Utah Valley Secures WAC Title with Thrilling Win Over Tarleton State

STEHPENVILLE, Texas – Utah Valley University junior Dominick Nelson matched his career high with 25 points, leading the Wolverines to a 71-66 victory over Tarleton State on Saturday night, sealing the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular-season championship in front of a sold-out crowd at Wisdom Gym.

The win capped a remarkable season for UVU, finishing with a 23-7 overall record and a 15-1 mark in WAC play, ahead of second-place Grand Canyon, who finished at 13-3.

“This team has so much heart,” said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. “To come to Texas and win two tough road games shows what these guys are made of.”

Utah Valley trailed 59-50 with just over nine minutes remaining but responded with a 13-4 run, tying the game at 63-63. Although Tarleton briefly regained the lead at 66-64, UVU closed out the game with a decisive 7-0 run, capped by two free throws from Nelson in the final seconds.

“We were down nine tonight, and the guys just battled back and found a way to win,” Phillips said. “That’s been the story of this team all year—different guys stepping up in big moments.”

The game began with UVU establishing an early lead at 13-7 after a layup from Tanner Toolson sparked a 7-2 run. However, Tarleton State responded with a 13-3 surge, taking a 26-22 advantage before heading into halftime with a narrow 36-35 lead.

During the second half, both teams exchanged leads, but the Wolverines executed a late-game rally that defined their season. Nelson’s performance included 6-of-12 shooting and an impressive 13-of-16 from the free-throw line, contributing six rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Nelson’s outstanding performance earned him recognition as both the University Credit Union WAC Player of the Week and WAC Newcomer of the Week after leading the Wolverines through crucial road victories. This marks the third time this season he has captured both honors.

Carter Welling played a significant role in the win, contributing 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a three-pointer, and also secured eight rebounds and blocked three shots. Toolson finished with eight points, with Hayden Welling contributing a spark off the bench with seven points.

Trevan Leonhardt led the team in assists with five, while Cory Wells excelled defensively, with Phillips emphasizing his importance: “Cory (Wells) was huge defensively tonight. We played five different guys at the four, and everyone just found a way to contribute. That’s what makes this team so special—somebody new steps up every game.”

Utah Valley shot 44.7% (21-of-47) from the field, though they struggled from beyond the arc, making only 2-of-14 attempts. Defensively, they held Tarleton State to 41.5% shooting (22-of-53) and 35.7% from three-point range (5-of-14). The Wolverines won the rebounding battle 35-28 and outscored the Texans in the paint, 34-30.

“This group is unselfish, they care about each other, and they just get the job done,” Phillips added.

With the regular season concluded, Utah Valley turns its sights towards the WAC Tournament, set for March 12-15 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. As the tournament’s top seed, the Wolverines will face the winner of No. 8 Southern Utah versus No. 9 Utah Tech on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT. All tournament games will stream live on ESPN+ and be broadcast on the Wolverine Sports Network and ESPN The Fan.