PWC Champs to honor their Seniors (MBB Game Notes)

Home finale against Chaminade

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Dixie State Game Notes
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GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Dixie State College (20-4, 15-1 PWC) vs. Chaminade (9-13, 7-8 PWC)
DATE: Feb. 25, 2012
SITE: Burns Arena (4,779)
TIP-OFF: 8 p.m. Mountain
RADIO (Red Storm Radio Network): SportsRadio 1210, 107/102 FM The Fox, online at DixieAthletics.com
TALENT: John Potter (play-by-play) and Devin Dixon (analysis)
SERIES: Dixie State leads 8-3 over Chaminade

CHAMPS HONOR THEIR SENIORS: Dixie State College, the 2011-2012 Pacific West Conference champions, honor the three members of it senior class - Maurice Cole (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe), Griffon Jones (Cheney, WA/Cheney), Solomon Jensen (Centerville, UT/Viewmont) - prior to Saturday's regular season home finale with the Chaminade Silverswords. Start time is set for 8 p.m. Mountain, with live coverage on the Red Storm Radio Network (SportsRadio 1210, 107/102 Cool FM The Fox, DixieAthletics.com) beginning 15 minutes prior to tip with John Potter (@PotterSez) and Devin Dixon (@devdixon).

STORM WATCH: DSC enters the game with a 20-4 overall record and a 15-1 mark in the Pacific West. The Red Storm have averaged 76.6 points per game in the victories while posting just 57.5 points per game in four losses. Dixie State is led in scoring senior point guard Maurice Cole (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) at 13.0 points per game while dishing out 4.8 assists a game. Senior forward Griffon Jones (Cheney, WA/Cheney) leads the club with 6.0 rebounds a game and is second in scoring at 11.8 points. Junior guard McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) averages 9.7 points per contest and Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) tops all scorers off the bench with just fewer than eight a game (7.9). DSC is averaging 73.5 PPG while holding opponents to 65.5 points on the defensive end, including a conference-best 40.9 field-goal percentage defense.

SCOUTING CHAMINADE: The Silverswords (9-6, 7-1 PWC) of Chaminade defeated Grand Canyon in overtime 69-66 on Monday. Rickey Clayborn had 10 points and 16 rebounds off the bench. Chaminade was 1-1 in games against common DSC non-conference opponents. The Swords down Saint Martin's back in November by 20 points and lost at home to Seattle Pacific 61-57 in December. Eric Bovaird is in his first season as head coach. Bovaird was a long time First Assistant at fellow NCAA Division II, West Liberty University in Wheeling, WV.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State College and BYU-Hawaii provided 45 minutes of thrilling and physical basketball Wednesday night that epitomized the best of Pacific West Conference action. The Red Storm defeated the visiting Seasiders 77-73 in overtime to secure the outright league title in front of a record 4,368 fans inside the Burns Arena. Griffon Jones (Cheney, WA/Cheney) (Cheney, WA/Cheney) scored a team-high 15 points, 13 coming after the intermission, to lead Dixie State (20-4, 15-1 PWC). Solomon Jensen (Centerville, UT/Viewmont) (Centerville, UT/Viewmont) recorded his first career double-double, 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (St. George, UT/Snow Canyon) chipped in 13 points off the bench. DSC will represent the Pacific West for the third consecutive year in the Division-II NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The Seasiders (14-10, 11-4 PWC) took control of a low-scoring first half. Jet Chang scored the final 12 points of the half for BYUH, outscoring Dixie State 12-7 in the process for a 30-25 advantage at the half. As many times throughout the season, DSC sprinted quickly out of the gate in the second half, erasing the BYUH advantage to tie the game at 33-33. Every DSC run midway through the period was matched or exceeded by the Seasiders. With a 54-49 advantage, Dixie State saw Junior Ale connect on a trio of 3-pointers in an 8-0 starting run, culminating in BYUH enjoying a 62-56 lead with 2:27 remaining. Dixie State bounced off the mat and strung together eight consecutive points. Jensen drained an open 3-ball causing an eruption from the Red Storm faithful. A Maurice Cole (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) free throw put the lead at 64-62 with 5.8 seconds. Chang sped down the sideline, cut toward the baseline and connected with an equalizing lay-in with 0.2 on the clock. In overtime, Brady Hurst hit a pair of opening free throws. Jones connected on one-of-two charity shots before McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) (Payson, UT/Payson) drained a triple. Chang cut the DSC advantage down to a singular point three times as the clubs traded buckets. Bracken Funk tied the extra session at 73-73 with 1:26 on a baseline jumper. On the ensuing possession, Jensen missed a lay-up and Chang appeared to clear the rebound. The ball was tipped out of Chang's hand and caused a mad dash on the floor. Massey ended up with a steal and set up a critical DSC chance. After a called timeout, Massey found Jensen on the weak side for an open lay-in. Chang split the defense on the subsequent trip, but missed a left-handed lay-in. Landon Clegg (Cedar Hills, UT/Lone Peak) (Cedar Hills, UT/Lone Peak) corralled the rebound and was fouled. Clegg calmly hit two free throws to put the game out of reach with eight seconds left. Chang netted a game-high 29 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the floor. Ale drained five from distance en route to 20 points. BYUH shot 41.4 percent from the floor. The Red Storm dominated the battle of the boards 48-to-36, including 23 offensive rebounds. Wednesday's game was the first contest this season in which the Storm shot under 40 percent and claimed victory (22-66, 39.4 percent).

COLE NAMED PWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dixie State senior guard Maurice Cole (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) has earned his third Pacific West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week honor since Jan. 30. The PacWest Media Office in Phoenix, AZ, announced the award on Monday, Feb. 20, for games played Feb. 13-19. Cole led the Red Storm to a home-and-home sweep of California Baptist week by averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He ranked fourth in scoring, second in assist average, and sixth in committing steals for the week in the PacWest. He shot 65.2% (15 for 23) from the field, went 5 for 5 from the line, and hit a pair of three-point buckets. Cole scored a career-high 26 points and passed out six assists on Feb. 18 in a 70-67 comeback win vs. CBU.

REGIONALLY SPEAKING: In the first Western Region rankings released by the NCAA on Thursday, Dixie State College sits at a familiar spot – No. 4. DSC entered the 2011 NCAA Tournament is the same spot, defeating Chaminade and Seattle Pacific before bowing out to BYU-Hawaii in the region's championship game. Ahead of the Red Storm in the top three spots are Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage and SPU representing the Great Northwest. Two more GNAC schools on the list are Western Oregon at five and MSU-Billings sitting at ninth. Representing the CCAA are Humboldt State (6th), Cal Poly Pomona (7th) and Chico State (8th). The only other PacWest school in the rankings is BYU-Hawaii at number 10.

MOVING ON UP AGAIN, NATIONALLY: In the latest NABC/Division II Coaches Poll, released Tuesday, Dixie State received nine votes, four more than last week. DSC still sits outside of the Top 25, but unofficially in 28th place thanks to the coaches' voting panel. Only three West Region teams are ahead of Dixie State: Western Washington (12), Alaska Anchorage (20) and Seattle Pacific (24).

CAREER MARKS: Maurice Cole (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) sits 10 assists behind Jeremiah Barnes (Compton, CA/Los Altos) for second place on the DSC D-II list. McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) needs three steals to pass Dan Stock (68) for second place. Derek Owen (St George, UT/Dixie) is one game played away from tying Tom Whitehead (St. George, UT/Dixie) for the top spot in participation. With a start on Saturday, Griffon Jones (Cheney, WA/Cheney) will sit just three starts behind Tom Whitehead (St. George, UT/Dixie) for second.

ROAD WARRIORS: Teams that make the NCAA Tournament will sing a similar tune – win at home and become tough winners on the road. Dixie State has posted the best road and neutral court since 2009 in the Pacific West Conference with a 33-14 record (.702). One other team, BYU-Hawaii (28-18), has a record above .500 over the same period.

PRETTY GOOD AT HOME SWEET HOME, AS WELL: The Burns Arena has been one of the best home court advantages in the Pacific West Conference over the past three seasons. DSC leads in winning percentage since the beginning of the 2009-2010 season with a 30-3 home record, a .909 winning percentage.

GOOD ON THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM: For the Fall 2011 semester, the DSC men's basketball team posted a team grade point average of 3.08 – the highest for any single men's team. Three players – Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon), Landon Clegg (Cedar Hills, UT/Lone Peak) and McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) – came in with 3.8 individual averages. The entire department earned a collective 2.95 GPA – the highest mark in school history.

TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets to DSC home basketball games can be purchased at Cox Auditorium Box Office prior to game day and at the Burns Arena East Box Office one hour prior to game time. Reserved seats are $7 for center court locations. General admission tickets are priced at $5 for adults. DSC students and kids under 12 are free. Purchase advanced tickets online at tickets.dixie.edu.

DSC HISTORY IN THE PAC WEST:
2011-12:            15-1
2010-11:            13-3
2009-10:            14-2
2008-09:            8-4
2007-08:            10-8
TOTAL:            60-18

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