SALT LAKE CITY (Interstat) — George Washington survived a furious second-half rally by Utah Valley to escape with a 79-78 victory Wednesday night at UCCU Center.

The Revolutionaries built a 16-point halftime lead behind 45 first-half points. The Wolverines stormed back after halftime, using a 20-0 advantage in fastbreak points and scoring 23 points off turnovers to erase the deficit. Utah Valley had a chance to win in the final seconds but fell just short.

George Washington improved to 19-15. Utah Valley, which entered as a pregame favorite, dropped to 25-9. An announced crowd of 1,582 watched the game.