Justin Harmon's career night leads Utah Valley to NIT win at New Mexico

OREM — Justin Harmon didn't want the final image of his 2022-23 season at Utah Valley to be his game-winning layup at the buzzer of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals falling off the rim.

And after Wednesday night, it won't be.

Harmon poured in a career-high 32 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists to lead the Wolverines to their first NIT victory in school history, 83-69, over No. 2-seeded New Mexico in the Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"He was efficient; he took 20 shots, sure, but he made 13 of them," UVU assistant coach Todd Okeson told ESPN 960 radio of Harmon, who also shot 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. "Maybe he should take 40 shots if he's going to make 32 of them. No one is going to complain. ... He's a load, and we saw that tonight."

Tim Fuller added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Trey Woodbury finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Wolverines (26-8), who set a program record for wins in a season with their 11th road victory — tied for the most road wins in the nation.

Morris Udeze had 18 points and a game-high 19 rebounds to lead New Mexico (22-12), which scored 44 of its 69 points in the paint.

"The ball was really moving out there," UVU coach Mark Madsen said. "I was really proud of Justin Harmon. Ever since he's come to campus, the wins have been stacking up for us. He's a winner and came out tonight locked in. He brings our team a Chicago toughness. I was proud of every single player on this team. The guys that played and the guys that didn't play."

Opening as a 5.5-point underdog in the first round of their first NIT appearance since 2014 (and second all-time), the Wolverines caught fire in the first half. Or at least, Harmon did, pouring in 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting as Utah Valley shot 50% from the field before the break en route to a 46-33 halftime lead.

Fuller added 9 points and six rebounds before the locker room break for the Wolverines, who got as little as 2 points, three rebounds and two assists from 7-foot center Aziz Bandaogo and just 2-of-6 shooting from Woodbury. But UVU made up for it with a 26-18 rebounding advantage and held the Lobos to just 38% from the field.

Bandaogo finished with 8 points, 11 rebounds and a blocked shot for Utah Valley.

But Harmon didn't just shoot; the Chicago native pulled down offensive rebounds. He opened the second half with a lob to Bandaogo for a rim-rattling dunk. And when the Wolverines missed five consecutive shots, he set up Woodbury for a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key en route to the Wolverines' game-high 69-37 with 15:44 remaining.

The Lobos put in runs, like a 7-0 run capped by Jamal Mashburn's 3 or a 5-0 spurt with an and-one by Donovan Dentz midway through the second half. The hosts even tried a full-court trapping press with less than 10 minutes remaining, a strategy that worked for Southern Utah.

But this was a UVU team that gave up a 23-point second-half lead in the WAC Tournament semifinals against the Thunderbirds. The Wolverines were't going to let that happen again. The Lobos cut within 74-61 on an 8-2 run with 5:50 to go, but Harmon immediately responded with a made jumper in the paint and UNM could get no closer.

Utah Valley continues NIT play on Sunday at third-seeded Colorado. Tipoff from Boulder, Colorado, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MDT on ESPNU.

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