Feb. 4, 2010

In Great West Conference men's basketball action on Thursday, Utah Valley defeated Texas-Pan American, 67-53, while Houston Baptist got an overtime road win over Chicago State, 85-83.

After trailing 34-24 at the half, Utah Valley used a big half to take the victory over Texas-Pan American before a UVU Division I record crowd of 6,324.

Former UVU standout and current Utah Jazz guard Ronnie Price, who was inducted into the UVU Athletics Hall of Fame prior to the game, reportedly gave an inspiring halftime talk to the Wolverines who outscored the Broncs, 43-19, in the second frame, including 16 straight points to start the half.

Jordan Swarbrick paced the Wolverines with 15 points, while Kevin Woods scored a season-high 14 points as did Justin Baker. Shawn Deadwiler added 11 points while Tyray Petty grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds with Baker pulling down nine.

After being outscored 21-3 in the final five minutes of the first half to trail 34-24, the Wolverines came out on fire behind the scoring of Woods, Baker and Swarbrick, who had six, six and four points, respectively, in the decisive 16-0 run.

Defensively, the Wolverines held the Broncs scoreless for the first eight minutes of the second half.

The Broncs (3-21, 2-3 GWC) pulled to within three points at 43-40 with 10:08 left in the game, but that was as close as they would get.

The Wolverines (10-12, 3-3 GWC) led by as many as 16 points late in the game.

UVU shot 44.9 percent from the field while holding the Broncs to just 32.7 percent shooting from the field. The Wolverines outrebounded UTPA 43-27.

Jared Maree led UTPA with 14 points and seven rebounds. Nick Weiermiller added 12 points in the losing effort.

In Chicago, Wendell Preadom hit a pair of free throws with two seconds left in overtime to give HBU its first GWC road win and a return to the top spot in the GWC standings as the Huskies are tied at 4-1 with South Dakota.

In overtime, the Huskies jumped out to a five point lead with 1:55 remaining on the clock thanks to a 7-2 run. The Cougars scored the next five points, including a pair of free throws from Carl Montgomery with just 14 seconds left, to tie the game. On the ensuing possession, Preadom drove to the lane and drew a foul by Christian Wall that sent the senior guard to the line for two free throws with just two seconds on the clock. Preadom made both foul shots to give the Huskies the lead by two. Victor Scott attempted a desperation three at the buzzer that was unsuccessful.

Andrew Gonzalez, the Great West's leading scorer, led all players with 22 points. Mario Flaherty posted his sixth double-double in the last eight games, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Preadom ended the night with 16 points, while Miles Dixon pitched in with 14 points and a crucial block with 3:04 to play in overtime. Damian Lewis had a game-high three blocked shots in some critical minutes off the bench, subbing for a foul-plagued Flaherty.

The Huskies (5-16, 4-1 GWC) held a 47-35 advantage on the boards but committed 24 turnovers to CSU's 12. HBU shot 44.2 percent (23-52) for the game and 33.3 percent (5-15) from three-point range. HBU connected on 34-49 (69.4 percent) at the foul line.

Chicago State had a 20-18 lead with 9:14 left on the clock in the first half but a 10-point swing that included a pair of Jamal Robertson three-pointers put the Huskies ahead by eight at the 6:30 mark. HBU kept at least a four-point lead for the rest of the stanza and took a 43-37 advantage into the locker room at the half.

In the second frame, the Huskies built a 12-point lead at the 13 minute mark but the Cougars pulled back within one during the next six minutes. The Huskies answered and a pair of Dixon free throws with just under two minutes remaining in regulation made it a nine-point game. But Chicago State (6-17, 1-5 GWC) fought back and cut the lead to two. CSU's Brandan Smith banked in an off-balance 15-footer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

The week's Great West action continues on Saturday when HBU travels to Utah Valley and Chicago State hosts Texas-Pan American.