CEDAR CITY—Isaac Davis scored a career-high 28 points to lead Utah Valley to a 92-88 road win over Southern Utah on Thursday night at the America First Event Center, securing a second straight Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship for the Wolverines.

The victory also locks up the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye for Utah Valley at next week's WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.

With the win, Utah Valley improves to 23-7 overall and 13-4 in WAC play. Southern Utah falls to 10-20 overall and 6-11 in league play. The win guarantees the Wolverines no less than a share of the conference title, while a victory at Utah Tech on Saturday would secure the outright championship.

"We're really proud of the guys," said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. "We didn't have a lot of returners coming back this season, but we've had new guys step up all year. To come in here and get a win against a really good Southern Utah team and clinch a regular-season championship says a lot about this group."

Utah Valley jumped out quickly, taking a 10-3 lead just 3:13 into the game. The Wolverines continued to build their advantage, leading 17-10 with 12:56 remaining in the half before extending the margin to 21-12.

Southern Utah answered with six straight points to cut the lead to three, but Davis sparked an 11-4 Utah Valley run over the next three minutes to push the advantage to 32-22.

The Wolverines maintained control late in the half when Tyler Weaver knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to ignite a 17-5 surge, stretching the lead to 51-33 with 1:23 remaining before halftime. Southern Utah closed the half with a short run to trim the deficit to 53-39 at the break.

Utah Valley continued to push the tempo early in the second half, outscoring the Thunderbirds 12-7 over the first seven minutes to extend the lead to 65-46 with 13:02 remaining.

Southern Utah responded with a run of its own, cutting the deficit to 71-58 with 9:46 left, but Utah Valley answered with an 8-4 stretch to push the lead back to 17 points at 79-62.

The Thunderbirds mounted a late rally, using a 9-2 run to close the gap to 81-71 and eventually pulling within six points in the final minute. Leonhardt sealed the win from the free-throw line, knocking down four clutch free throws in the final 42 seconds to secure the 92-88 victory.

"It feels fantastic," said redshirt junior guard Trevan Leonhardt. "What a way to win it here in Cedar City. I'm proud of a bunch of the guys that stepped up tonight and helped us get this one done."

Davis finished the night shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 6-of-9 at the free throw line for his career-high 28 points.

Leonhardt added 18 points with seven assists and five rebounds, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor, including two three-pointers, while connecting on 6-of-8 free throws.

Jackson Holcombe nearly recorded a double-double with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Sherman Weatherspoon IV and Isaac Hawkins each finished with 10 points. Weaver added six points off the bench with two key three-pointers.

Holcombe credited Davis for his dominant performance inside.

"He's a problem," Holcombe said. "He's tough, he's strong, he's athletic, and he has really good touch around the basket. That's a hard person to guard. I'm just glad he's wearing the same jersey as me."

Utah Valley shot 53.3 percent (32-of-60) from the field and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from three-point range. Southern Utah shot 62.7 percent (32-of-51) from the floor and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from long range.

The Wolverines outrebounded the Thunderbirds 30-26 and held a 50-46 advantage in points in the paint.

Holcombe said the team is proud of securing the title but remains focused on bigger goals ahead.

"It definitely feels sweet," Holcombe said. "This was one of our goals, but we've got bigger goals. We're trying to win that one in Las Vegas and go dancing in March."

Utah Valley will close out the regular season on Saturday night at Utah Tech. Tipoff in St. George is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on ESPN The Fan as part of the Wolverine Sports Network.