Toolson, Allen Lead Utah Valley To Season-Opening Win Over Carroll
Nov 6, 2023, 8:16 PM

Utah Valley men's basketball guard Tanner Toolson vs. Carroll (Courtesy of UVU Athletics)
(Courtesy of UVU Athletics)
SALT LAKE CITY – Tanner Toolson and Drake Allen combined for 45 points to lead the Utah Valley men’s basketball team to a season-opening win over the Carroll Fighting Saints.
The Wolverines hosted the Fighting Saints at UCCU Center in Orem, Utah on Monday, November 6.
RELATED: WAC Releases 2023-24 League Schedule For UVU, SUU, Utah Tech MBB
It was the first game for new Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips.
UVU defeated Carroll, 81-73.
FINAL
Go Wolverines!#GoUVU | #ValleyForged pic.twitter.com/egVd46q3jL
— UVU Men’s Basketball (@UVUmbb) November 7, 2023
After the Fighting Saints scored first and took a 2-0 lead in the opening minute, the Wolverines responded to take a 4-2 lead on a Toolson layup with 17:35 left in the first half.
Utah Valley would lead for the remainder of the contest.
Midway through the opening half, the Wolverines built their lead to double-digits at 24-13.
#3 Drake Allen with a steal and fast break to start off the 2nd half!#GoUVU | #ValleyForged pic.twitter.com/d7v2nC45TB
— UVU Men’s Basketball (@UVUmbb) November 7, 2023
At the halftime, Utah Valley owned a 35-30 advantage.
Following the break, the Wolverines extended their lead to a 16-point margin.
In the closing minutes of the game, the Fighting Saints cut into Utah Valley’s lead. However, Carroll was never able to cut the Wolverines’ advantage to fewer than six points in the final minute.
Utah Valley finished the game shooting 41.9 percent overall and 28.0 percent on three-pointers. Carroll shot 46.0 percent from the field, including 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.
UVU had two players score in double figures, Toolson and Allen. Toolson led the Wolverines with a game-high 25 points on 8-15 shooting. Allen poured in 20 points on 7-11 field goals.
#5 Tanner Toolson with another THREE for UVU!#GoUVU | #ValleyForged pic.twitter.com/c5MHSnAXu4
— UVU Men’s Basketball (@UVUmbb) November 7, 2023
Carroll had three players score at least 10 points.
Kendall Moore led the Fighting Saints with 22 points.
With the win, the Wolverines opened their 2023-24 campaign with a 1-0 record.
Utah Valley’s next game is on the road against the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Thursday, November 9 at 5:30 p.m. (MDT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Kyle Ireland is a Sports Producer and Locals in the NFL Insider for KSLSports.com. He’s also co-host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on X/Twitter (@kyleireland), Instagram (@kyleirelandksl), and Threads (@kyleirelandksl).