OPENING TIP
Utah Valley University wraps up the WAC regular season with a pair of home games this week, capped off with Senior Day on Saturday. On Thursday, the Wolverines (16-10, 8-6) will host Abilene Christian with Tarleton State in town on Saturday for the final home game. UVU has won three straight, including a 53-48 win at Southern Utah last Saturday in Cedar City. The Wolverines built a double-digit lead and held on to win despite their worst shooting night of the season. 

Utah Valley leads the WAC and ranks third in the country with 14.1 steals per game and is seventh nationally with 24 turnovers forced per contest. The Wolverines are also first in the conference an 28th in the country with 14.3 offensive rebounds per game. Tahlia White is averaging 12.2 points per game on the season and has upped that to 16 per game in WAC play, which ranks third. She is also tied for the lead in WAC games in steals, with 41 through 14 games. Danja Stafford Collins leads the league with an average of 9.4 rebounds per game and is also 14th in the country with 4.2 offensive boards per contest. 

Utah Valley and Abilene Christian are currently deadlocked at 8-6 and in fifth place in the conference standings. UT Arlington, which hosts California Baptist in its finale on Saturday, is also sitting on six losses with just the one game remaining. CBU is currently tied with Tarleton State for second, at 9-5, with the two teams set for a crucial Thursday-night contest in Texas. Following Thursday's game with the Lancers, Tarleton State will be in Orem for the finale, setting up a wild weekend with five teams battling for seeding. The possiblity of a four-way tie, with four schools at 10-6, remains in play. The top two seeds, with Grand Canyon already securing the top spot, will play on Wednesday with seeds three through six competing on Thursday in Las Vegas. 

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Valley University survived a furious fourth-quarter rally to hold off Southern Utah, 53-48, on Saturday at America First Event Center. The Wolverines carried a 40-23 lead into the fourth before the T-Birds got as close as one point with 16 seconds left. Tahlia White, who had a game-high 15 points, went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 15 seconds to secure the win. She was 11-for-12 overall from the line in the game. 

Halle Nelson finished with seven points, 11 rebounds, and three steals with White and Kylee Mabry also collecting a trio of steals on a night UVU finished with 13, turned SUU over 19 times, and limited its turnovers to just seven. Utah Valley also held Southern Utah to just 11 points in the first half, building a 26-11 lead at the break. Against the T-Birds, Amanda Barcello went 1-for-2 from the 3-point line with her first attempt extending her stretch of consecutive makes from three to an impressive nine in a row. 

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Abilene Christian is in search of its 20th win, entering the contest at 19-10 overall and winners of three straight. Bella Earle is averaging 14.3 points per game to lead the Wildcats, which also ranks fifth in the conference. Payton Hull, last season's WAC Freshman of the Year, was averaging 18.6 per game before suffering an injury in January that will reportedly keep her out for the season.

Utah Valley and ACU met way back on January 4, the opening date of WAC play, with the Wolverines winning a double-overtime thriller, 64-63, on Danja Stafford's game-winner with 1.2 seconds left. It was the first time in the six meetings between the schools that Utah Valley defeated the Wildcats. The Wolverines are 0-2 at home all-time against ACU entering Thursday's contest.

UP NEXT
Saturday's regular season finale will tip off at 2 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center, with Senior Day recognition scheduled for after the game. The WAC Tournament begins next Tuesday in St. George with Utah Tech and Seattle U playing for a chance to advance to Vegas.