(BOX SCORE)

Dixie State opened the home portion of its 2019-20 schedule on a sour note as the Trailblazers dropped an 80-76 exhibition result to Providence (MT) Friday night inside the Burns Arena.

Trailing 75-61 with just under six minutes to play, Dixie State rattled off a 13-0 run to pull to within a point at 75-74 after a Hunter Schofield lay-in and free throw with 1:16 remaining. However DSU could muster just one more Schofield bucket, while the Argonauts got a clutch Brandon Cotton lay-up that beat the shot clock horn and hit three of their four foul shots in the closing moments to salt away the victory.

Jack Pagenkopf led the Blazers with 19 points, 11 of which came in the second half, to go with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Meanwhile Schofield posted a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and Dason Youngblood dished out a game-high nine assists with four points and five boards.

Dixie State connected on 28-of-70 (.400) from the floor, which included a 9-of-31 (.290) clip from beyond the arc, and shot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) at the foul line. DSU also outrebounded the Argos by a 45-37 count, 15-8 on the offensive glass.

Zaccheus Darko-Kelly led four Argonauts in double figures with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting with four 3-pointers, and Cotton finished with 19 points and six assists. UP shot 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from the field with 11 treys (11-of-30, .367).

The Trailblazers will quickly turnaround to face Saint Martin's on the Burns Arena floor Saturday night at 8 p.m.