Men's Basketball 1/24/2014 9:00:00 AM John Potter, Media Relations Assistant

[PREVIEW] Storm seek to remain classy in San Diego

Dixie State men's hoops travel for single game at Point Loma

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MEDIA INFORMATION
Date	Sat., Jan. 25 \| 4 p.m. PT (5 p.m. MT)
Location	Golden Gymnasium (1,600) San Diego, Calif.
Tickets	Purchase Tickets
Radio	ESPN SportsRadio 106.1 FM \| Dixie State All-Access
Radio Talent	John Potter (play-by-play)
Live Audio	Dixie State All-Access
Live Video	Point Loma America One Video
Live Stats	Point Loma Live Stats
Game Notes	Dixie State
Twitter	@DixieAthletics #DixieMBB
DIXIE STATE RED STORM
Record	14-2 /8- 2 PacWest
Ranking	18th (NABC)
Head Coach	Jon Judkins
	Career: 443-206 (20th year)
	DSU Record: 159-83 (9th year)
POINT LOMA SEA LIONS
Record	10-7 / 5-6 PacWest
Ranking	NR
Head Coach	Bill Carr
	PLNU Record: 36-37 (3rd year)

STORM SEEK TO STAY CLASSY IN SAN DIEGO: With 10 regular-season games remaining on the schedule, No. 18 Dixie State heads out for one of their three remaining games away from the Burns Arena on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m. Pacific against host Point Loma at Golden Gymnasium. The Red Storm (14-2/8-2) have won three of their last five games overall, but have lost two of the last three on the road. PLNU (10-7/5-6) have won five of six games played on their home court, but have lost two straight including a close 71-63 decision at California Baptist on Monday. Saturday's contest will air on the Red Storm Radio Network (SportsRadio 106.1 FM; DixieAthletics.com/Showcase) with John Potter calling the action. Links for live stats and online video provided by the host school is available on DixieAthletics.com.

NATIONAL RANKING SLIDES AFTER SECOND LOSS: After losing just their second game of the season to an undefeated conference foe, the Dixie State University men's basketball team dropped six spots to No. 18 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Poll released Tuesday. The poll reflects records through Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. For the Red Storm, it includes a 24-point home win over Fresno Pacific and a 10-point loss on the road at No. 12 California Baptist. Monday's Pacific West Conference win at Azusa Pacific will count toward the next NABC poll to be released on Jan. 28. Dixie State currently sits at 14-2 on the season and in third place in the PacWest with an 8-2 league record.

Losses by two of the top five teams in last week's NABC/Division II poll has shook up the top end of the new rankings, but West Liberty retains the top spot in the poll once again for the seventh week in succession as one of five remaining undefeated teams at the NCAA Division II level. The Hilltoppers, 14-0 on the season, are joined in the unbeaten ranks in the poll by No. 2 Florida Southern, No. 4 Tarleton State, No. 6 East Stroudsburg and No. 12 California Baptist. Metropolitan State dropped into the rankings between Florida Southern and Tarleton State at No. 3, while Drury followed Tarleton State at No. 5. The rest of the top ten after East Stroudsburg included Bellarmine, Cal State-San Bernardino, Southern Indiana and Lincoln Memorial. Colorado School of Mines checked in at No. 11 ahead of California Baptist, while the next three spots are occupied this week by South Carolina Aiken, Minnesota State and Indiana (Pa.). The No. 16 team this week is Indianapolis, followed by Montevallo, Dixie State, Lewis and Delta State. The final five teams this week are Franklin Pierce, Missouri Southern, Lake Superior State, Seattle Pacific and Georgia Regents University.

LAST TIME OUT – ROBBINS THRILLS HOMETOWN CROWD: Playing 15 miles from the his hometown prep court, Dixie State junior forward Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA) posted his fifth consecutive double-double with an asterisk: it included a career-high in points. His efforts aided the 12th ranked Red Storm from a halftime deficit to a come back Pacific West Conference victory over Azusa Pacific, 82-75, at the Felix Event Center. Robbins scored 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor and a nearly spotless 13-of-14 from the free throw line for Dixie State (14-2/8-2 PacWest). DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (Las Vegas, NV) and Louis Garrett (Saint George, UT/Pine View) (Saint George, UT) each added 15 points. Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) (West Jordan, UT) had 10 points off the bench in 18 minutes. Down nine with 12 minutes remaining in regulation, the resilient Red Storm catapulted right back into the league contest with 10 consecutive points. Thompson sparked the run with a lay-in while Garrett received credit for a tip-in after APU's Sharif Watson inadvertently knocked the roundball into Dixie State's bucket. Robbins knocked home a jumper on the next possession. After a Cougar offensive foul, Garrett was fouled driving to the basket. His two charity shots cut the Azusa Pacific (9-6/4-4) advantage to one. Both teams missed long shots and DSU regained the lead when Sawyer drove to the rack for a bucket. Both teams battled to a tied game, 72-72, with 3:09 on the game clock. From that point, until the final buzzer, Dixie State outscored the host Cougars 10-3. APU closed within a point in the final minute after Robbins lost the ball on the sideline for a turnover. The miscue did not faze Dixie State's big man as he starred down the stretch. He grabbed an offensive board off a Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) (Alpine, UT) miss and was fouled. His two free throws pushed the lead to three. The Cougars had three different looks from distance on the subsequent trip down the floor for the tie, but two rimmed out and another was partially blocked by Garrett. Robbins again scooped up a critical defensive rebound and made two charity buckets after drawing contact. A last miss APU miss inside the arc gave Robbins his final rebound and two more opportunities from the line. Dixie State opened the game strong after dropping a matchup of nationally ranked teams on Saturday at California Baptist. DSU had a three-point advantage early and led 16-15 on the second of Thompson's trio of triples on the night. The host school seized momentum over the next five minutes outscoring the Storm 14-3. APU held a double-digit cushion until late in the first half when Garrett connected on one of two free throws and Robbins tipped in a third-chance shot in the final seconds. The Red Storm finished the night shooting 43 percent from the field and 82 percent from the stripe. The field goal percentage is the third lowest in a Dixie State win this year. DSU also outrebounded the Cougars 42-37, despite a breakeven 14 offensive rebounds for each team. Robbins, Thompson (6) and Garrett (5) accounted for over half of the Red Storm's boards. Tyler Monroe led Azusa Pacific with 17 points and five rebounds. Robert Sandoval added 15 in a starting role. Watson scored 12 before fouling out late. Troy Leaf, the PacWest's leading scorer at 19.6 points per game, rounded out four APU players in double figures with 12 points.

THE TEAM:
THE RETURNERS:
> Landon Clegg (Cedar Hills, UT/Lone Peak), a 6-4 combo guard/forward, is back for his senior season after missing last year rehabbing a knee injury. The Cedar Hills, Utah, native was the 2007 PacWest Freshman of the Year.
> Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon), the 6-6 forward from Santa Clara, Utah, returns for his senior season after having a great junior campaign. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the season while shooting 80-percent from the charity stripe. Groskreutz was a second-team all-PacWest honoree.
> Robbie Nielson (Gresham, OR/Barlow), the 6-4 guard from Gresham, Ore., played 12 games for Dixie State last year. He averaged 1.5 points per game.
> Curtis Papenfuss (Happy Valley, OR/Clackamas), a 6-8 forward from Happy Valley, Ore., appeared in 27 of the 28 DSU games last year. Papenfuss had a season-high 20 points off the bench at Azusa Pacific.
> Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak), a 6-0 senior from Alpine, Utah, is expected to be the returning starter at point guard for Dixie State. Payne ranked third in the PacWest with 5.0 assists per game.
> Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland), the 6-10 combo forward/center from Upland, Calif., was selected as the Pacific West Conference Preseason Player of the Year. He is the DSU all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots.
> DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy), the 6-2 shooting guard from Las Vegas, expects to crack the starting lineup this year. Thompson finished last year strong to post a 9.2-point per game average.
> Braden Saunders (Morgan, UT/Morgan), the 6-3 guard from Morgan, Utah, returns to DSU after serving a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He redshirted for the Storm prior to his mission.

THE NEWCOMERS:
> Nate Ensign (American Fork, UT/American Fork), a 6-9 center, is a true freshman from American Fork, Utah. Ensign just returned from a mission.
> Louis Garrett (Saint George, UT/Pine View), the 6-6 senior forward from St. George, transferred from San Jose State. Garrett averaged 6.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in mainly a reserve role for the Spartans last year.
> Jordan Rex (Saint George, UT/Pine View), the 6-9 hometown product from St. George, will play center for the Red Storm. Last year, Rex redshirted at Weber State.
> Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan), the 5-10 sophomore guard from West Jordan, Utah, will likely start the season backing up Payne at point guard. Sawyer signed to play at Boise State after a stellar career at West Jordan HS. He transferred to Snow College before embarking on a church mission.

• POINT LOMA SEA LIONS

> Point Loma is on a two-game skid entering Saturday's Pacific West Conference matchup with the Red Storm. Azusa Pacific downed the Sea Lions at Golden Gym last Saturday on a buzzer-beating lay-in, 75-74. Two days later, PLNU held a halftime lead before falling to California Baptist, 71-63. Point Loma has a 10-7 overall record and a 5-6 mark in the PacWest.

> PLNU is led in scoring by fantastic junior guard Hayden Lescualt at 16.8 points per game (6th best in the PacWest), shooting 50 percent from the field. Fresno City transfer Junior Morgan patrols the post – 14.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Marek Klassen leads the Sea Lions with 39 makes from beyond the arc. A.J. Ussery holds a slim team lead with 6.6 rebounds per contest. Point Loma has the best team field goal defense in the league by holding opponents to 69.6 points per game and 42 percent from the floor (2nd).

> Bill Carr is in his third year as head coach for Point Loma after previous coaching stints at the University of San Diego, UC San Diego, Long Beach State, Spring Hill (AL) College, and his alma mater - the University of San Francisco. In 1999, Carr was the GSAC Coach of the Year and a final four finalist for NAIA Coach of the Year.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
1/15/12   Dixie State 68, Point Loma 58
3/2/13      Dixie State 68, Point Loma 47
12/14/13   Dixie State 84, Point Loma 82

LAST TIME vs. PLNU, 2013: Down by 15 points at the break and trailing by as many as 17 points early in the second half, the eighth ranked Dixie State men's basketball team staged a monumental comeback to edge visiting Point Loma, 84-82, in Pacific West Conference action inside the Burns Arena. The Red Storm bounced back from an abysmal 29.6 percent shooting effort in the first half to post an 18-of-30 effort in the final 20 minutes to improve to 7-0 overall and 3-0 within the PacWest. Point Loma, despite shooting an impressive 56.4 percent from the floor, fell to 6-4 on the year and 1-3 in league games. PLNU hit six of the first nine shots they took from distance in the first half to take a double-digit lead at the 7:48 mark. The double-figure advantage held into the last minute before DSU tried a push. DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (Las Vegas, NV) hit a pair of charity shots to post 13 points in the opening half and cut the Sea Lions' lead to 10. Point Loma responded with a lay-up and a 3-pointer to tally a 43-28 halftime edge. The lead swelled to 17 on a Junior Morgan shot on the first possession of the second half. Dixie State then chipped away winning what head coach Jon Judkins calls the "four-minute battles", meaning the play between media timeouts. The first battle opened with a 5-0 DSU run on one of two Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (Santa Clara, UT) 3-pointers in the game and a driving lay-in by Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) (Alpine, UT). With 15:22 left in regulation, the Storm had shaved seven points off the lead. DSU closed within five, 50-45, on another Payne scoop shot, but PLNU responded with five consecutive points to regain a 10-point lead. The Red Storm countered with a 5-0 spurt. Groskreutz nailed a triple and Landon Clegg (Cedar Hills, UT/Lone Peak) (Cedar Hills, UT) netted a jumper. With 11:37 left in regulation, the Storm clipped another point off the lead. Clegg hit a corner 3-ball to narrow the gap to four. With 7:29 left in regulation, Payne's only connection from distance put the Storm within two, 62-60. Two free throws by Robbie Nielson (Gresham, OR/Barlow) (Gresham, OR) officially erased the Sea Lion halftime advantage right out of the under-eight minute media timeout and Nielson's baseline jumper gave DSU its first advantage since 2-0. Dixie State pushed the lead to four before a PLNU triple made it a 72-71 Storm lead at the finale media timeout. Jordan Rex (Saint George, UT/Pine View) (Saint George, UT) completed a three-point play to build the lead to five before PLNU took their last lead with a 4-0 spurt. Groskreutz hit one of two free throws, snapping a string of 27 consecutive makes from the stripe, to knot the game at 79-79 in the final minute. Off a DSU miss, Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA) corralled an offensive rebound and was fouled. He calmly made both free throws. PLNU committed a costly turnover on the next possession at the baseline. Groskreutz was tripped up and fouled driving to the lane on the subsequent possession; he made both charity shots. Marek Klassen banked a 3-pointer with five ticks left, trimming the DSU lead to one, 83-82. Robbins was fouled immediately on the inbounds and made one of two shots. A last three-quarter court heave from Klassen fell short for PLNU. Payne posted a career-high 17 points, 15 in the second half, on 7-of-11 shooting and Thompson matched him on the scoresheet with 17 points. Groskreutz and Robbins each added 15. Rex led DSU with seven rebounds. PLNU had four in double-figures with Klassen leading the way with 18 points. The Red Storm were out-rebounded, 32-26, but capitalized on 18 Sea Lion turnovers, converting the miscues into 24 points. PLNU bested the battle inside the paint, 38-24.

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