LAS VEGAS—Jackson Holcombe scored a team-high 18 points and Isaac Davis added 12, but Utah Valley came up just short in a heartbreaking 63-61 loss to California Baptist in the championship game of the 2026 WAC Tournament on Saturday night at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The loss snaps a seven-game win streak for the Wolverines, who fall to 25-8 overall. California Baptist improves to 25-8 and earns the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Utah Valley held a 61-60 lead with 39 seconds remaining before CBU's Dominick Daniels Jr. knocked down a three-pointer with 17 seconds left to give the Lancers a 63-61 advantage. The Wolverines drew up a lob play out of a timeout on the ensuing possession, but the attempt rimmed out with two seconds remaining as CBU escaped with the win and the tournament title.
"I'm really proud of our guys," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "They battled all night and put themselves in a position to win the game. It's tough when it comes down to one play like that, but our guys showed a lot of heart and toughness."
California Baptist opened the game hot from beyond the arc, knocking down three early three-pointers to jump out to a 9-2 lead. The Lancers extended the advantage to 14-4 with 11:39 remaining in the first half.
Utah Valley responded behind Isaac Hawkins and Hayden Welling. Hawkins knocked down a jumper and Welling threw down a dunk to spark an 8-2 Wolverine run over a 4:27 stretch, cutting the deficit to 16-12 with 7:27 left in the half.
The Wolverines stayed within striking distance before Trevan Leonhardt connected with Davis on a lob dunk as part of an 8-1 run that gave Utah Valley its first lead of the game, 24-23, with 1:48 remaining in the half.
Daniels Jr. answered with a three-pointer to put CBU back in front before Braden Housley knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 26-26 with 57 seconds left. Utah Valley forced a stop on the defensive end but couldn't convert in the final seconds as the teams went into the break tied at 26-26.
California Baptist scored four of the first five points of the second half to take a 31-27 lead, but Sherman Weatherspoon IV answered with a three-pointer to spark a 15-4 Utah Valley run over the next 5:48. The surge gave the Wolverines a 42-35 lead with 12:11 remaining.
CBU responded with seven straight points to tie the game at 42-42 with 10:18 to play, and the teams traded leads throughout the final minutes.
Holcombe knocked down a jumper and Weatherspoon IV followed with a three-pointer to cap an 8-0 run that gave Utah Valley a 59-52 lead with just under three minutes remaining.
After a pair of CBU free throws cut the lead to 59-54, Holcombe split a pair at the line to extend the advantage to six points, 60-54, with 2:22 remaining.
Daniels Jr. then delivered in the closing moments, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 60-60 with 1:16 left. Holcombe answered by splitting another pair of free throws to give Utah Valley a 61-60 lead before Daniels Jr. knocked down the go-ahead three with 17 seconds remaining.
"We had a chance there late and just couldn't get it to fall," Phillips said. "Our guys fought back from an early deficit and competed the whole night. It's a tough one, but this group has done a lot to be proud of this season."
Holcombe finished with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting while adding three rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes of action.
Davis scored 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting and pulled down six rebounds with two steals.
Trevan Leonhardt recorded six points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while Braden Housley added seven points.
Utah Valley shot 44 percent (22-of-50) from the field and 37.5 percent (3-of-8) from three-point range while going 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from the free throw line. California Baptist shot 37.9 percent (22-of-58) overall and 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from beyond the arc while converting 10-of-11 (90.9 percent) at the free throw line.
The Lancers held a slight 35-33 advantage on the glass, while Utah Valley outscored California Baptist 38-26 in the paint.
Leonhardt and Holcombe were named to the WAC All-Tournament Team. Utah Valley now awaits a possible berth into the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Postseason announcements will be made in the coming days.
