Dixie State (5-4, 2-1 PacWest) returns home for its final game before the Christmas break, hosting Holy Names (2-9, 0-3 PWC) in a Pacific West Conference matchup on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 3:30 p.m. The game from the Burns Arena will be broadcast on on CEC-TV locally and available online via a per-per-view option. The Storm Basketball Network – ESPN SportsRadio 106.1 FM and SouthernUtahLive.com's audio feed – also has coverage.

The Red Storm split midweek games at the 2014 Las Vegas Challenge – losing to Seattle Pacific, 77-67, and then bouncing back with a 67-62 win over Saint Martin's. DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) paced the Storm with 22 points on 9 of 15 shooting against SPU. Mark Ogden Jr. (Spring Valley, CA/Steele Canyon) was the leading scorer against the Saints with 16 points.

Dixie State has dominated the two previous meetings in the all-time series with Holy Names. On Valentine's Day 2013, the Storm sprinted out to a 42-16 halftime lead en route to a 93-68 win. Steve Larson posted 28 points on 13 field goals leading four DSU players in double figures. Last year at the Burns, Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) had a game-high 17 points in a 90-65 win. Dixie State shot 56 percent from the field dishing out 22 assists on 30 made shots. 

THREE THINGS – DIXIE STATE (5-4, 2-1 PWC)

1. One step forward, one step back – Dixie State has alternated wins and losses over the first nine games of the season. The Storm will be seeking their first winning streak of the year in Saturday's matinee. DSU's last two-game losing streak brought an end to the 2013-24 season with a quarterfinal loss to HPU in the PacWest Tournament and an opening round loss to CSUSB in the NCAA West Regional.

2. In three PacWest games, DSU is averaging 74.3 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor. Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) has led the team in scoring in both league wins while Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) posted his career-high of 23 points in the Storm's PWC loss at California Baptist.

3. The Red Storm now post a 4-2 all-time in the Las Vegas Challenge. In 2012, Dixie State defeated Central Oklahoma, but lost in the championship game to Pittsburg State. Last year, the Storm defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills and Montana State Billings to take the Challenge crown. This year, DSU lost to Seattle Pacific and beat Saint Martin's.

THREE THINGS – HOLY NAMES (2-9, 0-3 PWC)

1. Holy Names, out of Oakland, Calif., are in their third year of NCAA competition. The Hawks made the transition from the NAIA's CalPac Conference. HNU won the league in 2007 that was the previous home to current PacWest schools Dominican and Notre Dame de Namur.

2. The Hawks are led in scoring by sophomore forward Dante Robinson (11.1 PPG), junior guard Joshua Crum (10.7) and junior guard Jamarae Moss (9.2).

3. HNU posted identical 5-23 records in their first two years in the PacWest. 

RETURNING FACES: This season's roster includes eight players with game experience or time on the practice squad - 

Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) - 15.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG as a PacWest 1st team selection - 17 double doubles

DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) - 14.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, .453 3FG% as a 2nd Team All-PacWest pick

Jordan Rex (Saint George, UT/Pine View) - 6.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG - 3 double doubles

Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) - 7.1 PPG, 2.6 APG as the backup point guard

Robbie Nielson (Gresham, OR/Barlow) - 6.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG as a reserve guard and forward

Braden Saunders (Morgan, UT/Morgan) - played in 11 games, scored seven points

Ryan Graves (Huntsville, UT/Weber) - missed season due to injury

Sterling Brandley (Ogden, UT/Ben Lomand) - redshirted, member of the practice squad

STORM NEWCOMERS: Six players will wear the Dixie State jersey for the first time this season - 

Collin Woods (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon) - 7.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, .767 FT% at Salt Lake Community College last season - played as a freshman at UC Irvine

Connor Van Brocklin (Fruit Heights, UT/Davis) - 1.8 PPG in seven games last year at the University of Utah

Mark Ogden Jr. (Spring Valley, CA/Steele Canyon) - Pacific Coast Conference 2nd Team at Grossmont College - 14.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG

Zac Hunter (American Fork, UT/American Fork) - returned missionary freshman from American Fork HS - 12 PPG, 5 RPG as a senior

Trevor Hill (Sandy, UT/Alta) - Deseret News Utah 5A 2nd Team last year - 11.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.5 APG (No. 1 in 5A)

Anthony Morris (Mesquite, NV/Virgin Valley) - transfer from Snow College - 6.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, .519 FG%

ROBBINS PRESEASON SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICAN: Senior forward/center Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) was named to the Sporting News NCAA Division II All-American Second Team. Robbins becomes the first Storm player to earn such a prestigious honor. He was a PacWest First Team selection in 2013-14 and earned two West Region nods (Daktronics/NABC). 

PACWEST PRESEASON NEWS: The Dixie State men's basketball team has been chosen second in the Pacific West Conference preseason coaches poll, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Senior forward/center Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) secured a spot on the Preseason All-PacWest Team for the second consecutive year. Defending league champion California Baptist was selected first, securing nine of 13 possible first-place votes. The Red Storm and Dominican, picked to finish sixth, each garnered one first-place vote. Third-place Chaminade received two first-place votes BYU-Hawaii was tabbed fourth, and Azusa Pacific fifth in the vote. Rounding out the league's remaining seven, in order, were Point Loma, Hawaii Pacific, Fresno Pacific, Academy of Art, Notre Dame de Namur, Hawaii Hilo and Holy Names. Robbins was a PacWest 1st Team All-Conference selection last year and garnered West Region recognition by the coaches and sports information directors. He was named the Preseason Player of the Year in 2013-14 and backed it up with a stellar season averaging 15.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while posting 17 double doubles.

THE JUDKINS FILE: Jon Judkins, a five-time PacWest Coach of the Year (2009-13), directed Dixie State into the playoffs in each the last five previous seasons. He has a 169-87 record at DSU, including a 21-7 mark last year. DSU tied for second in the PacWest regular season and qualified for the league tournament. The Red Storm posted a 22-7 record in 2013, equaling the school record for victories in the NCAA era. The squad won the 2013 PacWest regular season with a 15-3 conference record and Tournament titles to earn a West Regional Automatic bid. Judkins led DSU to the 2011 West Regional Final against league rival BYU-Hawaii in 2011. That season, the Red Storm won their only two Regional games to date with triumphs over Chaminade and Seattle Pacific. Judkins led DSU in its final year of junior college competition in 2006 to a 21-12 record. Prior to coaching at Dixie State, he spent 12 years, posting a 284-128 record, at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. The Badgers won the SWAC titles in 1999 and 2000, earning Judkins league Coach of the Year honors. Judkins played for one year at Dixie State before serving an LDS mission. He transferred to Utah State and became the first Aggie to post a triple-double. During the 1987-88 season, he helped the Aggies win their conference tournament and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.