ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — A surging Utah Valley squad looks to continue its climb in the Western Athletic Conference standings when it visits in-state rival Utah Tech on Thursday night at Burns Arena. The Utah Valley Wolverines (18-6, 7-2 WAC) enter on a three-game winning streak, including a dominant 81-60 victory over Texas-Arlington last Saturday. They sit just a half-game out of first place in the conference. The Utah Tech Trailblazers (14-11, 5-4), meanwhile, are looking to build momentum after a gritty 87-84 double-overtime win against the same UTA team on Feb. 5. Utah Valley won the first meeting this season handily, 92-76, in Orem on Jan. 10. The Wolverines have been led by the consistent play of guard Tyler Hendricks. He is coming off an 18-point, 7-rebound performance against UTA and has averaged 16.3 points over his last three contests. The Trailblazers will counter with guard Chance Trujillo, who is in the midst of a strong stretch. He scored a season-high 22 points in the double-overtime thriller against UTA and has averaged 14.2 points over his last five games. Forward Jusaun Holt, who added 20 points and four assists in that win, provides a key secondary scoring option. Utah Valley’s success has been built on defense, holding opponents to an average of 60.7 points during its current win streak. Utah Tech boasts a potent offense, having scored 102 points in a win over Southern Utah on Jan. 24 and averaging 78.3 points in conference play at home. The Wolverines have struggled slightly on the road in WAC play (2-2), while the Trailblazers are 4-1 at home in the conference. This matchup is crucial for seeding in the upcoming WAC tournament, with Utah Valley aiming for a regular-season title and Utah Tech seeking to solidify a top-half finish. Thursday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. MST. Utah Tech hosts California Baptist on Saturday, while Utah Valley’s next game is at home against California Baptist on Feb. 19. The two in-state rivals will meet again in the regular-season finale at Burns Arena on March 7.