OREM, Utah – Tarleton State Women's Basketball carried a halftime lead, but Utah Valley came away victorious after defeating the Texans 70-67 on Thursday night at Lockhart Arena. 

Utah Valley shot 50% in the third quarter to regain the advantage in the second half and held Tarleton State to almost a seven-minute scoring drought in the fourth quarter. 

Senior guard Gia Adams led with a season-high 25 points, including 19 in the first half. Sophomore guard Mar'Cyah Willis came off the bench to add 14 points, her first double-digit point outing since the season opener. Freshman center Elodie Lutbert nearly pulled off a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds to go with four blocks. 

"We got enough defensive stops to win the game, but we couldn't score," head coach Bill Brock said. "We turned the ball over too many times. Utah Valley was hungry, they played harder than we did and they deserved to win. Tonight wasn't a very good performance from Tarleton State Women's Basketball on the road."

Utah Valley jumped ahead early with a 3-pointer following a pair of free throws to open the first quarter. Adams quickly answered by converting a basket while drawing a foul to tie the game. The Wolverines, however, used a 6-0 scoring run over the next minute and a half to retake the advantage. 

The Texans responded with an offensive run of their own, scoring six straight points to cut the deficit to three points. Utah Valley ended the quarter by hitting a bank shot with 30 seconds left in the opening period to take a 20-15 lead. 

With the Texans needing a spark, they turned to their leading scorer. Adams ignited the Texans' offense by scoring 10 straight points to give the Texans a one-point lead in the second quarter. 

The Wolverines answered by capitalizing off a Tarleton State turnover before Willis knocked down a 3-pointer to keep the Texans in front. Baskets from Lutbert and Willis made it a two-possession game, with a 3-pointer from junior guard Caroline Lyles allowing the Texans to maintain a five-point lead going into the break. 

Utah Valley struck first and fast in the second half, opening the first minute with a 5-0 scoring run to tie it up and force a Tarleton State timeout. The Texans went to their leading scorer once again, with senior guard Jakoriah Long finding Adams for the elbow jumper to put Tarleton State on top. A jumper from Lutbert and a free throw from Willis allowed the Texans to take a 43-40 lead with four and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

The Wolverines tied it up again with a 3-pointer and took a two-point lead off a layup. Junior Allie Myers helped the Texans get back on track with the go-ahead layup, scoring the Texans' final six points to close the period. Utah Valley scored on three of their final four possessions of the third quarter to take a three-point lead going into the final 10 minutes. 

Adams cut the deficit to one point by getting the steal and score to open the fourth quarter. Utah Valley, however, went on a 9-0 scoring run over the next 4:23 to take a 10-point lead with just over four minutes left to play. The Wolverines forced the Texans into almost a seven-minute scoring drought in the fourth quarter, but Tarleton State cut the deficit to five thanks to a basket from Myers and a 3-pointer from Willis. 

Following a pair of missed free throws from Utah Valley, the Texans had a chance to make it a one-possession game. The Texans, however, missed the jumper while Utah Valley knocked down the free throw to seal their second win of the season series. 

Tarleton State heads to St. George, Utah, for its next game on the road trip. The Texans will face Utah Tech at Burns Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m. 

Postgame Notes

• Utah Valley defeated Tarleton State 70-67 on Thursday night at Lockhart Arena. The Wolverines are now 2-0 against the Texans this season. 
• The Wolverines shot 50% in the third quarter and held the Texans to nearly a seven-minute scoring drought in the fourth quarter. 
• Senior guard Gia Adams scored a season-high 25 points, including 19 in the first half. She led all scorers on Thursday. 
• Sophomore guard Mar'Cyah Willis scored 14 points off the bench. This was her best scoring performance since Nov. 3, 2025 (16 points vs. Schreiner). 
• Freshman center Elodie Lutbert had her fifth game with 4+ blocks. She is now tied for 14th on the program's all-time single season blocks list with Brittnie Haley (2009-10).