Jan. 3, 2013

UVU Game Notes

OREM, Utah -- Fresh off a road win Wednesday at the Air Force Academy, the Utah Valley University women's basketball team will come home to begin its final season of league play in the Great West Conference Saturday at the UCCU Center in Orem.

The Wolverines will begin conference play by hosting current Great West foe and future WAC foe in the University of Texas-Pan American Saturday for a 3 p.m. contest. Live stats, video and audio will all be available for the game by visiting WolverineGreen.com and clicking on the women's basketball schedule.

After going 1-2 on its three-game road trip during the holidays, UVU will be glad to be back at home where it is 3-3 this season. Overall the Wolverines are 5-11 so far this year. UVU is 3-2 during its last five games however.

The Wolverines topped Air Force in Colorado Springs Wednesday afternoon, 70-60, behind 20 points apiece from senior forward Sammie Jensen and sophomore guard Tina Doughty. Jensen also tallied her 11th double-double in the contest as she added a game-high 13 boards while Doughty recorded a season-high that included 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.

UVU used a 19-2 run in the second half to run away from the Falcons on Wednesday. The Wolverines led by as many as 22 points midway through the second half before cruising to the 10-point victory.

Behind Jensen and Doughty's combined 40 points, freshman center Sam Loggins had a solid game with a season-best nine points and five rebounds.

Jensen leads the Wolverines with a double-double average of 17.1 ppg and 12.6 rpg. Jensen's 11 double-doubles currently rank her tied for second in the nation and her 12.6 boards per night are good enough for sixth. Doughty is next for UVU in scoring with an average of 8.6 points per game, while senior Kaycee Mansfield is third in scoring and second in rebounding with averages of 7.4 and 6.1 respectively.

Utah Valley went 6-4 last season in conference play, which was good enough for second place. The Wolverines were chosen as preseason favorites to win the GWC this year.

About Texas-Pan American
UTPA is 5-9 overall this year and was picked to finish third in the five-team GWC. The Broncs will come to town having lost their last three games, falling at TCU (73-37), at Rice (75-54) and at UTEP (83-65) during the Christmas break. Prior to the three defeats, UTPA won two in a row, a 59-57 triumph at UT Arlington on Dec. 4 and a 65-46 home win over Texas Southern on Dec. 7.

Sophomore guard Jasmine Thompson leads UTPA in scoring with 8.3 points per night. Freshman forward Joyea Marshall is next with 7.5 ppg while senior center Cassandra Moody is tops on the team in rebounding with 7.4 rpg. The Broncs use a balanced attack, as seven players average more than five points per game.

Saturday will be the 17th all-time meeting between UVU and UTPA with the Wolverines holding a 10-6 series advantage. The two teams split the series last year, as each team won on their home floor.

Up Next for the Wolverines
The Wolverines will continue conference play next week by hosting Chicago State on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m.