SALT LAKE CITY—Hayden Welling scored a game-high 18 points and Tyler Hendricks added 13 to lead Utah Valley to a 68-53 win over future Big West foe UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon in the Salt Lake Slam at the Delta Center.
Utah Valley won its third straight game to improve to 8-3 overall and has now won six of its last seven contests. UC Santa Barbara falls to 8-3 on the season.
Welling finished 6-of-11 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line. He also added four rebounds. Hendricks scored his 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and contributed three steals and three rebounds. Noah Taitz was also in double figures with 12 points.
Trevan Leonhardt flirted with a triple-double, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists, along with three steals and two blocks. Jackson Holcombe added six points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Utah Valley shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the field and 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from three-point range. UC Santa Barbara shot 35.8 percent (19-of-53) overall and 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from deep. The Wolverines held a 38-35 edge on the glass, while points in the paint were tied at 28-28.
Utah Valley jumped out to a 9-0 lead over the opening 5:47 and never trailed. The Wolverines used a 12-2 run midway through the first half to build a 24-8 advantage and closed the half on an 11-2 surge to take a 37-15 lead into the break.
UC Santa Barbara opened the second half on a 7-1 run and later trimmed the deficit to 11 points, 58-47, with 6:27 remaining. Utah Valley responded by outscoring the Gauchos 10-6 down the stretch to secure the win.
"I thought we had a really great first half," Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips said. "In the second half we were a little up and down with some things we were doing, but that's a really good team. That's one of the best teams in the Big West, and it was a really good win for us here."
Phillips noted Utah Valley's ability to adjust to different opponents as a key takeaway from the win.
"Our ability to play a lot of different ways has been big for us," Phillips said. "Idaho State was completely different than Santa Barbara, and to be able to adapt and play to their style, I'm really proud of our guys."
Phillips credited UC Santa Barbara's pressure and Utah Valley's shot selection for the tighter second half.
"I thought their pressure was better in the second half, and we were a little lethargic coming out," Phillips said. "We went through a stretch where we took some shots that probably weren't great shots—some deep transition threes. Shot selection is vital for us, and we'll continue to grow and learn from that."
Phillips also praised Welling's all-around performance.
"He knocked down some big threes for us, but I thought his defense was really good," Phillips said. "In the second half, he was big and strong and didn't foul as much, and that was huge for us. That was a big game for him."
Utah Valley will return home to the UCCU Center to take on in-state rival Weber State on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
