ARLINGTON, Texas – The Mavs return home to the College Park Center to host Utah Valley (11-6, 3-0 WAC) on Thursday, Jan. 16. That game tips off at 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+, and on the radio on the Varsity App, 102.5 FM and KTNO 620 AM with the Voice of the Mavs, Josh Sours.
 
UTA fell 73-68 on the road Saturday night at Southern Utah, while the Mavericks' next opponent, Utah Valley, is off to an 11-6 start and 3-0 record in WAC play following a 75-69 win at home over Cal Baptist.
 
"Right now our back is against the wall," head coach KT Turner said during his weekly press conference. "We've got to fight our way out. I'm confident that we will, but it's going to take a lot of grit and grinding at practice and fighting through some things and getting better. We just have to have the mindset of getting better every day. We've got to fight our way out and I'm confident that we will."
 
The Wolverines are led by second-year head coach Todd Phillips, who became Utah Valley's winningest first-year coach in program history, going 16-16 last season. The Wolverines won 11 WAC games, which was also a program-best for a first-year head coach. Prior to his time as head coach, Phillips spent four seasons on staff under former head coach Mark Madsen, and before that spent eight seasons at the helm of Salt Lake Community College, where he compiled a 205-58 record.
 
Utah Valley is led by guard Dominick Nelson, who is averaging a team-high 14.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg. Forward Carter Welling (12.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg) and guard Tanner Toolson (10.9 ppg and 4.2 rpg) are also key fixtures for the Wolverines.
 
Thursday's meeting between UTA and Utah Valley will be the seventh all-time, with UTA having won four of the previous six.
   
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