UVSC takes care of ball, buries Troy

OREM — Utah Valley State didn't panic, despite giving up a double-digit lead to Troy early, and powered its way to a 72-51 victory Monday night.

Starting the game with a 12-0 run — all from 3-pointers — the Trojans looked to continue the offensive prowess they have displayed in earlier games. But the Wolverines went on a 24-3 run in marching out to the lead for good.

"They knocked four in a row down on us," said UVSC coach Dick Hunsaker. "I thought we kept our composure, and stayed within ourselves to be able to chip away and eventually gain control of the ball game."

Unlike past games, the Wolverines limited their turnovers to only seven and didn't allow Troy to score off any of the miscues.

"The turnovers were a huge things," Hunsaker said. "We have turned the ball over and teams have really gotten after us."

Ryan Toolson led the way with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting — all attempts coming from beyond the three-point arc — and tallied nine assists. Freshman Matt Komenda shot 5-for-9 from the field in his breakout game.

"We had prepared a lot of for what they (Troy) were known for doing," Komenda said.

Jordan Brady earned his second double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Besides Brady's rebounds, Hunsaker was impressed with Toolson's grabbing seven defensive rebounds. "Toolson's key stat was the seven defensive boards," Hunsaker said.

Toolson was also selective with his shots, letting Troy's defenders pressure inside to leave him open behind the three-point line.

A 11-0 run in during a four-minute stretch of the second half pushed the Wolverines' lead to 53-30 with 13:34 left in the game.

O'Darien Basset led Troy with 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Poor shooting by Troy contributed to the loss as they averaged 31.9 percent from the field as a team.

UVSC led 35-23 at halftime, turning the Trojans 12 turnovers — compared to Utah Valley's two in the first half — into 10 points.