Utah Valley defeats UTPA 83-63 in WAC tournament

Mar 13, 2014, 08:25 pm

LAS VEGAS -- Holton Hunsaker scored 24 points and top-seeded Utah Valley shot 70.5 percent as the Wolverines defeated eighth-seeded Texas-Pan American 83-63 Thursday in the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

The victory sends the Wolverines (20-10) into a Friday semifinal with fifth-seeded Idaho (15-17).

Utah Valley used a 10-0 first-half spurt to take the lead for good and extended its advantage with a 19-1 run for a 51-26 lead at the break that would remain in double figures in the second half. Hunsaker scored 15 points over the two runs.

The Broncs (9-23) had a 15-0 run -- including nine points by Shaquille Boga -- to close within 58-45 with 12:30 left before Zach Nelson steadied the Wolverines with a three-point play.

Ben Aird had 13 rebounds to lead a 34-14 advantage. He became the first Wolverine to surpass 1,000 career rebounds. Mitch Bruneel added 18 points.

Boga led UTPA with 21 points.