KANSAS CITY – Utah Valley defeated Kansas City, 64-58, on Saturday afternoon inside the Swinney Center. Kaylee Headrick tied a career-high with 18 points and set a new career-high with 11 boards to finish 8-for-14 from the field to lead the UVU (6-3). Amanda Barcello scored 17 points, including knocking down five 3-pointers, to tie a season-best for the senior. Kansas City (2-8) used a third-quarter surge to take a lead into the fourth quarter, led by Emani Bennett's 27 points and six rebounds.
 
Tessa Chaney scored 13 points and added five rebounds for the Wolverines, while Cambree Blackham finished with a career-high nine assists in the game. UVU was solid at the free-throw line, going 10-for-12, including 6-for-8 in the fourth quarter.
 
"It felt good to get back in the win column today," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "I thought Kaylee really set the tone for us with her aggressiveness, and Amanda hit some timely shots. We need to be more consistent, but I'm proud of how we executed down the stretch to get the win."
 
Utah Valley shot 64% from the field in the game's opening quarter with Barcello scoring the game's first bucket on a 3-pointer. The Wolverines consistently held a five-point lead throughout most of the first eight minutes and built an 18-10 lead with 3:13 left in the first following a second triple by Barcello. The Roos cut the lead down to six with under a minute left, but UVU extended its lead to 23-14 with a three from Mabry to end the quarter.
 
In the second quarter, the Wolverines scored all 12 of their points in the paint, with Chaney scoring four of her 13 in the quarter. Senior Gracie Sorenson added four points of her six total points in the game during the span. Headrick got the scoring started and pushed the UVU lead out to 11 with a layup. She added four rebounds in the frame, including a pair of offensive boards. Kansas City cut the lead down to just five at 27-22 with 5:50 left in the first half, but Utah Valley responded and answered with Blackham scoring on a layup before Sorenson's buckets helped UVU take a 35-24 lead into halftime.
 
The Roos outscored the Wolverines 19-9 in the third quarter and faced an 11-point deficit following a fastbreak layup from Headrick, who scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half. Kansas City, though, responded and tied the game up at 42 with 3:02 left in the third quarter. Emani Bennett finished with 12 points to lead the third-quarter charge, including a jumper in the final seconds of the third quarter to put the home team in front 45-44. Headrick got off to a quick start in the fourth quarter with back-to-back buckets to give Utah Valley a three-point lead at 48-45 in the first minute of the final frame. Elauni Bennett cut the lead to 48-47 before Kansas City jumped back in front when her twin sister Emani Bennett buried a 3-pointer.
 
Headrick tied the contest at 52 with a jumper with 5:19 left. She later gave the Wolverines a 54-52 lead with a pair of free throws at the line with 3:47 left. After a quiet second and third quarters, Barcello came up clutch when UVU needed her the most with a pair of made 3-point field goals, including one to give them a 57-54 lead late in the fourth. Her second came with just under 90 seconds left in the contest to push the lead to four at 60-56.
 
The Wolverine defense was tough in the final minutes, holding the Roos to just 2 points over the final 2:04. Blackham went 4-for-4 at the line in the final 30 seconds to help close out the win for Utah Valley.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will host La Sierra on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6:00 p.m. MT and will round out non-conference play with Idaho State next Saturday, Dec. 20, at Noon inside the UCCU Center.