CEDAR CITY, Utah (Interstat) — Southern Utah defeated Utah Valley 76-68 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Thursday night at Centrum Arena. The Thunderbirds used a strong first quarter, taking a 22-11 lead, and maintained an advantage throughout despite 26 turnovers. Utah Valley’s defensive pressure generated 16 steals but the Wolverines could not overcome a cold shooting night, finishing 22 of 64 from the floor. Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich led all scorers with 20 points and five assists. Amanda Barcello paced Utah Valley with 21 points. The Thunderbirds shot efficiently, making 28 of 53 field goals and 11 of 19 from 3-point range. Southern Utah improved to 11-4 overall. Utah Valley fell to 8-6.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (Interstat) — Ava Uhrich scored 20 points and Southern Utah used a dominant first quarter to build a cushion it would never fully relinquish, holding off a persistent Utah Valley comeback for a 76-68 victory in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Thursday night at Centrum Arena. The Thunderbirds (11-4) raced out to a 22-11 lead after the opening period, capitalizing on early Wolverine miscues and establishing an efficient offensive rhythm. Southern Utah shot 52.8% from the field for the game, including a blistering 11 of 19 from three-point range, to withstand multiple Utah Valley rallies. Utah Valley (8-6), which entered the contest having won three of its last four, chipped away at the deficit throughout the second and third quarters. The Wolverines’ pressure defense forced 26 Southern Utah turnovers, converting them into 18 points. A key sequence late in the third quarter saw the Wolverines use that defensive pressure to spark a 7-0 run, capped by a Saige Gibb layup off a steal, to trim the Thunderbird lead to 57-52 entering the final period. The fourth quarter saw the Wolverines draw within a single possession on multiple occasions. A Kylee Mabry three-pointer with 9:27 remaining made it 63-60, but each time Utah Valley threatened, Southern Utah had an answer. Uhrich, who added five assists, responded with a critical three-pointer on the next possession. Later, when Utah Valley closed to 68-66 with just over three minutes left, Sierra Chambers hit a deep three to push the lead back to five. Chambers finished with 13 points, all in the second half, while Morgan Trigueiro added 12 points, including three three-pointers. Brooklyn Fely and Devyn Kiernan contributed 10 and 9 points, respectively, for a balanced Southern Utah attack. The most important part of the game was Southern Utah’s ability to maintain its composure and offensive efficiency under Utah Valley’s relentless defensive pressure. Despite the staggering turnover discrepancy, the Thunderbirds’ shooting prowess, particularly from beyond the arc, provided a constant counterpunch. When Utah Valley’s defensive intensity peaked in the third quarter, forcing several turnovers to cut the lead to five, Southern Utah closed the period with a Kiernan three-pointer and a Chambers layup to stabilize the advantage. Then, in the final minutes, with the outcome in the balance, the Thunderbirds executed offensively, getting clutch baskets from Uhrich and Chambers to seal the game, demonstrating an offensive consistency that ultimately outweighed their ball-security issues. Utah Valley was led by Amanda Barcello’s game-high 21 points. Gibb scored 11 points and Cambree Blackham added 9 points and three assists. The Wolverines struggled offensively, shooting just 34.4% from the field. Their 16 steals and 16 assists highlighted a disruptive defensive effort, but they could not overcome the early hole or match Southern Utah’s shooting efficiency. Southern Utah finished with a 98.5 offensive rating on 77 possessions, while Utah Valley posted an 89.0 rating on 76 possessions. The Thunderbirds outscored the Wolverines 32-26 in the paint. The announced attendance at Centrum Arena was 559. Southern Utah, which was projected as a 60.1% favorite by National Statistical’s ELO system, will host California Baptist on Saturday. Utah Valley travels to face Utah Tech on Saturday. The two teams will meet again in Orem on Jan. 22.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (Interstat) — A surging Southern Utah team looks to protect its home court when it hosts in-state foe Utah Valley in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball matchup on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. The Thunderbirds (10-4) have won three straight, including a 58-55 road victory at Texas-Arlington last Saturday. They return to Centrum Arena, where they are 5-1 this season, to face the Wolverines (8-5). Southern Utah is led by guard Ava Uhrich, who is coming off a 39-minute performance where she scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win over UT Arlington. Over her last five games, Uhrich is averaging 19.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists, including a 26-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist effort in a narrow loss to Loyola Marymount. Utah Valley enters on a two-game win streak, most recently edging Abilene Christian 69-67 at home. The Wolverines were powered by a pair of 23-point scorers in that contest: guard Kylee Mabry and Amanda Barcello. Mabry, the Wolverines’ player to watch, erupted for 23 points in 26 minutes against Abilene Christian after a quiet stretch in her four prior games. Her backcourt pairing with Barcello, who added two blocks in the win, will be critical against Southern Utah’s backcourt. The Thunderbirds boast a balanced attack. In their last outing, Sierra Chambers contributed 18 points while forward Brooklyn Fely posted a near triple-double with seven points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Southern Utah holds the overall record advantage and has shown consistency on both ends of the floor during its current streak. Utah Valley, however, has proven resilient in close games, with its last two wins coming by an average of 13.5 points. This contest is the first of a regular-season home-and-home series between the programs. They will meet again in Orem on Thursday, Jan. 22. Following this game, Southern Utah will host California Baptist on Saturday, Jan. 10. Utah Valley will travel to face Utah Tech on the same day.