1. Utah Valley (12-7, WAC 6-0)
It took a 20-1 second-half run, but the Wolverines pulled away from Missouri-Kansas City Thursday to remain unbeaten in league play. That theme continued at home Saturday, when UVU took care of Chicago State. The Wolverines, who may boast the league’s best player in Ben Aird, are getting good looks from other starters, as four scored in double digits Saturday.
2. New Mexico State (15-7, 4-2)
If Aird isn’t the conference’s best player, it appears that NMSU’s Daniel Mullings is. The junior had a career-high 32 points in a 90-78 win over UTPA, and the Aggies jumped Chicago State in the league standings, despite missing center Sim Bhullar for the sixth straight game.
3. Grand Canyon (9-10, 4-2)
The Antelopes were also able to jump Chicago State with a pair of home wins against Idaho and Seattle U, respectively. Against the Vandals, GCU had three players score 19-plus points, and the ‘Lopes were paced by a career-high 30 from Jerome Garrison. Garrison tallied 24 more against the Redhawks to help GCU slide into the third spot.
4. Chicago State (9-11, 4-2)
The Cougars split a pair of road games, first topping league bottom dwellers Cal State-Bakersfield, before falling to league leaders Utah Valley. Though Bakersfield’s Issiah Grayson went for a game-high 28 points, Chicago State forced its opponents into 14 turnovers for its fourth league victory.
5. Kansas City (7-12, 4-3)
At Utah Valley, the Kangaroos suffered a dismal shooting performance, going 28 percent from the field, while scoring just 48 points. It was a different story in Bakersfield though, where the ‘Roos held their opponent to a sub-40 percent shooting night, and scored 70 themselves.
6. Texas-Pan American (6-15, 4-2)
UTPA has the league’s worst scoring offense, yet it was the Broncs’ shooting defense that did them in against league favorites New Mexico State. The Aggie starters combined for 81 points, which would have been enough to top UTPA Saturday. The Broncs scored 78, but Mullings was the difference-maker in loss No. 15 for UTPA.
7. Idaho (8-13, 2-5)
The Vandals managed to keep Grand Canyon at bay on Thursday, until the Antelopes used a 20-3 second-half run to push ahead and close Idaho out late. Starting again in place of senior Glen Dean, Mike Scott had 15 points and Stephen Madison had 17 for the Vandals, who have lost seven of their last nine games.
8. Seattle U (9-10, 1-5)
Shooting stone cold from the field, not a single Redhawk scored in double digits in Seattle’s fifth conference loss, a 71-63 decision at Grand Canyon. Not even WAC leading scorer Isiah Umipig could get over the hump, as the freshman was limited to just seven points on 3-of-13 shooting.
9. Cal State-Bakersfield (8-12, 1-5)
The Roadrunners aren’t getting any points for keeping their losses close. CSUB dropped another nail biter, this time at home against UMKC, who kept the ‘Runners at one win with a 70-69 victory. Bakersfield’s five losses have come by 23 total points, a sign that this conference may be a lot tighter than the league standings might show.