OREM, Utah-Tuesday, Utah Valley men’s basketball hosts Ottawa (Ariz.) in a non-conference tilt at the UCCU Center.
The Wolverines seek their eighth consecutive home win which is currently the 13th longest-streak in the nation. Tennessee is currently the national leader in consecutive wins at home with 27.
UVU is coming off of a 74-62 loss at Denver last Saturday with junior guard Isaiah White’s nine points and 10 rebounds leading the Wolverines. Redshirt junior guard Brandon Averette’s 17 points against the Pioneers made him UVU’s leading scorer in that game.
Under new head coach Mark Madsen, the Wolverines are 1-1 on the season headed into this evening’s match-up against the NAIA-affiliated Spirit out of Surprise, Ariz.
The Wolverines currently score 67 points per game which ties them for 256th nationally with Texas-San Antonio, Virginia Military, Mississippi Valley State, Army, George Washington, Fresno State and Washington.
White leads the Wolverines by averaging 17 points and 11.5 rebounds per game with Averette netting 16 points per game.
The Wolverines give up 64.5 points per contest, ranking them 132nd in the nation. In scoring defense, they are tied with Oklahoma and Louisville. Senior forward/center Brandon Morley leads UVU in blocked shots, posting 3.5 per game thus far.
The Spirit comes into this evening’s game with a 2-1 record. They have defeated SAGU American Indian College (104-69) and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) (79-76) after falling 96-94 to Benedictine Mesa of Mesa, Ariz. in the season opener.
Ottawa’s basketball program is in its third year of existence, while head coach Matt Keeley has been there since the beginning.
He is currently 19-37 (.339) as the Spirit’s head coach.
Ottawa currently scores 92.3 points per game while surrendering 80.3 points per contest.
Spirit senior guard/forward Dimetres Moore posts 23.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 82.4 percent (14-17) at the foul line.
Senior forward Shazier Lawson (18.7 points, 11 rebounds per game) also leads Ottawa. Lawson’s two blocks pace the Spirit in that category as well.
This is the first time in history the Wolverines and Spirit have met on the hardwood.
