Utah
Woodbury, Utah Valley pull past Colorado to host NIT quarterfinal
Estimated learn time: 3-4
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SALT LAKE CITY — Trey Woodbury was not prepared for Utah Valley’s season to be completed.
And it is not after Sunday evening.
The senior UNLV switch scored 25 factors, with seven rebounds and 7 assists to energy the Wolverines to an 81-69 win at Colorado within the second spherical of the Nationwide Invitational Event on the CU Occasions Heart in Boulder, Colorado.
Justin Harmon added 18 factors and 7 rebounds, and Aziz Bandaogo provided 12 factors, seven rebounds and two blocks for the Wolverines (27-8), who shot 56% from the sphere and by no means trailed after a 7-0 run to begin the second half.
Utah Valley did not shoot a free throw till Harmon made two with 1:24 remaining to push the Wolverines’ result in 77-67, however scored 18 factors off 13 turnovers and edged the Buffs on the glass 32-30.
Lawson Lovering had a career-high 21 factors and 7 rebounds to guide the second-seeded Buffs (18-17), Ethan Wright added 17 factors and 4 rebounds, and Tristan Da Silva scored 12.
“Our guys are enjoying free,” UVU coach Mark Madsen informed ESPN 960 radio after the sport. “We’re sort of going the NBA route proper now, which is minimize down observe in half, make it enjoyable, go longer movie periods and walkthroughs in lodge ballrooms, and specializing in the important — and the blokes are having enjoyable being right here.”
The Wolverines will host Cincinnati at 7 p.m. MDT on Wednesday in an NIT quarterfinal on ESPN2, the first-ever such sport hosted by the college. The Bearcats (23-12) acquired a No. 4 seed by the NIT choice committee however haven’t hosted since an 81-72 first-round win over Virginia Tech on account of enviornment scheduling problems, together with earlier than a 79-65 win at Hofstra.
Each groups began sizzling, shot over 62% from the sphere, whereas blowing previous the primary media timeout en path to a 17-17 stalemate with 11 minutes left within the first half. The Buffs took benefit of a scoring drought by the guests to drag away for a 7-0 run down the stretch of the half, however Ethan Potter nailed a 3-pointer with 4:01 remaining within the half to deliver UVU again to even, 32-32.
Potter, the previous Layton Excessive standout and Utah’s Mr. Basketball honoree, nailed a pair of 3-pointers for six factors within the first half, and Utah Valley shot 6-of-11 from deep to maintain the sport tied at 38-38 at halftime. Woodbury led the Wolverines with 10 factors, three rebounds and three assists, and Harmon additionally shot 4-of-7 for 9 factors and two assists for Utah Valley.
“I used to be so pleased with our gamers on the market,” Madsen stated. “Everybody that performed performed actually, very well, and that is simply phenomenal to see. … I need to see each listener on the market Wednesday evening on the UCCU Heart.”
Lovering, who averaged 4.5 factors per sport earlier than Sunday, had 11 factors and 4 rebounds to guide Colorado, which outrebounded the WAC regular-season champions 18-12 earlier than the break.
Woodbury had a thunderous dunk as a part of a 10-2 run to open the second half for Utah Valley, and the Wolverines linked on six of their first eight field-goal makes an attempt to guide by as a lot as 8 six minutes into the half.
However Colorado got here again. The Buffs pulled inside one, 54-53 when Da Silva scored his fifth-straight level to cap a 7-0 run, and Lovering tied the sport at 58-all with 8:45 remaining.
However in an enviornment that had already swallowed up fellow in-state faculties from Cedar Metropolis and Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah Valley did not flinch.
Woodbury banked in 3-pointers from half court docket and took prices. Harmon adopted up his career-high 32 towards New Mexico with one other double-digit scoring evening. And UVU added a few constant jumpers from Le’Tre Darthard, who had 13 factors and 4 rebounds to ship the Wolverines inside a win of a return to Orleans Area in Las Vegas for the NIT semifinals.
“It is an honor to educate this group, it is an honor to be at UVU,” Madsen stated, “and I am simply honored to be right here.”