ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — In a Western Athletic Conference thriller that required two overtimes to decide, Utah Valley outlasted Utah Tech 104-101 on Saturday night at Burns Arena, avenging a loss from earlier in the season and tightening its grip near the top of the league standings.

The game, played before a crowd of 3,116, was a relentless back-and-forth affair featuring 18 ties and 19 lead changes. Neither team led by more than seven points at any stage, setting the scene for a dramatic finish in regulation and beyond.

Utah Valley, which improved to 24-7 overall, appeared to have the game in hand late in the second half. A driving layup by Sherman Weatherspoon with 33 seconds left gave the Wolverines a 78-73 lead. Utah Tech’s Ethan Potter quickly answered with a dunk to cut the deficit to three. After a Utah Valley turnover, Chance Trujillo buried a deep 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining to tie the game at 78, ultimately sending it to the first overtime.

The first extra period mirrored regulation, with both teams scoring 11 points. Utah Tech’s Noah Bolanga tied it at 92 with a layup with five seconds left, forcing a second overtime.

The second overtime belonged to the Wolverines, who opened with a 7-0 run. Trevan Leonhardt, who played all 48 minutes, hit a critical 3-pointer and then found Tyler Medaris for a layup to give Utah Valley a 99-92 lead with 4:25 to play. The Trailblazers, who fell to 18-14, chipped away and closed to within 101-99 on a Jusaun Holt 3-pointer with 24 seconds left.

Free throws sealed the victory for the Wolverines. Weatherspoon hit one of two, and after Holt hit another 3-pointer to make it 102-101 with five seconds left, Tyler Weaver was fouled and calmly sank both free throws with two seconds remaining for the final margin. A desperation heave by Utah Tech at the buzzer was off target.

The most important part of the game was Utah Valley’s composure and execution in the decisive second overtime period. After two periods and one overtime of near-perfect equilibrium, the Wolverines seized control with a quick, decisive 7-0 burst. Leonhardt’s 3-pointer and assist during that run, combined with a tightened defensive effort that held Utah Tech without a field goal for the first three and a half minutes of the period, provided the crucial separation that had eluded both teams all night. That stretch proved to be the only sustained run of the game and ultimately decided the marathon contest.

Leonhardt was instrumental in the victory, finishing with 21 points and nine assists while logging the entire game. He was supported by a prolific scoring duo in Weatherspoon, who had 27 points, and Jackson Holcombe, who added 23 points and seven assists. Weaver provided a key spark off the bench with 10 points, including the clinching free throws.

Utah Tech was led by a heroic effort from Ethan Potter. The Layton native scored 28 points and grabbed five rebounds, consistently answering Utah Valley baskets throughout the night. Chance Trujillo added 18 points, while Holt scored 16 and Bolanga had 14.

The victory gave Utah Valley a split in the season series after Utah Tech won 81-77 in St. George on Feb. 12. The Wolverines have now won eight of their last nine games heading into the conference tournament.

The game was a statistical oddity, with the combined score of 205 far surpassing the pregame over/under line of 147.5. Utah Valley entered as a 6.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, a spread they narrowly covered with the second-overtime win. Advanced metrics from Interstat gave the Wolverines a 73.8% probability to win pregame.