OREM—Jackson Holcombe recorded a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double to lead Utah Valley to a 109-48 win over Bethesda on Saturday afternoon in the team's non-conference finale at the UCCU Center.
Utah Valley won its fifth straight game and wrapped up non-conference play with a 10-3 overall record. The Wolverines have won eight of their last nine games and will open Western Athletic Conference play at home on Monday, Dec. 29 against California Baptist.
"It was great," head coach Todd Phillips said. "It's right before Christmas, the guys are a little beat up and bruised, and we got to play everybody tonight. Nobody played big minutes, nobody got hurt, and that's exactly what you want going into the break."
After a back-and-forth start that saw Utah Valley take a 9-7 lead three minutes in, the Wolverines seized control behind a Holcombe jumper and an Isaac Davis dunk that ignited a 19-4 run over the next seven minutes. The surge gave UVU a 28-11 advantage with 9:25 remaining in the first half.
Phillips acknowledged the early sluggishness but said it was expected given the timing of the game.
"This time of year, guys start thinking about Christmas and getting home to their families," Phillips said. "It's always a little scary, so we had to get dialed in."
Utah Valley continued to build separation, extending the lead to 35-17 with six minutes to play before closing the half on a 14-3 run to take a commanding 52-23 lead into the break.
The Wolverines maintained their momentum in the second half, holding a 60-31 lead early before a Holcombe basket and ensuing and-one sparked a dominant 36-4 run over a 10-minute stretch. Utah Valley pushed the margin to 96-35 with 6:51 remaining and cruised the rest of the way to secure the 61-point victory.
Holcombe finished 7-of-11 from the field and 2-of-2 at the free throw line, pulling down a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with three assists, a block, and a steal.
"That was great by Jackson," Phillips said. "I also really liked our bench guys. They came in and did some really good things."
Tyler Hendricks added 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including two three-pointers, while also contributing six rebounds and four assists. Isaac Davis chipped in 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night, including a three-pointer. Hayden Welling and Isaac Hawkins also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively, and Joul Karram added nine points and eight rebounds off the bench.
As a team, Utah Valley shot 55.1 percent (43-of-78) from the field while holding Bethesda to 25.9 percent (15-of-58) shooting. The Wolverines dominated the glass with a 59-21 rebounding advantage and outscored the Angel Lions 66-4 in the paint.
Utah Valley will enjoy the Christmas break before opening Western Athletic Conference play at home against California Baptist on Monday, Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the UCCU Center.
"We're proud of the guys and how the preseason went," Phillips said. "Now we've got to go after where it counts."
