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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. — Connor Harding and Blaze Nield each scored 13 points and Utah Valley had six players score in double digits Wednesday night in its 74-63 win over Nicholls in the Sand Division championship game of the inaugural SoCal Challenge.
The Wolverines built a 16-0 lead and extended the margin to 22 points (42-22) by halftime.
Devante Carter scored 17 points in reserve for the Colonels.
Fardaws Aimaq was named Tournament MVP, and Aimaq and Harding were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Aimaq led the Wolverines with another double-double, finishing with 10 points, 16 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Connor Harding chipped in 13 points including a perfect 6 of 6 from the charity stripe to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Nield tallied 13 points and a team-high five assists, while Le'Tre Darthard added 12 points.
The @SoCal_Challenge hardware is home. 🏆🏄♂️☀️ pic.twitter.com/KFlSGk7L26
— UVU Men's Basketball (@UVUmbb) November 25, 2021
With the win, UVU improves to 5-1, extending its winning streak to five games. The five-game win streak marks the longest streak since 2019 and the longest of the Madsen era. The 5-1 mark is the best six-game start to a season in UVU history, surpassing the 2016-17 team that opened the season with a 4-1 record before dropping its sixth game.
The Wolverines return home for a matchup with Denver on Saturday in the UCCU Center. The game will tip off at 3:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and ESPN 960 AM.
Utah Valley then hosts in-state rival BYU in the UCCU Crosstown Clash at 7 p.m. MT Wednesday, Dec. 1, in the UCCU Center.
