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OREM — The relief was palpable among the 2,474 fans who rose to their feet as the final buzzer sounded at the UCCU Center Saturday afternoon.
It was even more evident on the face of Utah Valley coach Todd Phillips as he walked into his postgame press conference soaked from head to toe.
"I think the players are more spraying the water at you, not up in the air, when they celebrate now," Phillips said, laughing. "Now my suit's all wet."
On this Saturday afternoon, however, there was good reason to celebrate — and soak the coach in the process.
Led by forward Ethan Potter setting a new career-high with 20 points, just two days after he set his previous career-high with 19, the Utah Valley Wolverines (10-14, 5-8 WAC) finally got over the hump, ending their four-game losing streak with a cathartic 74-45 romp of Abilene Christian in Orem.
"We've played really good teams and kept it close, only to fizzle out at the end," Phillips said. "We needed this one for our psyche."
It certainly was needed, given how the Wolverines coughed up a 15-point halftime lead to second-place Tarleton State Thursday by scoring only 23 second-half points.
This time, it was Utah Valley who turned the tables, allowing just 23 second-half points by Abilene Christian (8-15, 3-9 WAC), while scoring 44 of their own — culminating with a 33-7 run to close the game. The Wildcats shot just 24% for the entire 40 minutes, including just 3-of-17 (17.6%) from 3-point range.
Phillips said the key to Saturday's win was having the right lineups in.
"There's so much variety in our league in terms of playing styles, and that's not easy to adjust to," he said.
Jaden McClanahan and Potter were both in the lineup, while normal starters Caleb Stone-Carrawell and Nate Tshimanga came off the bench.
It made a big difference, as Potter and center Trevin Dorius combined to miss just four field goals on the day. The duo also wreaked havoc in the paint, leading the Wolverines to 38 points from up close, to just 18 for the Wildcats.
"I know if I had scored 2 points, our teammates would have still picked up the slack," Potter said.
McClanahan did that, too. His three 3-pointers, two coming in less than a 30-second span, blew the game open, giving Utah Valley their largest lead to that point at 55-38.
"I feel like we're in a really good place," Potter said. "If we can be consistent, we can beat anybody."
That consistency is what Phillips feels his team is lacking lately. A minute into the second half, the Wildcats scored 5 quick points, including a 3-pointer by Abilene Christian's Hunter Jack Madden, who finished with 11 points, to cut the lead to 3, forcing an early timeout.
What did they say in the huddle? "Not really words you can print," Phillips said.
But whatever the message, it was clear; and this time, for the first time in almost a month, the young Wolverines answered the bell.
The Wildcats missed five or more straight field goals three times in the final 17 minutes, at one point going over six minutes without scoring a single point and missing nine consecutive shots.
What's more, the Wolverines also accumulated 26 assists on 29 made field goals as they shot a scorching 63% in the second half.
That ability to not only spread the wealth, but to stand tall when needed, Phillips said, makes his squad special, and is what will make the difference for his young team down the stretch.
"We just need consistency on both ends," Phillips said. "If we can get that, we can play at a high level every night."
