Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | DUC | AAU
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OPENING TIP: Dixie State (11-6/8-2 PacWest) concludes its four-game PacWest NorCal road swing this week with a pair of games, beginning with a date at Dominican (3-12/2-6 PacWest) in San Rafael on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (PT), before wrapping up the trip in San Francisco against Academy of Art (7-10/6-5 PacWest) on Saturday at 3:30 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 is 9-4 all-time against Dominican and has won four-straight overall in the series, including a 71-52 triumph over the Penguins in the Burns Arena earlier this month (1/5). The Trailblazers are 4-3 vs. Dominican as the road team and have collected victories in each of their last two visits to the Conlan Center.
    Dixie State enters Saturday's game looking to remain perfect against Academy of Art all-time as the Trailblazers have won all 15 previous meetings between the two teams, including a 74-62 triumph in the Burns Arena last month (12/2), and a 73-48 victory last season in San Francisco (1/5/17).

WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State extended its winning streak to a season-high five games as the Trailblazers opened their final PacWest road trip to the Bay Area with a pair of lopsided victories earlier this week. DSU opened the trip with a 77-56 win at Notre Dame de Namur last Saturday in a game that the Trailblazers led wire-to-wire, thanks to a 10-0 spurt to open the game that preceded a decisive 23-6 run to close the first half.
    DSU then posted a 75-57 palindrome win at Holy Names this past Monday night, thanks in large part to hot shooting and a big second-half run. Dixie State went on a 22-5 run over an eight-minute span to turn a 38-37 lead into a 60-42 advantage with 7:54 to go and the Trailblazers cruised home from there. The Trailblazers shot 56.6 percent from the field, their second-best shooting night of the season, while the DSU defense limited HNU to a 34.4 percent shooting effort.

REGIONAL/NATIONAL RANKINGS: Dixie State is not ranked in either national poll this week, though the Trailblazers did make a return to the regional rankings as DSU is ranked seventh in this week's D2SIDA West Region Top-10 poll. In all, four PacWest schools are ranked in the regional poll, including California Baptist (No. 3-overall), Chaminade (No. 8) and Azusa Pacific (No. 9).
    No PacWest schools are ranked in the top-25 nationally, though CBU (NABC and D2SIDA) and Chaminade (NABC) have each received votes in the respective polls.

COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 516-244 career record) is in his 13th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 232-116 overall record, including a 212-104 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 146-42 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).

516 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.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 108-23 (.824) 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 recorded its 10th-straight home winning season record with its 11-1 mark inside the Burns Arena.
    Despite the loss to Point Loma back on Dec. 30, the Trailblazers are just as dominant in PacWest action, playing to an 83-12 (.873) record at home through 10-plus seasons of conference play.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART II: Dixie State's overtime win over California Baptist (1/8) was played in front of a season-high 4,110 fans inside the Burns Arena, which is the sixth-largest crowd to attend a DSU home game since the program's move to NCAA competition.
    In fact, the CBU game marked the ninth time in DSU's four-year era that 4,000-plus attended a DSU home game and it was the most attended home game since Dixie State played Azusa Pacific in front of 4,278 fans during the 2013-14 season (1/11/14). DSU's all-time home attendance record is 4,602, which was set vs. BYU-Hawaii on Feb. 23, 2013.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART III: 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?: With its two wins to begin the NorCal road swing, Dixie State moved above the .500 mark away from the friendly confines of the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers are a combined 6-5 away from home this season, including a 3-4 road mark to go with a 3-1 record in neutral-site games.
    Dixie State is 105-82 (.561) 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 82-62 record (.569) 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 63-30 (.677) road record in its 10-plus 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 three overtime games through its first 17 outings this season.
    Dixie State dropped a 79-75 2OT decision in the season opener at Cal Poly Pomona (11/10), which was followed by a 99-89 come-from-behind OT victory vs. ENMU (11/17), and the Trailblazers' 68-65 win over CBU (1/8).
    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 28 overtime games (17-11 overall) in 318 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 21-straight games, including a season-high nine treys vs. Point Loma (12/30) and eight more at Western Oregon (11/18).
    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 (2/18/17).
    Prior to the BYU-H game, the last time Dixie State went without hitting a 3-pointer was at home vs. Western Oregon (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 220 of its last 222 games overall, and in 314 of the program's 318 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.

CLIMBING THE RANKS: Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) became just the second player in DSU's NCAA era to reach the 1,200 career-point plateau he scored on an offensive board and put back four minutes into the second half vs. Point Loma (12/30). Hill (1,276 points) now only trails former DSU great Zach Robbins (2009-2015), who stands atop DSU's career scoring list with 1,470 points.
     In all, Hill is ranked in DSU's career top-10 in 13 statistical categories. He is already DSU's career leader in free throws made (407) and attempted (639), and he became just the second player in program history to record 500 career rebounds (515), doing so in the CBU win (1/8). In addition, Hill is currently ranked second all-time in FGM (416) and FGA (925), assists (360), steals (135) and starts (78). 

BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE: Senior guard Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) had himself a career night in the win at Concordia-Irvine (12/18) as he tied a career-high with 24 points, which included a school single-game record 18-of-18 effort at the free throw line.
    Simister's perfect night at the line broke the previous DSU single-game record for free throws made, which was 14 set by current DSU associate head coach Kasey Winters at Hawai'i-Hilo during the 2007-08 season, while he barely missed tying the PacWest FTM record (19). Meanwhile, Simister's 18-straight free throws made in a game broke a DSU and PacWest record (previous PWC was 16-straight).
    Simister, who is DSU's career FT% leader (.871, 292-of-335) is 65-of-70 at the line this season and now has enough FT makes to vault to the top spot on DSU's single-season FT% list at 92.9 percent, which also leads the PacWest and ranks him seventh-nationally.

DUNK YOU VERY MUCH: Dixie State has combined to throw down 30 dunks through 17 games this season, this after finishing with 30 dunks in 28 games last season and 32 total throw-downs in the 2015-16 campaign.
    Seven Trailblazers have "rocked the rim" this year, led by Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) with 14 dunks, including three dunks in the first half at Notre Dame de Namur last Saturday, which marked the second time in his collegiate career that the senior had recorded three dunks in a single half. Hill also threw down three second-half dunks vs. BYU-Hawaii as a freshman in the 2015 PacWest Tournament (3/6/15), and the senior has 42 career dunks to his credit (Jr.-13/So.-8/Fr.-7) overall.

TEAM NOTES:
* - Dixie State broke a school single-game record with a program-low three total turnovers in the loss at California Baptist (12/16) ... the previous program low was four, first set vs. Notre Dame de Namur (1/25/10), and was tied last season at home vs. CBU (2/11/17).
* - Dating back to last season, Dixie State has had 27 of its 44 games decided by nine points or less, including eight of the first 17 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 16 of its last 39 games overall, including the wins at NDNU and HNU to open the current road trip.
* - In fact, DSU's top-three shooting performances this season have come ON THE ROAD, including both games at NDNU and HNU earlier this week, and a 2017-18 season-best 57.8 percent (26-of-45) in the Concordia-Irvine road win (12/18).
* - In all, DSU has shot 50 percent or better five times this season, with neither occasion coming in the Burns Arena.
* - For the season Dixie State is shooting 45.6 percent from the floor, including 35.2 percent (83-of-236) from the perimeter, while opponents are shooting at a .417 clip (.332 3FG) ... DSU's defense held NDNU to 37.0 percent shooting last Saturday, and HNU to a 34.4 percent night from the floor last Monday.
* - DSU shot a season-high 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the foul line at NDNU, which included a 17-of-18 effort (.944) in the second half ... However that performance did not carry over to the next outing as the Trailblazers were just 12-of-21 (.571) at the charity stripe at HNU ... For the year, DSU is shooting 67.6 percent (330-of-488) at the line, which is eighth-best in the PacWest.
* - Dixie State pulled down a school record with 62 rebounds in the loss at Cal Poly Pomona (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 13 of their first 17 games this season ... Dixie State is currently ranked second in the PacWest in rebounding (41.0 rpg) and fourth rebounding margin (+5.7 rpg).  
* - Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) has scored in double figures in 16 of 17 games this season and has five 20-plus point outings to his credit overall, including a 20-point night at CBU (12/16) ... Hill enters this week ranked fourth in the PacWest and 138th-nationally in scoring at 17.1 ppg.
* - Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) has scored in double figures in 14 of his 16 starts, including 20 points vs. Eastern New Mexico (11/17) and a team-high 18 points in the win at NDNU ... Simister just missed his first career double-double as he tallied 14 points and a career-high tying eight assists in the OT home win over CBU (1/8).   
* - Senior G/F Kyler Nielson (Cedar City, Utah/Cedar HS) has averaged 9.0 points over his last eight games, highlighted by a career-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers vs. Point Loma (12/30) and a 10-point outing on 4-of-6 from the floor at Holy Names.
* - Senior forward Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) was inserted into the line up 12 games ago and he has responded by averaging 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds over this current stretch ... Hunter tallied a season-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the comeback win vs. Biola (1/3), and he just missed notching his first double-double of the year against both Dominican (8p/9r) and CBU (11p/9r).  
* - Forward Dub Price (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) "had a day" in the Azusa Pacific win (12/9) 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 enjoyed a "perfect" start to his Bay Area road trip as he combined to go 6-of-6 from the floor at NDNU and HNU ... Price tallied six points on 3-of-3 shooting with five rebounds and two assists vs. the Argos, then followed that up with seven points on 3-of-3 from the floor with four boards and steal vs. the Hawks.
* - Speaking of hot shooting, junior F/C Austin Montgomery (Lilburn, Ga./Lakeview Academy) has averaged 12.5 points on a combined 76.9 percent (10-of-13) shooting off the bench over the past two games ... Montgomery poured in 17 points (one off of his career-high 18 points set vs. Eastern New Mexico - 11/17/17) on 6-of-9 shooting at NDNU, then hit all four of his shots for eight points in 11 minutes at HNU.
* - Over his last three games, Montgomery is averaging 11.7 points on 75.0 percent shooting (15-of-20), including a 10-point night on 5-of-7 from the floor in the OT win over CBU (1/8).
* - Junior forward Julien Ducree (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga HS) continued his solid play off the bench as he averaged 9.5 points and shot 77.8 percent (7-of-9) to begin the NorCal road swing ... Ducree tallied a then-career high nine points (4-of-5 FG) with five boards and two blocks in the win at NDNU, then bettered that with a career-best 10 points (3-of-4 FG, 4-of-5 FT) with two more rebounds and a block at HNU.

ABOUT THE DOMINICAN "PENGUINS": Dominican enters Thursday's game riding a five-game skid and has dropped seven of its last nine overall, which includes the road loss to Dixie State on Jan. 5 (52-71) and an 85-63 home setback vs. Chaminade last Saturday.
    The Penguins are led by a preseason all-PacWest pick in senior guard Jeremiah Gray (6-4, 170), who is second in the PacWest in scoring (20.1 ppg) while averaging 6.3 rpg.
    As a team, Dominican is averaging 65.8 ppg and 33.6 rpg, while its opponents average 77.7 ppg and 37.9 rpg.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF ART "URBAN KNIGHTS": Academy of Art will enter Saturday's game with a 7-10 mark, though the Urban Knights have won six of their last nine overall after losing to the Trailblazers in St. George back on Dec. 2 (62-74).
    The Urban Knights are led by senior guard Kendall Brown (6-4, 195), who has scored in double figures in 16 of AAU's 17 games this season and is averaging 15.6 ppg, while junior center Cameron Niven (6-8, 250) is the Knights' top rebounder at 6.3 rpg to go with a 10.1 ppg average.
    As a team, Academy of Art is averaging 67.9 ppg and 34.5 rpg, while opponents average 70.5 ppg and 36.4 rpg.

UP NEXT: Dixie State returns home to square off with Fresno Pacific inside the Burns Arena on Friday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m.