Men's Basketball 1/29/2014 3:00:00 PM John Potter, Media Relations Assistant

[PREVIEW] 20th ranked Red Storm return home for ART U, Dominican

Two Bay Area schools face DSU on Thursday and Saturday

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MEDIA INFORMATION
Date	Thurs., Jan. 30 \| 7:30 p.m. MT Sat., Feb. 1 \| 7:30 p.m. PT MT
Location	Burns Arena - St. George, UT
Tickets	Purchase Tickets
Radio	ESPN SportsRadio 106.1 FM \| Dixie State All-Access
Radio Talent	John Potter (play-by-play) Devin Dixon (analysis)
DSU Audio/ Video	Dixie State All-Access
DSU Live Stats	DSU Live Stats
Game Notes	Dixie State
Twitter	@DixieAthletics #DixieMBB
DIXIE STATE RED STORM
Record	14-3 / 8-3 PacWest
Ranking	T-20th (NABC)
Head Coach	Jon Judkins
	Career: 443-207 (20th year)
	DSU Record: 159-84 (9th year)
ACADEMY OF ART URBAN KNIGHTS
Record	4-14 / 2-9 PacWest
Ranking	NR
Head Coach	Julius Barnes
	Record at ART U: 13-30 (2nd year)
DOMINICAN PENGUINS
Record	13-7 / 7-5 PacWest
Ranking	NR
Head Coach	Booker T. Harris
	Record at DOM: 40-25 (3rd year)

STORM OPEN LONG HOMESTAND HOSTING BAY AREA SCHOOLS: No. 20 Dixie State tries to work its way back into earning a bye as one of the top two seeds in the upcoming Pacific West Conference Tournament when it hosts Academy of Art on Thursday, Jan. 30, and Dominican on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Burns Arena. Both games are set to tip at 7:30 p.m. Mountain. The Red Storm (14-3/8-3) have won three of their last five games overall, but sports an undefeated mark at home (4-0). ART U (4-14/2-9) hosted three Hawaiian schools last week and picked up a win over Hawaii Hilo. Dominican (13-7/7-5) has won two straight, including an 84-83 overtime game over Chaminade. Both contests will air on the Red Storm Radio Network (SportsRadio 106.1 FM; DixieAthletics.com/Showcase) with John Potter and Devin Dixon calling the action. CEC-Television broadcasts the games live on Baja Channel 22. Links for live stats and online video are available on DixieAthletics.com.

STORM TIED AT NO. 20 WITH SEATTLE PACIFIC: With nine regular season games remaining on the schedule, Dixie State men's basketball learned Tuesday that they rank tied for 20th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll. The Red Storm slipped two spots after dropping a close 65-63 decision to Point Loma last Saturday in San Diego. The rankings also included DSU's comeback win at Azusa Pacific on Jan. 20. Dixie State received 84 total votes and sits tied at the 20th spot with another West Region team, Seattle Pacific. DSU defeated the Falcons 90-88 in overtime on Nov. 16 during the Sodexo Tipoff Classic. Other West teams in the Top 25 included Cal State San Bernardino (7th), California Baptist (14th) and Cal Poly Pomona (23rd). The top six spots in the poll remained the same, led by undefeated West Liberty (16-0). Bellarmine, ranked 7th last week, feel out of the Top 25 with three consecutive losses.

The top six spots went unchanged in this week's NABC/Division II men's basketball rankings, but a significant shakeup took place beginning with the seventh spot. West Liberty retained the top position in the poll for the eighth consecutive week and is one of four remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II; all four are ranked among the top six this week. Bellarmine lost three times last week to drop to right outside of the top 25 and allowed Cal State-San Bernardino to move into that position.

LAST TIME OUT – DSU LOSES ON LAST POSSESSION AT POINT LOMA: Saturday's Pacific West Conference game at Golden Gymnasium saw 12 ties and 11 lead changes. The final fluctuation with 0.3 seconds came on an A.J. Ussery putback lay-in to give Point Loma a 65-63 win over the 18th ranked Dixie State men's basketball team. Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA) led all scorers with 26 points and posted his sixth consecutive double double with 11 rebounds. Even with his stellar individual effort, Dixie State (14-3/8-3 PacWest) was held collectively to its lowest field goal percentage of the season (24-60, 40 percent). The Sea Lions (11-7/6-6 PacWest) avenged an 84-82 loss to DSU on Dec. 14, 2013, inside the Burns Arena. Dixie State opened the game on a 12-6 spurt beginning with an opening layup from Jordan Rex (Saint George, UT/Pine View) (Saint George, UT) and three straight makes from Robbins. PLNU took their first lead on the heels of a 7-0 run, 13-12. Neither team gained an advantage more than four points for the rest of the half. The Sea Lions took a 30-28 halftime lead when Marek Klassen took a long outlet pass and beat the buzzer with a finger roll. DSU trailed by two early in the second half, but earned some separation with seven straight points. Robbie Nielson (Gresham, OR/Barlow) (Gresham, OR) went coast to coast for a bucket, Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) (Alpine, UT) split two free throws and Robbins went off the glass twice from close range to put the Red Storm up 40-35. PLNU responded a few minutes later with an 8-0 run to lead 47-44. In the final minute, PLNU clung to a three-point cushion. DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (Las Vegas, NV) drew a shooting foul on a long distance shot and nailed all three charity shots to knot the game at 63-63 with 25 seconds. On the ensuing PLNU possession, Hayden Lescault launched a shot from the corner that was deflected by Robbins. Ussery corralled the loose ball and floated his game winner in the final second. Lescault led PLNU with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Klassen added 12 points and Judd Welfringer scored 11 points off the bench. Thompson was the only other DSU player to join Robbins in double figures with 12 points. Payne netted nine points, nine assists and six rebounds.

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.

• ACADEMY OF ART URBAN KNIGHTS

> The Urban Knights are on a two-game skid entering Thursday's Pacific West Conference matchup with the Red Storm. ART U lost to Chaminade 69-55 last Thursday and fell in overtime to BYU-Hawaii 112-107 at Kezar Pavilion. The team's two conference wins came early over Point Loma and, most recently, at home against Hawaii Hilo.
> Academy of Art is lead in scoring by guards Alex Carmon (17.4 PPG) and Alexis Moore (16.8 PPG). Moore and Carmon also lead the Urban Knights in rebounding per game at 6.6 and 6.4 boards respectively. ART U is 11th in the PacWest in both scoring offense (72.1 PPG) and scoring defense (78.7 PPG). They are fourth best getting to the free throw with 25.3 attempts a game.
> Julius Barnes is in his second year as head coach at ART U after one year as an assistant under the previous coach. Barnes played collegiately at Stanford – he was named to the All-Pacific 10 Conference Team and Conference Male Athlete of the Year in 2003.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
12/22/08   Dixie State 78, ART U 62
1/16/10      Dixie State 69, ART U 51
2/27/10      Dixie State 88, ART U 77
1/17/11      Dixie State 78, ART U 63
2/12/11      Dixie State 99, ART U 54
1/3/12        Dixie State 85, ART U 72
2/11/12      Dixie State 83, ART U 65
2/9/13        Dixie State 82, ART U 80

LAST TIME vs. ART U, 2013: Sitting atop the Pacific West Conference standings comes with the proverbial target – you must expect every team's best every day. Saturday afternoon at the historic Kezar Pavilion, Academy of Art had Dixie State on the brink of their first loss in nine games. Down six with three minutes left, the Red Storm shifted into another gear and posted an 11-3 run to defeat the Urban Knights, 82-80, in the opening game of a four-game road trip in the Bay Area. Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) pumped in a game-high 22 points, his fourth 20-point plus effort of the season, and added six rebounds for Dixie State (16-4, 11-1 PWC). On the interior, the Storm had their biggest advantage – besting ART U (7-12, 5-7 PWC) 46-30. Derek Owen (St George, UT/Dixie) (St George, UT/Dixie) had 15 of his 17 points in the second half while pairing with Robbins to get the Urban Knight bigs into foul trouble. Three post players succumbed to the five-foul limit, forcing the host school to shoot primarily from the outside with success. Ameer Shamsud-din led four ART U players in double figures with 20 points – 18 coming after the break. The Urban Knights took momentum over the final two minutes of the opening half with an 8-0 run to take a 39-31 lead. With the first five points of the second half, ART U led by as many as 14. DSC chipped away over the next eight minutes and knotted the game for the 10th time at 54-54. Five more lead changes/ties capped with the Knights taking their final advantage at six points, 77-71 at the 3:03 mark. Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) drove to the bucket with 34 seconds, made a lay-in and drew a foul to give the Storm a lead they would not relinquish. Robbins blocked an effort on the defensive end leading to a foul. Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) nailed a pair of free-throws, which proved to be the final margin of victory. Payne finished with 13 points and four rebounds. DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) added 10 points off the bench. McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) (Payson, UT/Payson) was held scoreless in a game for the first time since Nov. 12, 2011, against Minot State.

• DOMINICAN PENGUINS

> The Penguins snapped a four-game skid with a pair of league wins at home. Dominican downed Hawaii Hilo by 17 points on Jan. 23 and needed a nine-point comeback over the final three minutes to force overtime before defeating Chaminade, 84-83. Dominican is looking for its first three-game winning streak since the beginning of PacWest play in December.
> Senior forward Devin Golston paces Dominican at 16.2 points per game, 10th best in the PacWest. Four others also averaging in double figures – Dominique Taplin (13.7), Conner Haysbert (12.6), Matt Hayes (11.5) and Myles Carrillo (11.1). > Booker T. Harris is in his third year leading the Penguins. He took a 4-22 team before his arrival to a 16-10 record last year and an appearance in the PacWest Conference Tournament. Harris shared the league's Coach of the Year honor with Dixie State's Jon Judkins. Harris played college ball at the University of San Francisco and had previous coaching stints at Cal State San Bernardino, the University of San Francisco and Metro State.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
1/18/10   Dixie State 74, Dominican 72
2/25/10   Dixie State 73, Dominican 64
1/20/11   Dixie State 74, Dominican 52
2/10/11   Dixie State 84, Dominican 40
1/5/12      Dominican 73, Dixie State 72 (OT)
1/13/12   Dixie State 66, Dominican 55
2/11/13   Dominican 78, Dixie State 65

LAST TIME vs. DOMINICAN, 2013: For the second consecutive year, Dixie State fell short of an attempted comeback at the Conlan Center in Pacific West Conference play. Despite a third 20-point effort of the season from Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon), the Red Storm dropped a 78-75 decision Monday to the Dominican Penguins and saw its season-long nine-game win streak snapped. The Red Storm (16-5) fell to 11-2 in league, but still holds the top spot over Grand Canyon and Chaminade. Dominican (13-9, 9-5 PWC) bounced back from a tough road loss at Azusa Pacific by shooting 54 percent from the field and 90 percent from the foul line. Dixie State flourished from the charity stripe as well, connecting on 23-of-25 shots for a blistering 92 percent. The beginning of the game saw the Red Storm force three steals in the first 3:53 and burst out to a 10-0 lead. A McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) (Payson, UT/Payson) 3-pointer pushed the lead to 15-2 a few minutes later. Dominican made their first run after being 13 at the 12:59 mark by outscoring the Storm 12-1 over a four-minute string. Dixie State pushed the led back up to six, 28-22 after consecutive Massey lay-ins and two free throws from Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland). A last run of 13-2 for the Penguins closed the half, including a 9-0 spark over the final 4:14. Dominican led 35-30 at the break. After Groskreutz opened the second half with a jumper, Dominican extended their lead to as many as 14 points over the first eight minutes. Dixie State would take the next 11 minutes shaving to five with a minute left to play. DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) nailed his lone triple with 38 seconds to make the score 75-71. The teams traded free throws and buckets until Dixie State forced a traveling violation, down three with 10 seconds to go. Brandon Simister (St. George, UT/Desert Hills) (St. George, UT/Desert Hills) had an open look behind the arc, but saw the shot rattle out. Dixie State made 24-of-53 shots (45.3 percent) and 4-of-12 from distance. Groskreutz drained seven shots from the floor and six free throws for his 20 points. Massey added 13 points and Robbins notched double figures for the seventh straight game (10 points, 7 rebounds). Devin Golston led three Dominican players in double figures with 17 points.

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