ST. GEORGE, Utah—Utah Valley travels south on I-15 this week for the latest installment of the Old Hammer Rivalry, as the Wolverines face Utah Tech on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. MT at Burns Arena.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Rod Zundel and Mike Olson on the call. Jim McCulloch will call the game courtside on ESPN The Fan, with Brice Larson handling pregame, halftime and postgame coverage from the SLC Broadway media studio. Larson's pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m.
Utah Valley enters Thursday's matchup at 18-6 overall and 8-3 in Western Athletic Conference play following an 81-60 homecoming win over UT Arlington on Saturday. The victory extended UVU's program-record home win streak to 24 games and kept the Wolverines tied with California Baptist atop the WAC standings.
The Wolverines have been one of the nation's most balanced teams this season, ranking among the national leaders in assists per game (19.3), steals per game (9.8), turnovers forced per game (15.54), field goal percentage (51.0 percent), and scoring margin (+14.1). Utah Valley checks in at No. 85 in the latest NCAA NET rankings, the top mark among WAC programs and third-best among Division I schools in the state of Utah.
Individually, Trevan Leonhardt continues to fill the stat sheet, averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. He ranks No. 22 nationally in total assists (145) and No. 28 in total steals (51), and is the only player in Division I averaging at least 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season.
Jackson Holcombe anchors the frontcourt, averaging 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.29 steals per game while leading the WAC in total steals (55). Tyler Hendricks is shooting 47.9 percent from three-point range and leads the WAC in three-pointers per game (2.42).
Utah Tech enters the contest at 14-11 overall and 7-4 in league play. The Trailblazers have won four straight games, including an 87-84 double-overtime win over UT Arlington last week. Redshirt sophomore guard Chance Trujillo scored a career-high 22 points in that victory, hitting the game-winning three-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime. Senior guard Jusaun Holt added 20 points in the win. Truijillo was named WAC Player of the Week for his performance against UTA.
The Trailblazers are 8-2 at home this season and are shooting 48.5 percent from the field in their most recent outing. Utah Tech's 14 wins match its highest total in the Division I era.
Thursday's game marks the 13th all-time meeting between the programs since Utah Tech's transition to Division I in 2020-21. Utah Valley holds a 9-3 advantage in the series and has won five straight meetings. The most recent matchup came on Jan. 10, when the Wolverines defeated Utah Tech 92-76 in Orem behind a 61-point second half.
The two programs share a long history that predates their Division I rivalry, having competed regularly in the Scenic West Athletic Conference and NJCAA Region 18 before Utah Valley transitioned to Division I in 2003-04.
Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips also shares a connection with Utah Tech head coach Jon Judkins. Phillips played for Judkins at Snow College from 1995-97 before finishing his career at Lewis-Clark State. Now in his third season leading the Wolverines, Phillips faces his former junior college coach for the seventh time and holds a 5-1 record in those matchups.
With the WAC race tightening and just a handful of conference games remaining, Thursday's rivalry showdown carries significant implications in the standings as Utah Valley looks to remain in first place and extend its five-game series win streak over the Trailblazers.
