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Las Vegas • Utah Valley University's players know what's coming in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament.

The Wolverines are not expecting to have much fun against Seattle, judging by what happened last weekend in Orem. But they are hoping for a similar outcome Thursday at Orleans Arena.

Accustomed to playing at the 10th-fastest pace in the country, according to kenpom.com, UVU was slowed down considerably by Seattle. But the Wolverines pulled out a 61-54 victory that demonstrated the team's growth, coach Mark Pope said.

"There's nothing I like about this kind of basketball except that we won," Pope said. "It's slow and it's hard and everyone is on their heels. … What I'm proud about with our guys is that about a month ago, we could not have managed this frustration."

The Wolverines have matured, winning their last three regular-season games. UVU finished fifth in the WAC at 6-8, one game ahead of Seattle. Each team moved up one spot in the seeding, due to Grand Canyon's NCAA transition period.

Jordan Poydras led UVU with 17 points against Seattle last weekend. With the Wolverines leading by one point in the final minute, Poydras hit a shot in the lane, then stole the ball and made two free throws.

Issac Neilson, a junior forward who transferred from BYU, was the only UVU player honored in the WAC's postseason awards. Neilson made the conference's All-Defensive Team. With 50 blocked shots, he's six short of the school's season record. —

WAC tournament

At Orleans Arena, Las Vegas

Men

Thursday's quarterfinals

Utah Valley vs. Seattle, 3 p.m.

New Mexico St. vs. Chicago St, 5:30 p.m.

UMKC vs. Texas-RGV, 8 p.m.

Friday's semifinals

Cal State Bakersfield vs. TBD, 7 p.m.

Teams TBD, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday's championship

Semifinal winners, 9 p.m.