ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — Utah Tech built a large early lead and withstood a second-half push from Abilene Christian to secure a 76-70 victory in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Moody Coliseum.

The Trailblazers led 42-31 at halftime, powered by efficient shooting, but the Wildcats rallied after the break. Abilene Christian capitalized on 19 Utah Tech turnovers, scoring 28 points off them, and closed the gap late. Utah Tech sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Yaniel Rivera led all scorers with 18 points for Abilene Christian. Ethan Potter scored 16 points for Utah Tech, which improved to 12-11. Abilene Christian fell to 10-10.