Storm rebounds with 87-63 win over Cougars

Four DSU players in double figures pace strong league win

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ST. GEORGE, Utah – Five days separated from the team's first loss of the season, one question loomed prior to Saturday's matchup with Azusa Pacific – How would Dixie State respond? Just a few minutes into the Pacific West matchup, that query was answered with a flurry of 3-point shots.

The Red Storm opened the game on a 10-2 run, built a 25-point halftime lead and held advantages in almost every offensive statistical category leading to an 87-63 win over Azusa Pacific at the Burns Arena.

Three Dixie State (12-1/6-1 PacWest) players – DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV), Zach Robbins (Upland, CA) and Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT) – each had 16 points. Robbins, with 14 rebounds, and Jordan Rex (Saint George, UT) (12 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles in the same game for the second time this season.

Even with four players in double figures, it was the effort on the defensive end that stymied the Cougars to 21-of-59 shooting.

"We defended tonight," DSU head coach Jon Judkins. "We got after it defensively, we rebounded. That was all we talked about the last three days of practice."

Azusa Pacific (7-5/3-3 PacWest) answered the opening DSU salvo with five points to cut the home team's lead to 10-7. From that point, Dixie State produced a 30-8 run that opened a 25-point lead, 40-15, at the six-minute mark. During the string, DSU hit five shots from beyond the arc en route to eight total makes in the opening half. Thompson personally hit four long distance shots during his 14-point effort in the opening 20 minutes.

Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT) bumped the advantage up to 30 points with the first of three straight buckets. But, it was Sawyer, Payne's point guard colleague, who paced the Storm's offensive attack after halftime. He hit four shots, including a 3-pointer late. DSU's lead grew as big as 37 points before APU hit four deep shots to cut the final margin down to 24.

"We got a little lazy in the final eight minutes," Judkins added. "When we defend, we're pretty good. And we just have to tell our guys that they can do it for the full 40 minutes."

Troy Leaf led the Cougars with 18 points and Jared Zoller added 13 points.

Dixie State shot 54 percent (33-61) for the game and a blistering 60 percent (9-15) from behind the arc. The Storm outrebounded APU by 17, 45-28, and dominated inside the painted area (32-20).

A quick homestand concludes Monday at 7:30 p.m. when DSU faces Fresno Pacific. It will be the second matchup of the year after Dixie State downed the Sunbirds, 85-80, on Dec. 7.

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