SEATTLE — Behind a strong second half, Utah Valley University pulled away from Seattle U to earn a road win in WAC play, 68-51, on Saturday in the Redhawk Center. The Wolverines (15-10, 7-6) outscored the Redhawks (3-22, 0-12) 42-23 in the second half to pick up their second straight win.
 
Halle Nelson had a career-high 17 points to lead all scorers while also hauling in 11 rebounds for a double-double. She was 7-for-10 from the field and finished with a pair of steals and a blocked shot. Amanda Barcello and Tahlia White also reached double figures, scoring 14 points each. White also had three steals and a block to go along with five rebounds.
 
"We were a little flat in the first half and I just didn't think we were very decisive on offense. We were passing up shots and picking up our dribble too early. We challenged them to be a little more creative and try to get downhill more, so we went a little smaller in the second half," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "Our small lineup looked good in our zone, we sped them up a little bit, and I thought we were a little more efficient offensively, so definitely glad to get another road win as we look forward to a big game at SUU next week."
 
Nelson had seven early points to help the Wolverines build an early 10-4 lead, but it would be the largest lead either team held in the opening half. The Redhawks hit 5-of-9 in the opening quarter and got to the line seven times, hitting five, before finishing the first on a 9-0 run after a trio of 3-pointers, two from Olivia Moore, to give Seattle an 18-14 lead after one.
 
In the second quarter, Utah Valley whittled two points off the deficit to get within two, 28-26, at the half. Saige Gibb had four points and three rebounds in the quarter, providing a spark off the bench. Nelson led the Wolverines with seven while Candy Edokpaigbe had seven to lead the Redhawks. Gibb finished with six points, five boards and four steals for the Wolverines. 
 
Barcello keyed a third-quarter run for Utah Valley that saw the Wolverines outscore the Redhawks 21-7 to take a 47-35 lead after three. She scored 11 points in the quarter while Nelson had six points and five rebounds. Down four, 33-29, three minutes into the third, Barcello scored and was fouled, completing a 3-point play to cut it to one. White hit two from the line, Nelson scored on a putback, and Barcello hit two more free throws for a 9-0 run. That stretched to an 18-2 run by the end of the quarter, capped by Nelson layup on an assist from Barcello.
 
In the fourth, the Wolverines led 51-38 when Ally Criddle buried a 3-pointer that beat the shot clock and extended the lead to 16. Gibb scored on a driving layup and Mabry followed with a fastbreak layup to force a timeout and extend UVU's lead to 19, 60-41, with 4:32 remaining.
 
Both teams struggled to take care of the ball, combining for 53 turnovers with 28 of those coming from the Redhawks. The Wolverines scored 30 points off the turnovers while Seattle U scored 15 points off the UVU miscues. Utah Valley also enjoyed a 40-18 edge on points in the paint and a 40-25 advantage on the glass. The Wolverines had 21 second chance points on 18 offensive rebounds, nine of those coming from Nelson.

Next week, Utah Valley will play its final conference road game, at Southern Utah on Saturday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. MT.