OGDEN, Utah—Mitch Bruneel scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Utah Valley University men's basketball team in a 73-61 setback to Weber State Saturday night at the Dee Events Center.
 
With the loss, Utah Valley falls to 3-7 on the season while Weber State improves to 4-5. The Wolverines have played eight of their 10 games on the road.
 
Weber State led by as many as 14 points in the first half but an 11-3 Wolverine run to close the half cut the WSU lead to just three points, 31-28, at the break. Utah Valley battled back in the second half to cut a 14-point second half Wildcat lead to just seven points with 4:41 remaining. WSU then used a 13-8 run to close out the game and preserve the victory.
 
"I thought we competed and battled," said Utah Valley head coach Dick Hunsaker. "There were a lot of positives from the game. I thought Weber State made some timely shots and congratulations to them on the win."
 
Bruneel scored his team-high 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. He also connected on 9-of-11 free throws. The senior forward also tallied an assist and a steal in the loss.
 
Zach Nelson and Brenden Evans each scored nine points on the night. Evans neared a double-double with eight rebounds. Donte Williams recorded eight points and Marcel Davis added six.
 
Weber State connected on 12 shots from beyond the arc, eight of which came in the first half.  Richaud Gittens led four Wildcats in double figures with 21 points.
 
Utah Valley returns home to host Idaho State on Dec. 23. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live on 960 AM The Zone.