Utah Valley Wolverines Advance to First Ever WAC Championship Game

LAS VEGAS — For the first time in program history, the Utah Valley Wolverines are headed to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship game after a decisive 68-55 victory over Seattle U on Friday night. The No. 1-seeded Wolverines will face the winner of the Grand Canyon versus Cal Baptist matchup in the championship game on Saturday.

The standout performance came from sophomore Tanner Toolson, who was named to the WAC all-conference second team. Toolson scored 18 points, 14 of which were scored in a strong first half, and contributed five rebounds and three steals during his career-high 37 minutes on the court. “I just wanted to do everything I could to help our team win,” Toolson said. “I was flying around, I was playing well, and I am grateful for my body holding up. I am ready for a challenge tomorrow.”

The Wolverines have made headlines throughout the season, finishing WAC play with a remarkable 15-1 record, their only loss coming against the defending champions, Grand Canyon. They also received three conference postseason awards leading up to the championship game.

Utah Valley began the game strong, opening with a 5-0 run, but soon slipped into a series of turnovers, allowing Seattle U to take an early lead. Despite shooting well initially, hitting six of their first twelve attempts, the Wolverines struggled with six consecutive turnovers in quick succession.

Key player Dominic Nelson, the WAC player of the year, faced challenges, not attempting a shot until 13 minutes into the game, resulting in a total of four turnovers in the early stages. The turning point came late in the first half, as Utah Valley finished strong with a 14-4 run. Toolson led this rally by scoring seven points during the stretch, giving the Wolverines a 34-24 lead at halftime.

“Our bench has been carrying us all year and stepping up. It’s not just points, it is hustle plays and rebounds,” said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. He emphasized the critical impact of bench players: “It really changed the game when the bench guys came in.”

In the second half, Utah Valley tightened its grip, committing only one turnover in the last eight minutes and logging just four turnovers overall. Maintaining a ten-point lead throughout the half was crucial, as they hit four of their first eight shots while also restricting Seattle U from getting to the free-throw line.

Seattle U’s Kobe Williamson posed a challenge, eventually scoring his 17th point to reduce the lead to six before picking up a crucial fourth foul that led to his benching with ten minutes remaining. Taking advantage of Williamson’s absence, the Wolverines pushed their lead back to ten points and entered the bonus situation shortly after.

Carter Welling added to the scoring with five consecutive points, extending the Wolverines’ lead to thirteen before Seattle U called for a timeout to regroup. Despite their efforts, the Redhawks could not close the gap, letting Utah Valley secure their place in the championship.