OREM, Utah – Utah Valley defeated Utah Tech, 71-59, on Saturday in the Old Hammer Rivalry. Senior Kylee Mabry capped her home career with 17 points, a career-high eight boards, and tied a career high with five assists to lead UVU (16-13, 9-9) past the Trailblazers (9-19, 4-14). Kaylee Borden led all scorers with 24 points, including six made 3-pointers.
 
All seven UVU seniors scored in the game, with Amanda Barcello scoring 12 points and Kaylee Headrick finishing with 11 to give the Wolverines three players in double figures. Halle Nelson finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
 
"What a great way to end senior day with a win over an in-state rival! I thought we started slow today, but played really well in the second half, especially defensively," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "I'm just grateful to our seniors for all their hard work, loyalty, and for raising the standards for our program. Now we need to keep this momentum going for next week in Vegas!"
 
Utah Tech built an early lead with a 13-0 run to take a 13-3 advantage with 4:01 left in the first quarter, but the Wolverines responded and cut the lead to three with 2:11 remaining after a 7-0 run. Halle Nelson made a layup inside, then found Headrick at the top of the key for a 3-pointer before fellow senior Mabry's jumper ended the run.
 
In the second quarter, a 6-0 spurt by the Wolverines just over a minute into the period cut the lead to three. Tessa Chaney scored four points on a layup in the paint and a mid-range jumper to make it 22-19 with 8:03 left before halftime. The Wolverines' defense continued to cause problems for Utah Tech, limiting the Trailblazers to just 4-of-17 shooting in the second quarter. The defensive effort allowed UVU to continue erasing the deficit.
 
The Wolverines took their first lead since 2-0 with 4:46 left in the second when Gracie Sorenson knocked down one of two first-half jumpers in the key. Her second extended the lead to 28-24 with under four minutes before the break. The half ended with Kaylee Borden hitting a pair of 3-pointers for the Trailblazers before Nelson's layup tied the game at 30-30.
 
Utah Valley used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to build a nine-point lead, with Blackham knocking down a pair of triples during the run to put UVU in front 44-35 with under five minutes left in the third. UVU scored seven second-chance points in the quarter to help take a 50-42 lead into the fourth.
 
The Wolverines finished the fourth quarter going 9-for-9 from the foul line to help close out the game. UVU finished 19-for-25 at the line. Utah Tech cut the lead to four at 61-57 with 4:40 left after a 3-pointer from Paige Cofer. Utah Valley quickly responded with a jump shot by Saige Gibb, who finished with five points and six rebounds. She then knocked down a 3-pointer following a made triple by Mabry to extend the lead back to 12 at 69-57 and push the game out of reach.
 
Tessa Chaney scored seven points as she suited up for her 100th career game, while Gracie Sorenson scored four points on her senior day.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley is set to play in next week's Air Force Reserve WAC Tournament in Las Vegas at the Orleans Arena. The bracket and opponent will be announced at the conclusion of conference action on Saturday.