Nov. 14, 2008
OREM, Utah - Ryan Toolson scored 23 points including 14 in the final 4:33 as Utah Valley University opened the season with a 68-62 win over Northern Arizona on Friday in The McKay Center.
Toolson was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line and hit eight freebies down the stretch to ice the game for the Wolverines, who have now won four straight home openers. As a team UVU was 16-for-18 from the line while NAU hit just 10-of-17.
"Ryan's a wonderful free-throw shooter, the best in the history of the game," said UVU head coach Dick Hunsaker. "I thought the team played with intelligence in the closing seconds of the game, getting the ball in the right guy's hands. That's always a key to closing out games."
"I couldn't be more complimentary to our players. With our minimal amount of experience returning I thought everyone did a nice job. I was just so pleased we fought and battled and competed and earned scores. There was that spirit to continue to compete to win," said Hunsaker.
Northern Arizona, the runner-up in the 2008 Big Sky Tournament Championship, scored the first seven points of the game and jumped out to a 16-6 lead before a 13-0 run gave the Wolverines their first lead of the game late in the first half. Two NAU free throws at the end of the half put the Lumberjacks up two at the break, 29-27.
Josh Olsen had nine points, seven assists and five rebounds while Swarbrick chipped in eight and Solomon Jensen had six points and nine rebounds. Northern Arizona was led by 17 points from Matt Johnson.
Up next Utah Valley will host Montana-Western next Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
