TicketsOREM, Utah -- Utah Valley's home-court advantage paired with a tough shooting for Cincinnati spelled a season-ending, 74-68 defeat to the Wolverines on Wednesday night in the NIT Quarterfinals.
The Wolverines forced an early timeout at 14:00 following a crossover trey and transition dunk, their fourth-straight makes from the field, to lead 17-10.
Landers Nolley II hit a pair of threes over a 10-2 run as UC pulled within 27-23, previously down 25-13.
Utah Valley led 39-33 at the half, with Nolley and DeJulius combining for 23 points.
Cincinnati responded after an opening bucket in the second half with eight-straight points that forced a UVU timeout, tied at 41 at 17:14. Viktor Lakhin notched six points (3-3 FG) and three rebounds in that first 2:46. He was limited to no points in nine first-half minutes due to three fouls.
The Wolverines later regained a 51-44 lead at 12:04 and pushed it to 62-51 at 6:35. Dan Skillings Jr.'s coast-to-coast rebound and spinning layup pulled UC within 64-59 at 3:46.
Despite only having one field goal over the final seven-plus minutes, the Wolverines did not lead by any less than four until Ody Oguama's hook-shot with 47 seconds left that pulled UC to 70-66.
The Bearcats finished their 40th, 20-win season at 23-13. Utah Valley improved to 28-8. Wes Miller has six 20-win seasons out of his last seven, including his UNC Greensboro stint.
FROM WES MILLER
"This is a really good basketball team with really good players. Tip your cap to those guys. That was a heck of an environment, and we played in some this year...When it ends, you don't dwell at that point. Immediately, my mentality goes to appreciating these guys and this team. It wasn't an easy year. Did we want more? Sure. Did we want it to end tonight? No. But I'm really proud of how this team kept responding and kept coming, winning 23 games and being one of the last 20 teams playing in the country. You think about guys who don't have any eligibility left, including the man to my left, David DeJulius and what he has meant to me, this program and our coaching staff, I don't really have the words, and if I try to now, I'll get choked up and emotional. Watching him grow as a young man and leader, we wouldn't be sitting here without him."
NOTABLE
-David DeJulius ended the season with 192 assists, taking sole possession for third in school history. Only Oscar Robertson (twice) has accomplished more.
-DeJulius finished with 1,187 career points to rank 35th at the school.
-Landers Nolley II finished with 96 three-pointers this year, which is fourth in UC history. It's the most since Deonta Vaughn's 97 in 2007-08.
-Nolley's game-high 23 points marked his 13th game with 20 or more. He had 20 in the win at Hofstra.
-Viktor Lakhin's 10 points and 10 rebounds gave him his seventh double-double of the season, which was UC"s 17th overall.
The Wolverines forced an early timeout at 14:00 following a crossover trey and transition dunk, their fourth-straight makes from the field, to lead 17-10.
Landers Nolley II hit a pair of threes over a 10-2 run as UC pulled within 27-23, previously down 25-13.
Utah Valley led 39-33 at the half, with Nolley and DeJulius combining for 23 points.
Cincinnati responded after an opening bucket in the second half with eight-straight points that forced a UVU timeout, tied at 41 at 17:14. Viktor Lakhin notched six points (3-3 FG) and three rebounds in that first 2:46. He was limited to no points in nine first-half minutes due to three fouls.
The Wolverines later regained a 51-44 lead at 12:04 and pushed it to 62-51 at 6:35. Dan Skillings Jr.'s coast-to-coast rebound and spinning layup pulled UC within 64-59 at 3:46.
Despite only having one field goal over the final seven-plus minutes, the Wolverines did not lead by any less than four until Ody Oguama's hook-shot with 47 seconds left that pulled UC to 70-66.
The Bearcats finished their 40th, 20-win season at 23-13. Utah Valley improved to 28-8. Wes Miller has six 20-win seasons out of his last seven, including his UNC Greensboro stint.
FROM WES MILLER
"This is a really good basketball team with really good players. Tip your cap to those guys. That was a heck of an environment, and we played in some this year...When it ends, you don't dwell at that point. Immediately, my mentality goes to appreciating these guys and this team. It wasn't an easy year. Did we want more? Sure. Did we want it to end tonight? No. But I'm really proud of how this team kept responding and kept coming, winning 23 games and being one of the last 20 teams playing in the country. You think about guys who don't have any eligibility left, including the man to my left, David DeJulius and what he has meant to me, this program and our coaching staff, I don't really have the words, and if I try to now, I'll get choked up and emotional. Watching him grow as a young man and leader, we wouldn't be sitting here without him."
NOTABLE
-David DeJulius ended the season with 192 assists, taking sole possession for third in school history. Only Oscar Robertson (twice) has accomplished more.
-DeJulius finished with 1,187 career points to rank 35th at the school.
-Landers Nolley II finished with 96 three-pointers this year, which is fourth in UC history. It's the most since Deonta Vaughn's 97 in 2007-08.
-Nolley's game-high 23 points marked his 13th game with 20 or more. He had 20 in the win at Hofstra.
-Viktor Lakhin's 10 points and 10 rebounds gave him his seventh double-double of the season, which was UC"s 17th overall.