OREM, Utah – After starting the season with three straight on the road, the Utah Valley University men’s basketball team will open 2012-13 home schedule Saturday against Arizona Christian University. Tip is set for 3:05 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center.

The Wolverines are 1-2 after the season-opening three-game swing that took them to Indianapolis; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Pullman, Washington. They sandwiched a nine-point win at North Carolina A&T between losses at IUPUI to open the year and at Pac-12 Washington State on Wednesday in the opening contest of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic.

In the win over A&T, Ben Aird scored 18 points to lead UVU, while Nick Thompson finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for his first double-double in a Wolverine uniform.

On Wednesday in Pullman, UVU got 10 points from Aird but couldn’t keep pace with the Cougars, who were led by 15 from All-Pac-12 performer Brock Motum.

Aird is averaging 13.0 points and 9.0 rebounds on the young season with Holton Hunsaker chipping in 10.3 and Thompson 9.3 per contest.

Arizona Christian, an NAIA program out of Phoenix, won its season opener over Northern New Mexico. The Firestorm, led by first-year head coach Jeff Rutter, most recently dropped an exhibition contest at Weber State on Nov. 9.

Junior forward Daniel Cornelius scored 23 in the win over Northern New Mexico, while A.J. Koch added 15.

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“Arizona Christian will come in with a lot of energy and have had a week to prepare since playing Weber State,” UVU head coach Dick Hunsaker said. “(Daniel) Cornelius is an outstanding-scoring big and they have a number of offensive threats on the court at all times.”

Saturday's contest will be the lone home game for UVU in eight November contests

Following Saturday’s home opener, Utah Valley will travel to Santa Clara for the remaining three games of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. On Tuesday, the Wolverines battle Eastern Washington before facing host Santa Clara on Wednesday. The week wraps up Friday against USC Upstate. All three games can be heard live on 960 AM the Zone and the Zone Sports Network.

Clint Burgi is the assistant athletic director for sports information at Utah Valley University. For more information on Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.

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