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Utah Tech University Athletics

Brandon Simister
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
76
Winner Point Loma PLNU-MBB 9-7/5-5 PacWest
72
Dixie State DX-MBB 7-7/4-4 PacWest
Winner
Point Loma PLNU-MBB
9-7/5-5 PacWest
76
Final
72
Dixie State DX-MBB
7-7/4-4 PacWest
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Point Loma PLNU-MBB 29 32 15 76
Dixie State DX-MBB 26 35 11 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | by DSU Athletic Media Relations

Storm Men Bow to Point Loma in OT Monday, 76-72

Simister leads four Storm players in double figures with 20 points

Despite four Storm players scoring in double figures, Dixie State could not overcome a cold-shooting night as the Storm dropped a 76-72 overtime decision to Point Loma in a Pacific West Conference showdown Monday afternoon in the Burns Arena.

Dixie State (7-7/4-4 PacWest) struggled out of blocks as the Storm missed on seven of their first 10 shots, but found themselves only down a single point at 9-8 after consecutive baskets from PLNU forward Zach Burnham just over six minutes into the game.

The Storm then woke up, scoring 10-straight points over the span of two minutes. Sophomore Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) got the run going with a conventional 3-point play, while fellow sophomore Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) chipped in five points off the bench, to stake Dixie State to an 18-9 lead with 11:34 to play until intermission.

However the Sea Lions (9-7/5-5 PacWest) would rally as they hit five 3-pointers as part of a 20-6 run, including four treys from reserve guard Jack Langborg, who hit three-straight at one point during the run, to reclaim the lead at 29-24 with 4:10 to go. Point Loma's defense held DSU to just eight points over the final 11-plus minutes of the frame, though both teams went through a scoring drought over the last four minutes of the stanza, with the lone points coming on a Hill jumper at the 2:50 mark, as the Sea Lions held a 29-26 advantage at the half.

Dixie State's shooting woes continued into the second half as the Storm missed 11 of their first 12 shots to open the frame, while the Sea Lions rattled off a 13-2 spurt to take a commanding 42-28 lead with 12:32 to play.

Simister stopped the bleeding with a big 3-pointer, which was followed by a Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan HS) trey, which sparked a 12-2 run that got the Storm back to within four points at 44-40 after a Sawyer reverse lay-in with 7:29 to go in regulation.

Trailing 53-46 with 3:46 on the clock, Simister hit his third 3-pointer of the game, which was followed by a Josh Fuller (Rexburg, Idaho/Madison HS) lay-up and free throw, to get DSU within a point at 53-52 at the 2:57 mark. PLNU hit a pair of free throws and got a stop on DSU's next possession, but the Storm returned the favor as Mark Ogden Jr. (Spring Valley, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) picked off an entry pass and Fuller again came through with another lay-in to get DSU to within one point at 55-54.

PLNU answered right back with a Mike Planeta 3-pointer with 82 seconds left, but he got whistled for a foul on a Simister trey attempt 14 seconds later. Simister hit all three free throws to again get DSU within a point at 58-57.

Dixie State's defense then came up with a huge stop, forcing Point Loma's fourth shot clock violation of the game, which gave the Storm the ball back with 36.8 remaining. Hill wasted little time as he drove the to the low block and scored to give DSU its first lead of the stanza at 59-58 with 30 seconds to go.

Point Loma again would answer as Tanner Lancona hit a 3-pointer from the right corner to stake the Sea Lions to a 61-59 lead with 14 seconds left. Dixie State then dodged a bullet as the PLNU stole a pass at mid-court, but the Sea Lions were called for a backcourt violation which gave the Storm the ball back with six ticks on the clock.

Dixie State went for the win as Sawyer launched a quick trey attempt from the right wing, but the shot fell short off the rim and into the waiting hands of Hill, who scored off the carom to knot the score at 61-61 with a second left. PLNU's desperation heave at the horn fell short and the game went to overtime.

The overtime period see-sawed back and forth, with Simister and PLNU's Zach Burnham trading lay-ups, before Sawyer would score on a six-footer in the paint to give DSU a 67-65 lead with 2:04 to play. Planeta would strike again with a 3-pointer on PLNU's next possession to give the Sea Lions their first lead of the extra session at 68-67 at the 1:42 mark.

Dixie State tied the score at 68-68 with an Ogden Jr. free throw, but after a Josh Rodriguez basket and two Planeta free throws, sandwiched around a Hill free throw, the Sea Lions found themselves back on top at 72-69 with 18 seconds left.

DSU cut the deficit to one point after a Fuller basket and after two PLNU free throws pushed the lead back to three with six seconds left, the Sea Lions fouled Hill to prevent the Storm from attempting a game-tying three-pointer. Hill hit the first free throw and quick-shot the second attempt, which caromed off the rim right to a leaping Fuller, who just missed the putting home the second-chance attempt. Dixie State was then forced to foul and the Sea Lions hit both ends at the foul line to put the game away.

Simister finished with a PacWest career-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while Hill added 19 points, 11 of which came at the charity stripe in 13 attempts. Fuller added 13 points to with a game-high nine rebounds and Ogden Jr. finished with 10 points.

Dixie State stayed in the game despite hitting on just 33.8 percent (22-of-65) from the floor, which included a 7-of-26 clip (.269) in the first half. DSU also lost the rebounding edge, 42-33, though the Storm did have a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass. The Storm connected on 24-of-33 from the line and the defense forced 22 PLNU turnovers, including four shot-clock violations, which kept DSU in the game.

"Tonight I thought we would have more energy than [Point Loma], they were playing in their third game in six days," DSU Head Coach Jon Judkins said. "We got up by nine, but we had some letdowns. Give Point Loma credit, they made big shots at crucial times and we had big turnovers at crucial times. We got to make foul shots, not just at the end, but in the first half as well.

"The last 15 minutes of the game was real fun to coach them," Judkins added. "We were working hard and we had some real good looks to tie it and win it."

On the flipside, Point Loma shot 48.1 (25-of-52) from the floor with 11 3-pointers in 26 attempts (.423). Planeta led a balanced Sea Lion scoring attack as he finished with 15 points, while Burnham added 14, Lancona and Rodriguez each chipped in 13, and Langborg finished with 12 points off the bench.

Dixie State heads back out on the road for its annual Hawaiian Island excursion this week, beginning the trip on the Big Island to face Hawai'i Hilo this Thursday, Jan. 21. DSU will also play at Chaminade on Saturday, Jan. 23, before closing the trip at BYU-Hawai'i on Tuesday, Jan. 26.


 
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