[PREVIEW] Afternoon meeting with Azusa Pacific

Fresh off a big PWC win, Storm return to Southern California

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Dixie State (10-4, 5-1 PWC) at Azusa Pacific (6-5, 3-0 PWC)
Game Details	Saturday, Jan. 12 \| Azusa, CA \| 3 p.m. PST (4 p.m. MST) Felix Event Center
Game Coverage	TV: None \| Radio: ESPN SportsRadio 1210AM and 107.3/102.3 FM Dixie State All Access: Audio Live Stats/Video: Azusa Pacific Game Center Twitter: @DixieAthletics #DSCmbb
Dixie State Links	Notes \| Roster \| Schedule
APU Links	Notes \| Roster \| Schedule

PWC MATINEE WITH THE COUGARS: Dixie State College heads back to Southern California, for the second consecutive weekend, to matchup with Azusa Pacific for the first time in Pacific West Conerence play. DSC is 5-1 in league while APU is undefeated (3-0) with two wins against Point Loma and one against Fresno Pacific. Tip time is 3 p.m. Pacific, 4 p.m.Mountain inside the Felix Events Center. Live audio coverage will be available through Dixie State All Access at DixieAthletics.com/Showcase.

STORM WATCH: DSC is 10-4 on the season after beating Grand Canyon at home Thursday for its third consecutive win. Junior forward Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) leads four Storm players averaging in double figures with 12.9 PPG. Sophomore center Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) is second on the list at 12.5 PPG and leads the PacWest with 8.9 rebounds a game. The Red Storm are ranked second in the nation (D2) in 3-point percentage (46.1) and third in field goal percentage (52.6).

LAST TIME OUT: Characteristics of a good teammate include trust, camaraderie and the ability to pick up each other when the situation arises. Thursday night at the Burns Arena, senior forward Derek Owen (St George, UT/Dixie) (St George, UT/Dixie) displayed those qualities in one of his best efforts of the year.

After starting power forward Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) drew a pair of fouls in the game's first five minutes, Owen stepped in to post a 15-point, five offensive rebound performance in Dixie State's 71-66 win over Grand Canyon in Pacific West Conference play.

The win moved the Red Storm to 10-4 overall and 5-1 within the league. It was the first time in 14 games the Lopes (14-3, 5-1 PWC) tasted defeat, snapping a win streak dating back to November 14.

Owen connected on half of his six field goal attempts, but sank nine of 14 free throws to lead three DSC players in double figures. Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) has a season-high 14 points while McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) (Payson, UT/Payson) scored 11 of his 13 points during the Storm's early second half push.

Dixie State trailed by three after the first half despite shooting 48 percent from the floor. Massey and Robbins combined for the first 13 DSC points, including a lay-in and a 3-pointer from Massey to build a five-point lead. Owen added four consecutive charity shots to end a 9-0 run.

The Storm built the lead to 11 points with less than two minutes to play before the Lopes rattled off eight straight to close within three with six seconds left, 69-66.

On the ensuing inbound, Payne was fouled and calmly knocked home a pair of free throws to ice the game.

Dixie State shot 52 percent from the field (26-50) and hit three of seven from behind the arc. GCU was held below their season average, connecting on 39 percent for the night, but shined from the line at an 87 percent clip.

Braylon Pickrel led Grand Canyon with 14 points and seven rebounds.

ALL-TIME VS. APU: Saturday's road test will be the first regular season matchup in the Division-II era. Dixie State hosted APU for a 2010 exhibition - won by the then NAIA top-ranked Cougars.

• AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS

> The Cougars have won a pair of PacWest games (vs. FPU, PLNU) after ending a three-game losing skid. APU enters Saturday's afternoon game with a 6-5 record and undefeated 3-0 mark in league.
> Sophomore guard Troy Leaf paces the Cougars in scoring (18.5), assists (5.2) and steals (1.2). Freshman forward Sharif Watson pulls down five rebounds a game.
> Justin Leslie is in his sixth year at the helm of the APU program. He played collegiately at Azusa Pacific from 1996-2001 and assisted under former coach Bill Odell.

JUDKINS ON APU: They are a very good team. They are well coached, they don't beat themselves. They run a ton of sets. They alays play good at home. We need to play our game and crash the boards.

NAIA BEST TOPS DSC IN EXHIBTION (LAST MEETING, 2010): If the Dixie State men's basketball team was looking for tough test in their exhibition opener, they certainly were not disappointed welcoming in the NAIA top-ranked Azusa Pacific Cougars to the Burns Arena on Monday night.

The Cougars took advantage of sloppy turnovers from the Storm to lead 53-30 after the first 20 minutes and held off a spirited effort in the second half to defeat Dixie State 85-69.

Point guard Mike Caffese led all scorers with 16 points while De'Angelo Riley, a D-I transfer from Ole Miss, notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Donovan driving
Leading the way for Dixie State was Donovan Plunkett (Oroville, CA/Las Plumas) with 15 points and Jeremiah Barnes (Compton, CA/Los Altos) with 13.

NIGHT OWLS HIT THE CENTURY MARK: Dixie State College basketball won its 100th night game (5pm start or later) in the Jon Judkins era on Thursday. The Storm are 100-57 after the sun set and sport a good 16-6 record in games strated before 5 p.m.

FANTASTIC 15 INCLUDES DALT AND ZACH: Week number nine in the schedule saw Dixie State men's basketball post team and individual records in a blowout of Pacifica and one of the most dominating defensive performances in a weekend road victory at California Baptist.

For those efforts, two Red Storm players earned return spots to the Pacific West Conference Fantastic 15 – forward Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) and center Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland).

Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (Jr., 6-5, 195, F, Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) – Dixie State – averaged 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in a 2-0 week for the Red Storm…shot 63.2% (12 for 19) from the field and was 5 for 5 at the foul line…tied for 11th in scoring, shooting and rebounding for the week in the PacWest.

Groskreutz was the steady hand over the week. He had 15 points and eight rebounds against the Gladiators. He led the squad in scoring with 17 points at California Baptist while pulling downs six boards.

It is the third Fantastic 15 honor for Groskreutz (weeks 1,2).

Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (So., 6-10, 200, F/C, Upland, CA/Upland) – Dixie State – led Red Storm to a 2-0 week by averaging 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game…ranked fifth in rebounding for the week in the PacWest…also tied for eighth in shooting for the week…shot 66.7% (12 for 18) from the field.

In 19 minutes against Pacifica, Robbins hit five of six shots from the field for 12 points. He then dazzled a large group of fans from his hometown with his fourth double-double of the season – 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Robbins has been a steady figure in the PWC accolades. This Fantastic 15 is the third for the center (weeks 3, 6) and couples with a pair of back-to-back Player of the Week honors in November and December.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS: McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) needs 77 points to pass Ben Hartman (763) for 3rd on the all-time scoring list, five 3-pointers to pass Donovan Plunkett (89) for 3rd place, nine assists to pass Jeremiah Barnes (215) for 3rd place and 17 to pass Maurice Cole (Norwalk, CA/Santa Fe) (223) for 2nd. Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) needs 42 rebounds to pass Tom Whitehead (360) for 2nd on the career list and 13 blocks to pass Tom Whitehead (74) for 1st place. Derek Owen (St George, UT/Dixie) needs four rebounds to pass Ben Hartman (277) for 5th place. Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) needs 37 points to pass Griffon Jones (Cheney, WA/Cheney) (616) for 6th, 20 3-pointers to pass Dan Stock (71) for 6th place and 21 shots to pass Ben Hartman (72) for 5th place.

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