By: Parker Haynie- Assistant Director of Communications
CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- The SUU Men's Basketball team will take a quick bus trip north on I-15 to Orem, Utah, where they will face off against the Wolverines of Utah Valley on Thursday, January 8, at 6:00 p.m.
Head Coach Rob Jeter said
"Utah Valley is always a tough challenge. They are well-coached and play hard, but we need to focus on us. And playing with discipline and as a family and there is no doubt we can be successful."
Game Information
Who: Southern Utah (4-11, 0-2) vs Utah Valley (12-4, 2-1)
Where: The UCCU Center in Orem, Utah
When: Thursday, January 8, at 6:00 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: HERE
Matchup History
- The Thunderbirds are 7-9 all-time against the Wolverines, and are currently on a four-game losing skid to the in-state rival. A season ago, the Thunderbirds lost an extremely close game 68-70 in Cedar City, but in Orem, the Wolverines had their way with SUU. UVU is making the jump to the Big West next season, as the Thunderbirds will move to the Big Sky Conference.
The Thunderbirds
SUU has been plagued by a poor five-minute stretch in nearly every loss they've suffered this season. Sitting at 4-11 on the year and 0-2 in WAC play, you can point to the exact moment the T-Birds lost a lead, or the opponent pulled away in every game. The same thing was true the last time out against UT Arlington. A 12-point first-half lead turned into a four-point lead at the break, and then a 12-point deficit just a few minutes into the second half.
When the Thunderbirds are able to put together a full 40-minute game, they will be a really tough team to beat.
Being led by guys like Elijah Duval, the true freshman point guard who is leading the team in scoring (13.1) and assists (48). Or Jaiden Feroah, who is averaging just under 12 points per game and leads the team at 6.2 rebounds per game.
Dylan Jones and Tanner Hayhurst are the Southern Utah version of the "Splash Brothers." Jones leads the team with 27 made three-pointers, and Hayhurst isn't far behind with 26 makes on the year. Both of those numbers are good enough to be in the top-5 of the entire Conference.
Isaiah Cottrell, Jones, and Hayhurst are all averaging just under 10 points per game, and each has the ability to score 20+ points on any given night.
The Wolverines
UVU is 12-4 on the year and 2-1 in WAC play. They are the highest-ranked team in the National NET rankings in the conference and have multiple quality wins this season.
Most recently, however, the Wolverines stumbled in Abilene and suffered their first conference loss of the year, 85-68 to Abilene Christian.
The Wolverines lead the conference in points per game at 82.5 and are second in the conference in points allowed at 66.7. They're top of the conference in field goal percentage at 52% on the year, and three-point percentage at 35%. Perhaps their most impressive statistic is assists per game, where they rank eighth in the country at 20.
Jackson Holcombe leads the Wolverines in scoring and rebounding at 16.3 and 7.2 on an efficient 59% from the field.
Tyler Hendricks is one of the best three-point shooters in the country. He has 42 makes from deep on 50.6%, which puts him at third in the country for three-point percentage.
Trevan Leonhardt leads the way for the Wolverines with 103 assists on the year, putting him at seventh in the country in total assists and 15th in the country in assists per game (6.4).
TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now at tbirdtickets.com! Go get yours today!
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