UVSC's women's basketball team nets road win

OREM — With Saturday's 89-82 overtime win over Idaho State, the Utah Valley State women's basketball team may have gotten an overgrown monkey off its back in its first road game of the season.

Despite the success the Wolverines (7-1) enjoyed while playing their first seven games of this season at the McKay Center, until Saturday they were powerless to shake the specter of their 1-10 road record from a year ago.

"These girls are fighters," UVSC coach Cathy Nixon said. "We told them at halftime, 'Welcome to the road.' But when it seemed like the game was out of reach we just fought."

The Wolverines overcame an eight-point deficit in the final minute of regulation to force overtime. Asumi Nakayama and Hollie Beaman hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull UVSC to within 75-73, and center Robyn Fairbanks hit the game-tying basket after a steal by Sandy Marvin.

After falling behind by five points in the extra period, the Wolverines scored the game's final 12 points to win going away.

Freshman forward Julie McMurray had team- and career-highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Fairbanks and Marvin each scored 19 points.

The week that was

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Despite leading for the first 39 minutes of the game and enjoying a 19-point halftime advantage, the Wolverines (4-3) lost 71-69 Saturday to host Portland State. UVSC trailed for the first time of the night at 68-67 with 40 seconds to go, but sophomore guard Ryan Toolson made a jumper to put the Wolverines back ahead with 19 seconds left. The Vikings made a field goal and free throw on separate possessions in the game's final seconds for the final margin. UVSC forward Jordan Brady launched a potentially game-winning, off-balance 3-pointer at the final buzzer that clanged off the rim.

WRESTLING: Three UVSC wrestlers recorded one win apiece Saturday at the Las Vegas Invitational. In a tournament dotted with no fewer than eight teams currently ranked in the Top 25 of Division I, the Wolverines entered only six wrestlers because of injuries. Justin Rawle (149 pounds), Dustin Olsen (157) and Marc Fenwick (174) were the trio of Utah Valley State grapplers to come away with one victory before being eliminated; Rawle recorded the Wolverines' only pin.

Wolverine of the week

RYAN TOOLSON, GUARD, MEN'S BASKETBALL: The 6-foot-3 sophomore hit a go-ahead jump shot Saturday with 19 seconds remaining in a game against Portland State that visiting UVSC eventually lost 71-69. Toolson finished the contest with 23 points and shot 5-for-5 from behind the 3-point line. Toolson is averaging a team-high 14.1 points and has led the Wolverines in single-game scoring four times despite coming off the bench in all seven contests.

On tap

MEN'S BASKETBALL: vs. Utah State, 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: vs. Southern Utah, 7:05 tonight; at Weber State, 2 p.m. Saturday.

WRESTLING: at Portland State, 8 p.m. Saturday.