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OREM, Utah – Despite cutting a 16-point second half deficit to two in the final two minutes, the Chicago State Cougars suffered their second conference loss, 62-55, to the Utah Valley Wolverines on Saturday evening (Jan. 25) at the UCCU Center.
Junior
Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) scored a game-high 19 points and had a career-high five steals. Senior
Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) had his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Senior
Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) added in 13 points and five rebounds in the loss.
The Cougars struggled from the floor in the first half, shooting 8 of 31 (25.8 percent). CSU missed their first six shots and fell behind 7-0. A 3-pointer from Pippen would cut the deficit to three at 12-9 with 12:10 remaining in the first half, but
Tracy Dildy's squad would not get any closer during the half. Utah Valley responded with an 18-3 run to push their lead to 30-12 after a Holton Hunsaker jumper at 3:38 mark. The Wolverines would go into halftime with a 35-21 advantage.
Chicago State started the second half on a 10-4 run to the deficit to eight at 39-31 after Rosenberg layup at the 16:19 mark. Utah Valley answered by scoring eight of the next nine points to push their advantage back up to 15, 47-32, after a Ben Aird jumper with 10:09 to go. The Cougars gradually worked their way back into game by scoring nine of the next 11 points to cut the Utah Valley lead to eight for a second time at 49-41 with 6:49 remaining. The game of runs continued as the Wolverines pushed their advantage back to double digits at 13 after free-throws by Hunsaker made the score 54-41 at the 4:43 mark.
The Cougars made one more run at Utah Valley. After cutting the margin to seven, Ross scored five consecutive points making the score 56-54 Wolverines with 1:12 remaining. Utah Valley's Hayes Garrity hit two free throws to push the lead back to four at 58-54 with 43 seconds to go. The Cougars would get no closer than three as Hunsaker hit four free-throws to seal the victory for the Wolverines.
Utah Valley had four scorers in double-figures led by Hunsaker's 13 points. Zach Nelson had 10 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals while Aird recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
The Cougars fall to 9-11 on the season and 4-2 in the Western Athletic Conference with the loss. Utah Valley improved to 12-7 and 6-0 in the WAC and maintains sole possession of first place. The Cougars head home to take on Grand Canyon at the Jones Convocation Center on Thursday (Jan. 30). Tip-off is set for 7:05 PM CT.
