."
With a perfect Cancún Challenge showing in the books, Utah Valley now turns its attention to another road test.
The Wolverines will travel to face San Diego State on Wednesday night, Dec. 3 at Viejas Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network, with radio coverage on the Wolverine Sports Network/ESPN The Fan.
