Lamar (3-1) vs. Utah Valley (3-2)
UCCU Events Center, Orem, Utah; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Lamar pays visit to Utah Valley in an early season matchup. Lamar won 76-61 at home against Mount St. Mary's on Friday. Utah Valley lost 82-74 on the road to Kentucky on Monday.
STEPPING UP: TJ Washington is putting up 16.3 points and six rebounds to lead the way for the Wolverines. Brandon Averette has paired with Washington and is producing 15.2 points per game. The Cardinals are led by T.J. Atwood, who is averaging 19.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.ACCURATE ATWOOD: Atwood has connected on 40 percent of the 10 3-pointers he's attempted and has made 2 of 7 over his last three games. He's also converted 63.6 percent of his free throws this season.
ASSIST RATIOS: The Cardinals have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Wolverines. Utah Valley has an assist on 39 of 86 field goals (45.3 percent) over its previous three matchups while Lamar has assists on 49 of 98 field goals (50 percent) during its past three games.
TOUGH DEFENSE: Lamar has forced opponents into committing turnovers on 31.6 percent of all possessions this year, the fifth-highest rate among all Division I teams.
