OREM, Utah — Utah Valley went cold down the stretch in a 71-62 loss to Abilene Christian on Thursday night in the UCCU Center. The Wolverines (16-11, 8-7) couldn't get a bucket to drop, missing their last seven attempts as the Wildcats (20-10, 9-6) finished the game on a 15-2 run.
Amanda Barcello, behind four first-half 3-pointers, led UVU with 15 points while
Halle Nelson added 14 points and eight rebounds, and
Tahlia White added 12. Bella Earle had a game-high 26 for ACU, along with 11 rebounds, eight steals, and four assists. The loss drops Utah Valley to the No. 6 seed heading into the final game of the regular season and will have them opening the WAC Tournament next week on Thursday.
On Thursday, Utah Valley jumped out quickly, taking a 12-3 lead with Barcello and White both knocking down early triples. Earle and Erin Woodson helped ACU close to within one by the end of the first, with Woodson making a pair of 3-pointers including one that beat the buzzer to end the first. She had eight points and Earle had six, while White had seven to lead UVU in the first with the Wolverines up 18-17 after one.
Emma Troxell gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game with the team's fourth three of the game early in the second before Barcello would hit consecutive triples to put UVU back in front, 24-20. Barcello was the only Wolverine to score in the second quarter, finishing with 11 points in the frame and 14 in the half. She was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc in the half and teams entered the break deadlocked at 29-29.
In the second half, the Wildcats took a 34-31 lead before a 9-1 run pushed the Wolverines back in front by five, 40-35. Nelson had seven her points early in the third to spark the run and Utah Valley led 51-47 after three.
The Wolverines led by five in the fourth, 58-53, with just over six minutes to go but Earle hit a big triple to get it back to two after both teams had empty possessions prior. Nelson scored down low to push it to four with 4:58 remaining, but that would be the final field goal UVU would convert.
Troxell hit a three to trim UVU's lead back to one and Earle intercepted a pass and went the distance for two to give ACU a 61-60 lead. Barcello got to the line and converted one to tie it, but the Wildcats got a free-throw from Meredith Mayes with 1:17 to retake the lead for good. Earle went 8-for-8 from the line over the final 45 seconds to put the game away as Abilene went 9-for-10 from the line in crunch time.
Utah Valley will wrap up the regular season on Saturday against Tarleton State at 2 p.m. MT on Senior Day. The Texans won convincingly, 75-44, over California Baptist at home on Thursday night.
