OREM, Utah — Nick Billingsley netted a career-high 21 points, but Utah Valley opened the second half on a 17-5 run and held off a late charge to defeat UTSA, 75-71, on Saturday night at the UCCU Center.
Billingsley went 8-of-17 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc to lead the Roadrunners (2-6), who finished with season highs of 10 3-pointers and 18 assists. Nick Allen tied his career high with 17 points to go along with four boards and four assists.
UTSA won the battle on the glass, 43-38, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points. The Roadrunners also forced 17 turnovers and turned those miscues into 19 points.
Meanwhile, Conner Toolson paced the Wolverines (5-2) with a career-high 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting and a pair of free throws. Utah Valley scored 34 points in the paint and shot 48.2 percent from the floor.
After struggling from behind the arc in Thursday's game at Cal Poly, the Roadrunners made a living downtown early on as five different players knocked down 3-pointers.
Billingsley's 17-foot jumper with 12:15 to go in the half accounted for the team's first make inside the arc and the junior followed with a trey to pull UTSA within 20-18 a minute later.
The Wolverines would score the next six points to take their largest lead of the period, 26-18, but UTSA rattled off an 18-5 run to take a 36-31 advantage.
Billingsley started the spurt with another jumper before Giovanni De Nicolao connected off a feed from Allen. De Nicolao then returned the favor with an assist on an Allen layup that was followed by a spinning drive down the lane and basket by George Willborn III.
Jeff Beverly's free throws and another Allen bucket knotted the game at 30 before Byron Frohnen kissed one off the glass to give the Roadrunners their first lead of the night. Billingsley nailed another jumper for two more of his 10 first-half points and Beverly capped the run with an offensive rebound and basket.
The UTSA defense recorded a pair of blocks and forced seven turnovers during the run as it held Wolverines without a basket for the final five minutes of the half and took a 36-32 cushion to intermission.
However, Utah Valley opened the second half on a 17-5 run, which included 14 points from Toolson, to give the home squad a 49-41 lead.
The Roadrunners responded with a 10-2 spurt of its own to tie the game at 51 minutes later. Billingsley and Gino Littles sandwiched 3-pointers around a pair of buckets from Allen to provide the offense.
Allen would drain a triple, the last of his career-best three treys, with 5:25 to play to again tie the score at 58, but UTSA could not get over the hump to take the lead.
Billingsley cut the Utah Valley lead to 71-68 on a trey with 28 seconds remaining, but UTSA could get no closer. The senior scored the final points of the night with a buzzer beater from beyond halfcourt that made the final tally 75-71.
UTSA will close its three-game road trip with a 7 p.m. matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Texas Tech (7-1).
