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Show B2 SPORTS MARCH 11, 2013 Basketball's Great West grand finale 66 I give Chicago State a lot of credit for always fighting back. They made a lot of big shots and a lot of big plays in this game. DICK HUNSAKER. Head Coach SHANE TRUSKOLASKI/UVU ATHLETICS SHANE TRUSKOLASKI/UVU ATHLETICS Holton Hunsaker was one of three players in double digits in scoring as UVU edged Chicago State on March 2. Jason Johnson shot 9-14 and led the Wolverines with 24 points en route to a much needed victory over Chicago State. UVU Men's Basketball finished their GWC play against Chicago State on March 2 point lead for a brief moment. The Cougars then pressed on and gained a five-point lead. For most of the game, the team with the lead rarely held onto it. For Chicago State, this was no exception. The Wolverines went on a 21-3 scoring run that sealed the victory and made any comeback impossible for the Cougars. Despite battling back, the surge fell short and the Wolverines were victorious. "I give Chicago State a lot of By Garrett Coleman Sports Writer garrettjcoleman@gmail.com The UVU's Men's basketball team has reached the end of a great chapter as they closed out their era in the Great West Conference with a 76-69 win over conference foe Chicago State on March 2. "It was a hard-fought, tough game," said Head Coach Dick Hunsaker. "We kept fighting and kept competing. I was real pleased with some of the guys effort and competition that stuck their neck out and really competed." The game was a battle. Both teams played physical and hard to get their team a hold of another victory. The Wolverines took the early advantage by grabbing a 12-point lead, which was later on whittled down to only a single point, ending the first half. The second half was equally as physical as the first, each team having bursts of momentum with quick scoring runs, trying to maintain their leads. The Cougars opened up with a 12-4 run to start the second half and had a seven-point advantage early on. UVU battled back and went on a 8-0 tear to hold a one credit for always fighting back." Hunsaker said. "They made a lot of big shots and a lot of big plays in this game." Junior guard Jason Johnson played well throughout the whole game pulling out a career-high of 24-points in a great winning effort in the back-and-forth battle. "Jason Johnson had an exceptional game and the great thing it was a career high, a career game" Hunsaker said. "It was a winning effort and BASEBALL from B1 Senior forward Nick Thompson and the Wolverines now turn their attention to both CSU Bakersfield and the GWC tournament. APPLAUSE from B1 "It was very physical and played hard by both teams," said Head Coach Dick Hunsaker. "I was very pleased with the intensity and a bit of desperation we played with in the second half." The Wolverines stepped it up and took on the challenge one more time after a 62-54 loss against the Cougars back in January. Even though Utah Valley finished up their last conference game of the season and last conference game ever, the fight still isn't over. One more non- conference game will be held, but this one's a little different. Utah Valley will take on CSU Bakersfield in California, battling it out one last time as non-conference rivals. The Roadrunners will be joining the Wolverines in the WAC next season; This game was a preview of what to expect. "We play very well on their court," Hunsaker said. "Bakersfield has been playing very well the last couple months, and we know we're going to really have to prepare ourselves for a terrific effort on senior night." With the WAC creeping just around the corner, the excitement and anticipation for it is set aside. They are focusing all efforts on the road to the California sun, bringing on the Bakersfield's battle. "When we wrap up this season, the Great West would be put to rest," Hunsaker said. "But right now I've got to focus on and prepare the team for the game against Bakersfield and the conference tournament." It's been quite a rocky whirlwind this year for the Wolverines, but nothing is better said than done. Finishing out the season 14-16 overall can leave the fans, fami- SHANE TRUSKOLASKI/UVU ATHLETICS lies, coaches and teammates walking away with their heads held high, being proud of what they've accomplished. Traveling on the road 14 out of 16 weeks can be tough, but no better attitudes have helped the team strive for successful victories then the brotherhood the Wolverines share. "I'm very pleased and proud of my kids," Hunsaker said. "To complete the season, basketball season entailed 18 weeks and we traveled 14 of them; that's a very tactful schedule. I'm very pleased and I think the kids have fought to continue to get better." we would've liked to have had a different result, but he was terrific in that game." The Wolverines were not outhit by the Hornets in a single game of the series, totaling five hits in game one to the Hornets' three. UVU's best chance to tie the game came in the eighth, when sophomore Kade Andrus singled and was sacrificed to second. Freshman Beau Kallas then walked to put the go-ahead run on base ,but Sacramento State turned to its bullpen and was able to close out the win. "We have to stay within the team approach [at the plate] that has led us to success," Madsen said. "We've had some good practices this past weekend, so we just need to understand what we're trying to do and not worry so much about the opposition." Game two saw the Wolverines even the series as junior Devin Nelson pitched 6.1 strong innings to pick up his first win at UVU. Nelson allowed four runs, two of which were unearned and struck out four. Freshman Stone Ramsey had three of the Wolverines' 12 hits, scoring a run and driving in another over the course of the 6-4 victory. The newcomer, Ramsey, who is from Tampa, Florida, again fueled the Wolverines offensively in the series finale, clubbing two doubles and driving in a pair of runs. The efforts were not enough as UVU fell, 10-3. The Wolverines matched the Hornets in hits, 9-9, but NNW we've been on the short sides with some individual efforts fall short [in the past]" With close games in the past, this isn't the end of the road for both of these teams. Both teams are headed to the WAC and will continue to face off as conference foes and keep the competition high. The Wolverines close out the season against future WAC competition CSU Bakersfield on March 2, paying homage to their seniors before the game. struggled to keep the Hornets off of the base paths, walking seven and allowing two additional base runners to reach after they were hit by a pitch. The Wolverines are encouraged heading into their home opener on Thursday Mar. 7 by the solid individual performances that highlighted the beginning of the season. "To finally open up at home, it's going to be comforting I think," said junior transfer Andrew Fitter, who earned the win against defending national champion Arizona. "[It's] something we're used to. We're used to our field; we're used to our mound. Hopefully we'll get our home crowd out, so it will be different than those other hostile environments that we've been playing in." Senior Kai Hatch was the latest Wolverine recognized by the Great West Conference, sharing player of the week honors with Sam Street of UTPA. Hatch hit .364 during UVU's three-game series at the University of Portland, scoring the winning run in game one and driving home the winning runs in game two, helping the Wolverines win two of three. The Wolverines still have to hit the road after hosting Nevada, being gone for over a month before returning to the Brent Brown Ballpark to host conference rival, Houston Baptist, on April 11. Until then, the Wolverines will be on the longest road trip of the season, hitting all the corners of the nation from Texas to California to New Jersey. MIME PRESTON OLSEN/UVU REVIEW Kai Hatch has a .340 batting average for the Wolverines this season. |