OREM, Utah — Utah Valley couldn't overcome its struggles from the field, falling 72-63 to Southern Utah on Saturday at Lockhart Arena.
 
The Wolverines (13-10, 5-5) suffered one their worst shooting nights of the season, hitting just 29.2% (19-for-65) overall and 2-for-14 (14.3%) from the 3-point line. The Thunderbirds (6-19, 4-8) turned the ball over 27 times in the game, but outrebounded UVU 43-35 with SUU also collecting 11 blocks on the defensive end.
 
"This was a terrible performance overall; from shooting the ball to defensively, we let them get going early and get some confidence. Credit to SUU for how they played today," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "You have to put the ball in the basket. It's pretty simple. You can't miss layups and free throws."
 
The Wolverines scored the first six points of the game before the T-Birds got hot. Southern Utah hit eight of its first 10 attempts from the field and were 8-for-11 in the opening quarter and built 20-13 lead after one. SUU also made all four of its attempts from beyond the arc, with three coming from Ava Uhrich.
 
Southern Utah continued its hot shooting to begin the second, with a pair of triples — to start 6-for-6 from distance — en route to a 27-13 lead early in the second quarter.
 
Utah Valley ran off an 8-0 run with Saige Gibb scoring six points with four coming from the free-throw line to get within six, 27-21, but the T-Birds worked it back to 10, 35-25, at the break. Uhrich had 13 to lead all scorers as SUU was 13-for-23 from the field overall. UVU shot just 5-for-24 in the opening half but got to the line 18 times, making 15, in the half.
 
Southern Utah never allowed the game to get closer than five in the second half. Halle Nelson had a layup followed by an Amanda Barcello three to get the Wolverines within five, 37-32, but Dayena Ballena pushed it right back to nine on the next two possessions with a pair from the line and a layup. Ballena's layup to end the third gave the T-Birds a 52-40 lead after three.
 
Utah Valley finished with 18 steals, six coming from Tahlia White. Nelson led the Wolverines with 11 points and 10 rebounds, Cambree Blackham added 10 points, and Danja Stafford Collins finished with eight points, nine rebounds, and three steals.

Uhrich led all scorers with 27 points while Ballena added 21 for SUU. Both teams got to the line over 30 times, with Southern Utah going 25-for-31 and Utah Valley hitting 23-for-35 (65.7%) from the stripe. Jaeden Brown finished with eight rebounds and five blocks for Southern Utah while Samantha Johnston had four blocks as the two combined for nine of the T-Birds' 11 rejections. 
 
Next week, Utah Valley will host Utah Tech, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the UCCU Center. They'll then travel to Seattle U for a Saturday afternoon contest on Feb. 22.