Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | CBU | CUI
Audio/Video: ESPN Sports Radio 97.7 | at CBU | at CUI
Live Stats: at CBU | at CUI
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #BlazeForward | #PacWestMBB

OPENING TIP: Dixie State (5-4/2-0 PacWest) begins the road portion of its 2017-18 PacWest slate with a pair of game in southern California this weekend. The Trailblazers open the trip on Saturday, Dec. 16, with a date at preseason conference favorite California Baptist (7-2/1-1 PacWest) at 7 p.m. (PT) in Riverside. DSU will head over to Irvine for a league match-up against Concordia-Irvine (9-3/3-1) on Monday night, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. (PT).  

DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: All Dixie State home and away games will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM, with DSU Assistant Media Relations Coordinator Keric Seegmiller calling the play-by-play action, along with Devin Dixon providing color analysis for all home games. In addition, live streaming video of all DSU home games can be found on DSU Athletics' official YouTube channel at youtube.com/DixieStateAthletics.

THE SERIES: Dixie State holds an 8-5 series lead vs. California Baptist, though the two sides have split the last 10 meetings overall after DSU had won the first four games between the two programs. Last season the Trailblazers and Lancers traded road wins, with DSU claiming a 75-71 triumph at then-No. 3 CBU in Riverside (12/8/16), while CBU (ranked No. 8 at the time) returned the favor later in the season with a 70-59 victory in the Burns Arena (2/11/17).
    DSU owns a 4-0 edge in its brief series vs. Concordia-Irvine, with three of the four Trailblazer wins coming in overtime, including an 82-76 OT home win (12/3/16) last season in the Burns Arena. Dixie State is 2-0 all-time vs. the Eagles in the CU Arena, which includes a 67-64 road triumph in the last meeting between the two sides this past January (1/16/17).

WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State pushed its winning streak to a season-high three games after the Trailblazers posted an 88-73 home win over Azusa Pacific last Saturday in the Burns Arena. Senior guard Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) led four Trailblazers in double figures with 19 points and finished with a season-high seven assists as DSU moved to 2-0 in PacWest play.

REGIONAL/NATIONAL RANKINGS: Dixie State is not ranked in either national poll, though the Trailblazers are listed among those receiving votes in this week's
D2SIDA West Region Top-10 poll. Three PacWest schools are ranked in the regional poll, including Concordia-Irvine (No. 4-overall), California Baptist (No. 6) and Chaminade (T-No. 8).
    No PacWest schools are ranked in the top-25 nationally, though CBU (NABC and D2SIDA) and CUI (D2SIDA) both received votes this week.

COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 510-242 career record) is in his 13th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 226-114 overall record, including a 206-102 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 140-40 record in PacWest play.
    Last season, Judkins led Dixie State to a 19-9 overall record, which included a 16-4 (3rd place) mark in Pacific West Conference play, and an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. In 2015-16, Judkins led Dixie State to an 18-9 overall record and a 15-5 PacWest mark, which was good for a t-first place finish in the league standings.
    Overall, Judkins has led the Trailblazers to nine-straight winning seasons with six 20-win campaigns, which includes a school-record 22 victories in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons. He has also guided them to five Pacific West Conference championships, including four-straight titles from 2009-13 and another crown in 2014-15, along with a PacWest Tournament title in 2013. In addition, Judkins has led Dixie State to seven trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last eight seasons overall from 2010-17, advancing all the way to the "Sweet 16" in the 2011 West Regional final.
    Prior to his arrival at Dixie State, Judkins served as head coach at Snow College for 12 full seasons and posted a 284-128 overall record. He led the Badgers to a pair of Scenic West Athletic Conference titles in 1999 and 2000, which earned him SWAC Coach of the Year honors. Judkins played for one season at Dixie State before transferring to Utah State, where he became the first (and only) Aggie to post a triple-double. During the 1987-88 season, he helped lead the Aggies to the PCAA title and an NCAA Tournament bid.
    Judkins is joined on the bench this season by former DSU player and fifth-year assistant coach Kasey Winters (Dixie State, 2008), along with former DSU standout guard Jeremiah Barnes (Dixie State, 2011), who is in his first season on the DSU sideline, and first-year volunteer assistant coach David Foster (Utah, 2013).

510 AND COUNTING: Head Coach Jon Judkins became the first men's basketball coach in Utah collegiate basketball history to reach the 500-win plateau when Dixie State defeated Hawai'i Hilo (81-72) back on January 28, 2017.
    Coach Judkins is currently ranked second all-time in coaching victories in Utah college basketball history behind legendary University of Utah head women's coach Elaine Elliott, who amassed 582 career wins (582-234) in 27 seasons on the Utes' sideline.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SECOND IN THE PACWEST: Dixie State was picked to finish second in the 2017-18 Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll released on Oct. 26. California Baptist received 10 of a possible 14 first place votes and 178 total points to be tabbed as the PacWest preseason favorite.
    DSU, which is in its last season of PacWest play before the program moves on to the RMAC next season, collected two first place votes and 169 points to claim the second spot, while Point Loma picked up the final two first place votes and 161 points to take the third slot in the poll. Concordia-Irvine (154 points) was voted to finish fourth, followed by Azusa Pacific (142) in fifth, Chaminade (132) in sixth, and defending PacWest champion Hawai'i Pacific (121) rounded out the top-half of the poll in seventh.
    For the second-consecutive season, Dixie State senior guard Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) was named to the PacWest Preseason all-Conference team, while CBU senior center Kalidou Diouf was named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START...PACWEST EDITION: Dixie State's 12-point win over Academy of Art (12/2) to kick off its final season of PacWest play moved the Trailblazers to 8-3 overall in conference-opening games. DSU has now won five of its last six league openers overall, with two of those wins coming on the road.
    In PacWest home openers only, DSU improved to 9-2 all-time after the AAU win, which includes a rare home league loss in the 2015-16 league opener vs. Azusa Pacific (65-72; 12/19/15), which snapped DSU's modest three-game league home-opening winning streak. Prior to the APU loss, the last time the Trailblazers dropped a conference home opener was during the 2010-11 season, when former PacWest member Grand Canyon handed DSU a 71-68 setback (1/8/11).
    In PacWest road openers the Trailblazers are 7-3 overall, having won three of their last five league road debuts.

HOME SWEET HOME: Dixie State's home-opening win vs. AAU was the Trailblazers' sixth-straight overall and moved the Trailblazers to 9-3 all-time in its previous 12 Burns Arena debuts as a four-year program.
    Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 105-22 (.827) overall record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, and has posted seven 10-plus win seasons over that span, including a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and 11-1 records in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns. Last season, Dixie State posted its 10th-straight home winning season record with its 11-1 mark inside the Burns Arena.
    In addition, the Trailblazers are just as dominant in PacWest action, playing to an 80-11 (.879) record at home through 10-plus seasons of conference play.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: For the seventh-straight year, Dixie State finished ranked in the top-six nationally at the NCAA Division II level in attendance for the 2016-17 season.
    The Trailblazers finished with the fourth-highest total attendance number in the country at 31,925 fans for their 12 home dates, which was also tops in the Pacific West Conference and the West Region. In addition, DSU finished third-nationally in season attendance average at 2,660 fans per game, which was up from 2,190 per game over 12 home dates a season ago (26,284 total attendance).
    Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State has been annually ranked in the top-15 in Division II in attendance, including second-overall in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and third in the country in 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. DSU was also ranked fifth-overall in 2014-15, sixth in 2015-16, ninth in 2009-10, and 14th in 2008-09.
    Dixie State also finished sixth among Utah's eight NCAA member institutions
in average attendance in 2016-17, behind Brigham Young (260,569/14,476 per game), Utah (216,914/12,051), Utah State (103,082/6.872), Weber State (89,298/6,869) and Utah Valley (38,218/2,940). DSU did finish well ahead of Southern Utah (23,999/1,846) and Westminster College (4,654/423).

HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is 102-81 (.557) away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including an 8-8 record last season (8-5 road/0-3 neutral), and a 9-6 mark in 2015-16. Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 79-61 record (.564) in true road games, and a 23-20 mark (.535) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
    DSU has won eight or more games away from home in eight-straight seasons, and in nine of its 11 D-II campaigns overall, including a program-best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.
    Dixie State also owns a 60-29 (.674) road record in its 10 seasons of PacWest league membership (7-3 last season). Overall, the Trailblazers have posted a winning conference road mark in eight-straight seasons and have reached the seven-win plateau in six of their last seven league campaigns overall.

FREE BASKETBALL: After playing in a school-record five overtime games last season, the Trailblazers have begun the 2017-18 campaign with two overtime games through its first nine outings overall.
    Dixie State dropped a 79-75 2OT decision in the season opener at Cal Poly Pomona (11/10), then followed that up with a 99-89 come-from-behind OT victory vs. ENMU (11/17).
    DSU went 3-2 in overtime games last season, 2-1 in PacWest play, including a 104-103 loss at APU (12/10/16), and the Trailblazers' 82-76 overtime home win over Concordia-Irvine (12/3/16).
    DSU also split a pair of overtime games at the Seattle Pacific tournament (11/18-19), which marked just the second time in the program's NCAA Division II era that the Trailblazers needed overtime in consecutive games to decide the outcome, though it was the first time in 10-plus seasons that DSU played two overtime games on back-to-back nights.
    In the 2010-11 season, DSU played consecutive overtime games, both of which were double-overtime affairs, at BYU-Hawaii (W, 99-96 - 2/26/11) and at Hawai'i Pacific (L, 88-93 - 2/28/11), however there was a day off between those contests.
    Dixie State's five overtime games last year eclipsed the previous program-high of four set twice, the first time in the 2013-14 season, and tied in the 2015-16 campaign.
    In all, Dixie State has played in just 27 overtime games (16-11 overall) in 306 total contests in the program's NCAA Division II era. Four of those 26 games have gone to double-overtime (2-2), including the two Hawaiian results in 2010-11, and an 81-80 2OT victory at Concordia-Irvine in the 2015-16 season (1/9/16).

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Dating back to late last season, Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 13-straight games, including a season-high eight treys at Western Oregon (11/18) and seven more vs. Dickinson State (11/25).
    Last season, the Trailblazers saw their streak of hitting at least one 3-pointer halted at 76 games after an 0-of-7 night from beyond the arc in a win at BYU-Hawaii (2/18).
    Prior to the BYU-H game, the last time Dixie State went without hitting a 3-pointer was at home vs. WOU (11/25/14) in the second game of the 2014-15 season, which snapped a program-best 127-game streak that encompassed four full seasons and the final 13 games of the 2009-10 campaign. The other two times DSU failed to connect from the perimeter happened on the road at Academy of Art (1/16/10), and at Notre Dame de Namur (2/2/08) during the program's first year of PacWest play.
    In all, Dixie State has hit at least one three pointer in 212 of its last 214 games overall, and in 306 of the program's 310 games NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 12 times, the last being a 10-trifecta night at Chaminade (1/23/16), and a school-record 13 3-pointers at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008.

30 FOR 30: Senior guard Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) became the first Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to posted consecutive 30-point games, doing so in both starts at the Western Oregon-hosted D2 Shootout Nov. 17-18.   
    Hill poured in a career-high and DSU single-game record 35 points, 23 of which came after halftime, in the Trailblazers 99-89 come-from-behind overtime victory vs. Eastern New Mexico (11/17). He then followed that up the next day with 30 points in the road loss at WOU (11/18). Hill's efforts also earned him PacWest Player of the Week honors (11/20).
    In addition, Hill is just the second player in the program's four-year history to record multiple 30-point outings in a single season, joining former DSU player and assistant coach Ryan Sanchez, who achieved the feat twice during in the 2007-08 season. Sanchez scored 32 points on two separate occasions that season, the first came in a 107-83 home win over Colorado-Colorado Springs (12/1/07), and again in a 74-72 triumph at Notre Dame de Namur (2/1/08).
    In all, five DSU players have reached or surpassed the 30-point plateau in the program's 11-plus years of NCAA play, the last being former DSU forward Josh Fuller, who tallied 30 points in a 78-73 home win over WOU last season (11/26/16). Former DSU guard Donovan Plunkett also scored 30 points in a game at Grand Canyon (1/30/10), and former DSU forward Steven Larson held the previous DSU single-game record with 33 points in a 66-61 road win at Notre Dame de Namur on Feb. 16, 2013. Additionally, Dixie State is 5-2 all-time in games when a DSU player scores 30 or more points.

TEAM NOTES:
* - Dating back to last season, Dixie State has had 23 of its 36 games decided by nine points or less, including four of the first nine games this year, and the first 12 games of the 2016-17 campaign.
* - Also dating back to last season, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 13 of its last 31 games overall, including a 2017-18 season-best 51.5 percent (35-of-68) in the Eastern New Mexico win (11/17).  
* - For the season Dixie State is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor, including 36.6 percent (52-of-142) from the perimeter, while opponents are shooting at a .427 clip (.335 3FG).
* - While DSU's field goal shooting has been solid, the free throw shooting has been "up and down" (197-of-285; .691) ... Dixie State opened the year just 56.6 percent (43-of-76) from the line over its first three games, but has improved 17 points over its last six outings (.737), including a season-best 83.3 percent (30-of-36) effort in the Dickinson State win (11/25).
* - Dixie State shot a season-high 43 free throws in the APU victory last Saturday as the Cougars went to the "Hack-a-Blazer" strategy in the second half ... However that strategy backfired as DSU hit on nearly 80 percent of those attempts (34-of-43) en route to the 15-point win.  
* - DSU attempted a combined 80 free throws over its brief two-game homestand, including 37 FTAs vs. AAU (24-of-37; .649).
* - Dixie State pulled down a school record with 62 rebounds in the loss at CPP (11/10), which bested the previous school record of 61 set last season vs. BYU-Hawaii (2/2/17).
* - The Trailblazers have won the "Battle of the Boards" in seven of their first nine games this season ... Dixie State is currently ranked third in the PacWest in rebounding at 42.6 rpg.  
* - Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS)'s (1,162 pts) career weekend at WOU vaulted him from sixth to third on DSU's career-scoring list and he enters this Saturday's game vs. APU needing just 24 more points to pass former DSU great DeQuan Thompson (1,185; 2011-15) for second all-time in scoring.
* - Hill has scored in double figures in all nine games this season, including 15 points vs. APU last Saturday, and has four 20-plus point outings to his credit overall ... Hill enters this week ranked third in the PacWest and 75th-nationally in scoring at 19.7 ppg.
* - Hill (316) also moved into second place in program history in career assists during the CPP game (11/10) and now only trails former DSU guard Kimball Payne (395) by 82 dimes on the career list.
* - In all, Hill is ranked in DSU's career top-10 in 13 stat categories and is already DSU's career leader in free throws made (373) and attempted (583) ... Hill moved into second place on DSU's career rebounding list (475) in the APU win and he is now third all-time in FGM (376).
* - Senior guard Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) returned to the starting line-up vs. APU last Saturday and picked up right where he left off as he poured in a team-high 19 points and dished out a season-best seven assists ... Simister saw his streak of 53-straight games played halted after he missed the Academy of Art (12/2) game due to minor injury, which snapped his streak of 35-consecutive starts.
* - Simister has scored in double figures in seven of his eight starts, including a season-high 20 points vs. ENMU (11/17) and 15 points vs. Seattle Pacific (11/24).
* - Junior forward Austin Montgomery (Lilburn, Ga./Lakeview Academy) had a career night vs. ENMU (11/17) as he posted his first collegiate double-double with career-highs of 18 points and 13 boards ... Montgomery was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and 2-of-2 at the foul line, while he tied a career-high with two blocked shots vs. the Greyhounds.
* - Montgomery has scored in double figures in three of his nine appearances off the bench, including a 13-point effort at Cal State LA (11/13) and 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting vs. Academy of Art (12/2).
* - Senior forward Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) has started in the last four games and has responded by averaging 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds ... Hunter scored 12 points, thanks in part to going 8-of-9 at the line, with seven boards in the Dickinson State win (11/25) ... He followed that up with 11 points and a season-high eight rebounds vs. Academy of Art (12/2), and seven points and eight more boards vs. APU.
* - Forward Dub Price (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) "had a day" in the APU win as the junior poured in a career-high 13 points - all in the first half - to spark a big Trailblazer run to close the frame ... Price scored nine of his 13 points as part of a 21-6 rally that put DSU up 41-31 at the halftime break ... Price has averaged 8.2 points over the past four games to bump his season average to 5.0 ppg.
* - Price (3.8 rpg) is also averaging 5.2 rebounds a game over his last six outings, including a season-high 10 boards vs. SPU (11/24) and six more caroms vs. APU.
* - Junior guard Wade Miller (Tremonton, Utah/Bear River HS) enjoyed a break-out game in the win over Dickinson State (11/25), during which the junior sharpshooter nailed a career-best three 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 11 points in 12 reserve minutes ... Miller also pulled down a career-high five rebounds against the "other" DSU.
* - Senior guard Daylor Youngblood (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS) got the start at point guard in the Academy of Art win (12/2) and responded with four points on 2-of-3 shooting with four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 25 minutes.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BAPTIST "LANCERS": California Baptist enters Saturday's game having lost two of its last three after starting the season 6-0, though the Lancers are coming off a 65-59 home win over Point Loma last Saturday.
    The Lancers boast four players scoring in double figures, led by PacWest Preseason Player of the Year in senior center Kalidou Diouf, who leads the team in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg).
    As a team, CBU is averaging 84.0 ppg and 43.9 rpg, while its opponents average 71.8 ppg and 33.0 rpg.

ABOUT THE CONCORDIA-IRVINE "EAGLES": Concordia-Irvine will end a nine-day break from game action when DSU comes to town on Monday. The Eagles have won six of their last seven, including a 3-1 start to PacWest play.
    Senior guard JT Roach leads three Eagle players averaging double figures at 16.7 ppg. As a team, CUI is averaging 78.0 ppg and 28.5 rpg, while its opponents average 75.2. ppg and 34.5 rpg.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will enjoy a 12-day layoff during the Christmas Holiday break before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 30, when the Trailblazers open a four-game PacWest homestand with a match-up vs. Point Loma in the Burns Arena starting at 3:30 p.m.