STEPHENVILLE, Texas—Dominick Nelson matched a career high with 25 points, and Carter Welling added 18 as Utah Valley defeated Tarleton State 71-66 in a sold-out Wisdom Gym on Saturday night, closing out WAC play with a statement win.

The Wolverines had already clinched the outright WAC regular-season championship earlier in the day following a Grand Canyon loss at Abilene Christian, but put an exclamation mark on their title run with their eighth straight victory. UVU finishes the regular season 23-7 overall and 15-1 in WAC play, two games ahead of second-place Grand Canyon (13-3).

"This team has so much heart," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "To come to Texas and win two tough road games shows what these guys are made of."

Utah Valley trailed 59-50 with 9:20 remaining but answered with a 13-4 run to tie the game at 63-63. Tarleton State briefly reclaimed the lead at 66-64 with just under three minutes to play, but UVU locked in defensively, closing on a 7-0 run. Nelson sealed the victory with two free throws in the final five seconds.

"We were down nine tonight, and the guys just battled back and found a way to win," Phillips said. "That's been the story of this team all year—different guys stepping up in big moments."

Nelson scored his 25 points on 6-of-12 shooting and went 13-for-16 at the free-throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds and added two blocks, one steal, and one assist.

Welling contributed 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a three-pointer, and hit 7-of-10 from the line. He also pulled down eight rebounds and blocked three shots.

Tanner Toolson finished with eight points, while Hayden Welling provided a spark off the bench with seven. Trevan Leonhardt dished out a team-high five assists, and Cory Wells made an impact defensively.

"Cory (Wells) was huge defensively tonight," Phillips added. "We played five different guys at the four, and everyone just found a way to contribute. That's what makes this team so special—somebody new steps up every game."

Utah Valley shot 44.7% (21-of-47) from the field but struggled from deep, hitting just 2-of-14 (14.3%). The Wolverines held Tarleton State to 41.5% shooting (22-of-53) and 35.7% (5-of-14) from three. UVU won the rebounding battle 35-28 and outscored the Texans 34-30 in the paint.

"This group is unselfish, they care about each other, and they just get the job done," Phillips said.

Wolverines Head to WAC Tournament as No. 1 Seed
Utah Valley now turns its attention to the WAC Tournament, set for March 12-15 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Wolverines, the tournament's top seed, will face the winner of No. 8 Southern Utah vs. No. 9 Utah Tech on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT.

All WAC Tournament games will stream live on ESPN+ and air on the Wolverine Sports Network and ESPN The Fan.

Fans attending the tournament can join FREE tailgates featuring food, giveaways, and Wolverine spirit before each game. RSVP here to reserve your spot.

How It Happened

First Half
Utah Valley jumped out to a 13-7 lead at the 13:38 mark after a Toolson layup sparked a 7-2 run. The Wolverines maintained a 19-13 edge before Tarleton responded with a 13-3 surge, taking a 26-22 lead with six minutes left. UVU answered with an 8-2 run to go back in front, 30-28, with 3:19 remaining, but Tarleton State outscored UVU 8-5 down the stretch to take a 36-35 lead into halftime.

Second Half
The teams traded leads early in the second half before Tarleton pulled ahead 42-40 with 15:30 to play. The Texans extended their lead to 59-50 with 9:10 remaining, but UVU roared back with a 13-4 run to tie it at 63-63 with 4:05 left.

Tarleton momentarily reclaimed the lead at 66-64, but the Wolverines held the Texans scoreless over the final 2:53, closing on a decisive 7-0 run. Nelson iced the win with two free throws in the final five seconds.