OPENING TOP
Utah Valley University will make its fifth WAC Tournament semifinal appearance when the Wolverines (18-11) take on top seed Grand Canyon University on Friday at noon PT. UVU defeated Abilene Christian in Thursday's quarterfinal, 75-65, to set a new program record for wins in the program's NCAA Division I era. 

UVU fans can get free tickets by visiting GoUVU.com/RMCF and filling out the form, thanks to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. 

With its win on Thursday, UVU improved to 5-10 all-time at the WAC Tournament and 3-4 at the tournament under sixth-year head coach Dan Nielson. UVU is 0-2 all-time against the No. 1 seed at the tournament. The Wolverines have won five of their last six games, avenging their only loss in that stretch to ACU with Thursday's victory. 

In the last two games, UVU is a combined 20-for-37 (58.8%) from beyond the 3-point line, with Amanda Barcello going 7-for-11, Danja Stafford Collins is 5-for-8, and Tahlia White is 4-for-6, with all four makes coming against Abilene Christian. 

Friday's game against Grand Canyon (30-2) will be the third time the Wolverines have faced the Lopes in Las Vegas, with GCU winning the two prior, in 2018 and 2021. Grand Canyon swept the regular season series and and owns the nation's longest winning streak, at 28 games, following its 71-47 win over Utah Tech in the first quarterfinal on Wednesday. 

LAST TIME OUT
Amanda Barcello and Tahlia White combined to score 50 points to lead Utah Valley University to a 75-65 win over Abilene Christian University at the 2025 WAC Tournament at Orleans Arena.

White had 26 points, while Barcello finished with a career-high 24, hitting 6-for-8 from three. White also made four 3-pointers as the two combined to go 10-for-13 from beyond the arc. The win also set a new program record for wins in a season in Utah Valley's NCAA Division I era and sets up a semifinal game against top-seed Grand Canyon on Friday at noon PT.

Danja Stafford Collins added 10 points and nine rebounds, Halle Nelson finished with seven points and four blocked shots, and Ally Criddle had six points and nine assists as the Wolverines (18-11) got 73 of their 75 points from the starting lineup. Emma Troxell had 20 to lead the Wildcats (20-12).

Utah Valley set the defensive tone right out of the chute, turning the Wildcats over on the game's first three possessions and not allowing an attempt from the field for over two minutes to begin the contest. Four different players scored early for UVU as the team raced out to a 9-0 lead to force an ACU timeout at the 6:35 mark of the opening quarter.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Grand Canyon has not lost since Nov. 27, 2024 and would tie the WAC's win streak record with a win on Friday. The loaded Lopes had four players earn All-WAC first or second team, led by Player of the Year Trinity San Antonio. Tiarra Brown was named the Defensive Player of the Year and joined San Antonio on the first team. Alyssa Durazo-Frescas is one of the nation's best 3-point shooters, hitting 115 on the season at a rate of 46.94%. She broke Becky Hammon's (Colorado State) record in Tuesday's game. She and Laura Erikstrup were both on the second team.