Dixie State opened the 2018-19 exhibition season with an 88-70 loss at in-state foe Utah Valley Tuesday night at the UCCU Center.

The Trailblazers hung with their Division I counterparts for most of the first half and enjoyed an early 9-8 lead five minutes into play. The Wolverines would quickly erase the deficit with a 15-4 to vault to a 23-13 advantage midway through the frame. Dixie State managed to stay within striking distance and would find itself trailing by just four points at 39-35 at the intermission.

However the second half was all Wolverines as UVU opened the stanza with a 23-6 run to open up a 62-43 lead, then put the game away with a decisive 15-5 spurt to extend to a 81-56 bulge with just under six minutes to play.

Junior guard Jack Pagenkopf led the Trailblazers with 16 points on 3-of-3 shooting with one 3-pointer and a 9-of-13 effort at the foul line, while senior Dub Price tallied 12 points on 4-of-6 from the floor. Dixie State shot 40.4 percent (19-of-47) from the floor, including a 43.8 clip (7-of-16) from the perimeter, and the Trailblazers were outrebounded by a 35-28 count.

Dixie State will officially open the 2018-19 season on Saturday, Nov. 17, with a home date vs. Cal Poly Pomona. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.