LAS VEGAS—Jackson Holcombe scored 14 points and hit the game-winning free throws with 19 seconds remaining to lift top-seeded Utah Valley to a 67-65 win over UT Arlington in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament on Friday night at Orleans Arena, sending the Wolverines to the championship game with a chance to earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth.
Utah Valley improves to 25-7 overall and advances to Saturday night's WAC Tournament championship game, where it will face the winner of the other semifinal between No. 2 California Baptist and No. 3 Utah Tech.
"I'm really proud of our guys," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "We got up there and the pressure ratcheted up a little bit, and we turned it over too much, but our guys stayed the course. That's typical of this team. We never do anything easy, it always seems to come down to the end."
Utah Valley appeared in control late in the second half, leading by as many as 16 points with 9:12 remaining before UT Arlington mounted a furious rally.
The Mavericks used a 19-4 run over a seven-minute stretch to cut the Wolverine lead to just one point, 62-61, with 2:17 remaining. Holcombe answered with a layup to push the lead back to three before UT Arlington again trimmed the margin to a single point.
Holcombe then went 1-of-2 at the free throw line to give Utah Valley a 65-63 lead with just over a minute to play. UT Arlington's Casmir Chavis responded with a pair of free throws to tie the game at 65-65 with 47 seconds left.
On Utah Valley's next possession, Holcombe attacked the rim and drew a foul before calmly knocking down both free throws to give the Wolverines a 67-65 advantage with 19 seconds remaining.
UT Arlington had one final chance, but Isaac Hawkins came up with a crucial block on a drive by Bahsil Laster. After a scramble for the loose ball, Raysean Seamster launched a contested three at the buzzer that missed, allowing Utah Valley to escape with the win.
"Big play by Hawk at the end," Phillips said. "Our guys made a big defensive play when we needed it most. At this time of year, the statistics really don't matter. It's just win and advance."
Utah Valley led 33-29 at halftime after Hayden Welling threw down a dunk late in the first half to give the Wolverines momentum heading into the break.
The Wolverines extended the lead early in the second half behind Isaac Davis, who scored on a layup and added a pair of free throws to spark a 10-2 run that pushed the lead to 49-38 with 13:04 remaining.
Trevan Leonhardt later helped stretch the lead to 59-44 with a three-pointer followed by a fast-break dunk, but UT Arlington refused to go away, setting up the dramatic finish.
Holcombe finished with 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting and went 6-of-8 from the free throw line while adding four rebounds, two assists, and a block.
Leonhardt recorded 12 points with a team-high seven rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Sherman Weatherspoon IV added 11 points with three three-pointers, while Braden Housley chipped in 10 points.
Hawkins provided a spark off the bench with six points, six rebounds, and four blocks.
Utah Valley shot 47.8 percent (22-of-46) from the field and 35 percent (7-of-20) from three-point range. UT Arlington shot 46.9 percent (23-of-49) overall and 33.3 percent (3-of-9) from beyond the arc.
The Wolverines outrebounded the Mavericks 33-29 but recorded a season-low 10 assists.
Utah Valley will now play in the WAC Tournament championship game on Saturday night at 9 p.m. PT/10 p.m. MT at Orleans Arena. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and over the airwaves on ESPN The Fan as part of the Wolverine Sports Network.
"We'll take the win and move on," Phillips said. "We're excited for the opportunity tomorrow night."
