Utah Valley Survives Turnover Woes To Knock Off Southern Miss

OREM, Utah – Tanner Toolson notched a double-double, helping his team hold on down the stretch as Utah Valley edged out Southern Miss 67-65 in the first round of the Jacksonville Classic.

The Wolverines opened the Jacksonville Classic with a hard-earned win over the Golden Eagles on Sunday, November 19.

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Final in Florida😤#GoUVU | #ValleyForged pic.twitter.com/5qWMwL0n5k

— UVU Men’s Basketball (@UVUmbb) November 19, 2023

Tanner Toolson led Utah Valley to a 34-30 halftime lead, scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds. The Wolverines defense held Southern Miss to 39.3 percent shooting in the opening twenty minutes.

UVU built a nine-point lead with 13:53 to play on a three from Toolson but the Golden Eagles were able to respond. It took less than three minutes for an 11-0 Southern Miss run to turn a 46-37 deficit into a 48-46 lead.

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The lead lasted for a single possession as Toolson tied the game with a layup, spurring UVU down the stretch. The Wolverines extended the lead to eight points with 5:33 remaining before weathering a Golden Eagle run in the final minutes.

A free throw cut the lead to one with 2:38 remaining but Cale Stone-Carrawell and Jaden McClanahan hit late jumpers for UVU to seal the win. Southern Miss saw three of their last four shots from the field rim out in the loss.

Toolson led all scorers with 22 points, grabbing 10 boards in the process. McClanahan added 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists. UVU turned the basketball over 21 times in the win.

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UVU will take on the winner of Cornell vs. Cal State Fullerton on Monday, November 20 in the Jacksonville Classic. Tip-off is scheduled for Noon (MT).

Find KSL Sports coverage of Utah Valley University Athletics here. 

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