Utah Valley looks to extend streak vs Chicago State
Utah Valley (6-9, 0-0) vs. Chicago State (4-11, 0-0)
Jones Convocation Center, Chicago; Thursday, 8:05 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Utah Valley looks for its sixth straight win in the head-to-head series over Chicago State. Utah Valley has won by an average of 29 points in its last five wins over the Cougars. Chicago State's last win in the series came on Jan. 12, 2017, a 70-61 win.
LEADING THE CHARGE: Xavier Johnson has averaged 16.5 points to lead the charge for the Cougars. Complementing Johnson is Andrew Lewis, who is accounting for 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The Wolverines have been led by TJ Washington, who is averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.
FACILITATING THE OFFENSE: Brandon Averette has made or assisted on 42 percent of all Utah Valley field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has accounted for 21 field goals and 10 assists in those games.
WINLESS WHEN: The Wolverines are 0-7 when they allow 72 or more points and 6-2 when they hold opponents to anything under 72 points. The Cougars are 0-10 when they score 74 points or fewer and 4-1 when they exceed 74.
ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Wolverines have recently created buckets via assists more often than the Cougars. Chicago State has an assist on 24 of 57 field goals (42.1 percent) across its previous three matchups while Utah Valley has assists on 39 of 73 field goals (53.4 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Chicago State is rated second in the WAC with an average of 72.9 possessions per game.
