OREM—First place in the Western Athletic Conference will be on the line Saturday afternoon as Utah Valley hosts UT Arlington in a pivotal conference matchup at the UCCU Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. MT on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on ESPN The Fan.
Utah Valley enters the game at 14–4 overall and 4–1 in WAC play following a 92–76 win over in-state foe Utah Tech last Saturday in Orem. The Wolverines have won 10 of their last 12 games and own the fifth-longest active home win streak in the nation at 21 games. Utah Valley is 9–0 at home this season and has not lost at the UCCU Center since March 2, 2024.
UT Arlington arrives in Orem at 12–5 overall and 4–1 in WAC play after grinding out a 56–52 road win at Utah Tech on Thursday in St. George. The Mavericks used a dominant defensive performance to claim their fourth consecutive victory, holding Utah Tech to 31.8 percent shooting and just 1-for-15 from three. With the win, UTA pulled into a tie with Utah Valley for the top spot in the league standings and improved to 6–3 on the road this season.
Saturday marks the first meeting between the programs since last season, when Utah Valley swept the series with an 85–83 road win on Jan. 16 in Arlington and a 94–73 win on Feb. 6 in Orem. UVU leads the all-time series 4–2 in WAC play and 4–4 overall since joining Division I.
Utah Valley enters the weekend as one of the nation's most efficient offensive teams, ranking among the top national leaders in field goal percentage, assists per game, and effective field goal percentage while posting a scoring margin of +15.5. The Wolverines feature a balanced offensive core led by redshirt sophomore forward Jackson Holcombe (16.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg), redshirt junior guard Trevan Leonhardt (12.1 ppg, 6.4 apg), and redshirt junior guard Tyler Hendricks (11.8 ppg), with freshman Isaac Davis (10.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) emerging as one of the league's top newcomers.
UT Arlington counters with a defense-first identity that currently ranks among the best in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense. The Mavericks are led by sophomore wing Marcell McCreary (14.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg), redshirt senior forward Raysean Seamster (13.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg), and sophomore guard Cash Chavis (7.5 ppg, 4.0 apg), with junior forward Cameron Jackson (6.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg) providing size and efficiency inside. McCreary shoots 38.6 percent from three and 88.5 percent at the line, while Seamster serves as UTA's primary interior scorer and rebounder. The Mavericks are 12–2 this season when outrebounding their opponent and have shot 82.7 percent from the free-throw line over their last four games.
Saturday's contest is the first of three regular-season meetings between the two teams, with Utah Valley also set to host UT Arlington on Feb. 7, before traveling to Arlington for the return matchup on Feb. 21.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at GoUVU.com/Tickets.
