Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | DU
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OPENING TIP: Dixie State (2-0/0-0 WAC) hits the road for the first time as a Division I program this Saturday afternoon, Dec. 12, as the Trailblazers begin a three-game road swing in the "Mile High City" with an afternoon matinee at the University of Denver (1-2). Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m., inside the Magness Arena (7,200) on the DU campus.

DIXIE STATE VS. DENVER: Saturday's game vs. Denver will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Pioneers on the basketball court.

DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: All Dixie State Division I home and away games this season will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM, with Devin Dixon calling the play-by-play action and former DSU assistant coach Mike Olson providing color commentary.
    Along with the radio coverage, all DSU home games are simulcast on KCEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22), with tape-delay rebroadcasts throughout the following week, and live online on the WAC Digital Network. The WDN is also available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku TV, while the WDN app is available for iOS in the Apple Store and Android on Google Play.

HI, MY NAME IS ....: After 14 years as a competing member of the NCAA at the Division II level, Dixie State embarks on its first season transitioning to Division I status as one of two new members (along with Tarleton State) of the Western Athletic Conference.  
    During their 14-year Division II era, the Trailblazers played to a 266-122 (.685) overall record. Dixie State won seven conference regular season championships (6 PacWest, 1 RMAC) and two postseason conference tournament crowns (PacWest 2013/2018).
    In addition, DSU made nine NCAA D-II Basketball Tournament appearances in 11 seasons since 2010, including seven-straight appearances from 2010-16, and advanced all the way to the West Regional final (Sweet 16) in 2011. Dixie State earned its final NCAA Tournament berth last season, but that appearance was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State remained perfect in its Division I debut season after an 86-48 rout of Saint Katherine last Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Arena. DSU's 38-point margin of victory was the fifth-largest in the program's NCAA era.
    The Trailblazers led wire-to-wire, thanks in large part to hitting on 12 of their first 16 shots to race out to a 26-12 lead nearly nine minutes in. Leading 40-28 at the half, Dixie State quickly put the game out of reach with a decisive 21-6 run, which turned a 12-point halftime bulge into a 61-34 advantage with 12:57 remaining. DSU would push its lead to as many as 40 points late before settling for the 38-point win.

NICOLDS SHOOTS HIS WAY TO DSU'S FIRST WAC HONOR: Junior forward Jacob Nicolds was named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts in the Trailblazers' season opening two-game home sweep last week. The award is DSU's first as a member of the WAC.
    Nicolds averaged 15.5 points on 68.8 percent shooting, along with 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists to help lead the Trailblazers to a 2-0 start to their NCAA Division I era.
    The junior tied a career high with 17 points, including 13 second-half points, and a then-career high eight rebounds in DSU's 74-73 come-from-behind home win over North Dakota (12/2). Nicolds connected on 5-of-8 from the floor and went 7-of-9 at the foul line.
    Nicolds followed that up with a team-high 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds in the Blazers' 86-48 rout of Saint Katherine this past Saturday. He went 6-of-8 from the floor with a 3-pointer, and tallied two assists and two steals in 18 minutes of play.

TRAILBLAZERS AGAINST NCAA D-I OPPONENTS: DSU's season-opening victory over North Dakota (12/3) was Dixie State's first regular season victory over an NCAA Division I opponent. It was also the 11th time overall in the program's NCAA era that the Trailblazers had squared off against a D-I opponent, and was the FIRST such instance inside the Burns Arena.
    Eight of the previous nine occasions had come in exhibition contests, including a thrilling 71-70 exhibition triumph at UNLV on Nov. 1, 2013. That victory came a year after DSU almost upset the Rebels in an 81-80 overtime result (11/7/12) in Las Vegas.
    Prior to last Wednesday's tilt vs. UND, the only other regular season contest DSU had played against a D-I opponent came at in-state foe Utah in an 83-64 loss in Salt Lake City (1/9/08) during the 2007-08 season.

571 AND COUNTING: Head Coach Jon Judkins became the first men's 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 (571 career wins; .686 W%) is currently second all-time in coaching victories in Utah college basketball history, trailing only legendary University of Utah head women's coach Elaine Elliott, who amassed 582 career wins (582-234) in her 27 seasons on the Utes' sideline.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH/EIGHTH IN THE WAC: Dixie State was picked to finish seventh by the media and eighth by the coaches in its Western Athletic Conference debut season as the 2020-21 WAC men's basketball preseason polls were released on Oct. 27.
    Three-time defending WAC champion New Mexico State was tabbed as overwhelming favorite to win its fourth-straight conference crown. The Aggies claimed eight of nine first place votes to finish with 64 points in the coaches poll, and collected 10 more first place nods and 150 points in the media poll.
    In fact, the top five spots matched in both polls as Grand Canyon (1 FPV – 52 pts coaches/125 pts media) was voted second overall, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley (45 pts coaches/114 pts media) in third, California Baptist (43 pts coaches/2 FPV – 105 pts media) in fourth, and Seattle U (33 pts coaches/84 pts media) in fifth.
    WAC newcomer Tarleton State (31 pts) wound up sixth in the coaches poll, while Utah Valley (28 pts) was listed in seventh, DSU (20 pts) in eighth and Chicago State (8 pts) in ninth. Rounding out the media poll, UVU finished sixth (74 pts), followed by the Trailblazers (49 pts) in seventh, Tarleton State (46 pts) in eighth, and CSU (18 pts) in ninth.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 137-29 (.825) overall record in the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a quick 2-0 start this year, and a 12-2 mark last season. In fact, DSU has recorded 13-straight home winning season records in 14 years of NCAA competition overall.
    DSU has posted eight 10-plus win seasons during its four-year era, highlighted by a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and 11-1 records in consecutive seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: Dixie State finished the 2019-20 season ranked second-nationally at the NCAA Division II level in home game attendance. This past season's accomplishment also marked the 11th-straight season overall that the Trailblazer program has closed a season ranked in the top-10 in the nation in home attendance.
    DSU posted the second-highest totals in both average attendance (2,432) and in total attendance (34,043) in 14 total home dates last season, which included a season-high 3,493 fans that saw the Trailblazers defeat Western Colorado back on Jan. 25, 2020.  
    Dixie State also finished sixth among Utah's eight NCAA member institutions in average attendance in 2019-20, behind BYU (189,392/12,626 per game – 15 games), Utah (147,852/10,561 – 14 games), Utah State (138,737/8,671 – 16 games), Weber State (61,610/4,401 – 14 games) and Utah Valley (31,889/2,453 – 13 games). However, DSU did finish well ahead of both Southern Utah (32,651/2,332 – 14 games) and Westminster College (3,389/226 – 15 games).
    Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State was annually ranked in the top-15 in Division II in home attendance, including second-overall in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and third in the country in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2018-19 campaigns. DSU was also ranked fourth-overall in 2016-17, fifth in 2014-15, sixth in 2015-16, ninth in 2009-10 and 2017-18, and 14th in 2008-09.

HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is 131-93 (.585) in 224 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, including a combined 11-5 record last season (7-5 road; 4-0 neutral). Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 103-72 record (.588) in true road games, and a 28-21 mark (.571) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
    DSU has won eight or more games away from home in 11 of its previous 14 NCAA campaigns overall, including a program best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.

RELEASE...ROTATION...SPLASH: Dating back to late in the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 91-straight games, which included 12 made treys (12-of 29) in the win vs. Saint Katherine last Saturday. That effort helped offset a paltry 1-of-10 night in the win vs. North Dakota (12/2) three nights earlier.
    Last season, DSU reached double figures 3FG made twice, highlighted by a season-high 12 3-pointers at Westminster, (2/28/20) and 11 trifectas in the come-from behind win at New Mexico Highlands (12/13/19).
    Nearly two seasons ago, DSU nailed a school record-tying 13 treys at Colorado Mesa (1/25/19), which was followed by 10 more 3-pointers the next night at Western Colorado (1/26/19). That feat marked the first time in the program's NCAA era that Dixie State had made 10 or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games.
    In all, Dixie State has hit at least one three pointer in 292 of its last 294 games overall, and in 387 of the program's 390 NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 20 times in its four-year era overall, highlighted by a single-game 3FGM school record of 13 first set at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN...CLANG: While Dixie State was knocking down 12 3-pointers vs. SKU, the Trailblazer defense was making a little history on the defensive side of things.
    For the FIRST TIME in the program's NCAA era (390 games), DSU held a team without a 3-point make as the Firebirds misfired on all 18 of their shots from beyond the arc.
    Prior to last Saturday, the previous 3FGM opponent low was one, which was recorded in consecutive games all the way back in the 2012-13 season at Notre Dame de Namur (1-of-9; 2/16/13) and at home vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-of-10; 2/23/13).

AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: With its 2-0 start to the 2020-21 season, Dixie State has improved to 79-68 (.537) all-time against non-conference opponents in 14-plus seasons of four-year competition, which included a 6-2 mark last season, and an 11-14 record in the program's first year of NCAA play (2006-07). Additionally, DSU owns a combined 7-14 postseason record (4-4 PacWest, 1-2 RMAC, 2-8 NCAA).
    DSU has recorded seven winning seasons in non-conference games in its four-year era, including a program-best nine wins in 2010-11 (9-4), eight wins in 2008-09 (8-7), and seven victories in 2012-13 (7-4).

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START....: Dixie State collected its second-straight season opening victory when the Trailblazers knocked off North Dakota (12/2).
    DSU moved to 8-7 all-time in season-opening games during the program's NCAA era, and has won six of their last nine, and eight of its previous 13 openers overall.
    In addition, Dixie State is 11-4 all-time in 15 Burns Arena debuts as a four-year program and has now won eight of its last nine home openers. 

A DECADE OF DOMINANCE: Dixie State closed out the 2010-19 decade as one of the most dominant programs in the NCAA Division II ranks. DSU posted a 208-74 (.737) overall record and captured six Pacific West Conference championships (and two PacWest tournament crowns) over that 10-year span. In addition, the program earned eight NCAA Tournament bids, including seven-straight NCAA postseason appearances from 2010-16.
    Dixie State notched six 20-win seasons in the decade, including a NCAA-era record 23 victories in the 2017-18 season.
    DSU also began the decade with a seven-game winning streak and won 10 of its first 11 games overall to finish that year 15-3 (20-6 overall), while the Trailblazers closed the decade, coincidentally, by winning 10 of its final 11 games over the first two months of the 2019-20 season. 

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - Sophomore forward Frank Staine has developed a knack for announcing his presence with authority in season openers ... Staine has scored in double figures (18.0 ppg) in each of his two season openers, beginning with a 17-point effort in his first collegiate game and start last season in a win vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (71-66; 11/8/19) in Salt Lake City.
* - Staine bettered that effort in the North Dakota win (12/2) by pouring in a game-high 19 points (14 pts in the second half) on 6-of-12 shooting to go with a team-high five assists, two rebounds, a career-high two blocks and a steal ... Staine's 19 points was one off his career high of 20 set nearly 11 months to the day in a home win last season vs. UCCS (1/3/20).
* - Along with his career-high 17 points vs. North Dakota (12/2), junior forward Jacob Nicolds posted career highs in rebounds (8), FGM (5), FGA (8) and minutes played (30) vs. UND ... Nicolds also scored 17 points last season in a road win at Western Colorado (2/7/20).  
* - Senior forward Hunter Schofield scored his 500th point in a Trailblazer uniform on an offensive put back with 1:17 left in the UND win (12/2) ... Schofield also tallied nine points (4-of-8 shooting) with five boards, one assist and one steal vs. SKU last Saturday.
* -  Schofield is currently ranked third in DSU's NCAA era in scoring average (15.9 ppg) and sixth in career rebounding average (5.9 rpg).
* - Senior guard Dason Youngblood did something in the North Dakota win (12/2) that he had not done in his previous 57 games in a Trailblazer uniform - he fouled out of a game ... Youngblood battled foul trouble all night, but he did wind up with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and three rebounds before drawing his fifth foul in the second half.
* - Fast forward to Saturday's win vs. SKU, where Youngblood blocked a career-high three shots to go with seven points, four assists and two rebounds, all while NOT committing a personal foul.  
* - Senior forward Jarod Greene continued to display his hot shooting touch as he poured in 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and pulled down a career-high nine rebounds vs. SKU on Saturday ... Greene (9-of-11 FG) opened the season by hitting all four shots he took (3-3 FG/1-1 FT) for seven points to go with five boards in his start vs. UND (12/2) ... last season Greene was second on the team (behind Nicolds - .671) in FG% at 64.3 percent.
* - Junior guard Cameron Gooden has started at the point in both games to open the season and has averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 assists ... he finished with nine points, four assists vs. North Dakota (12/2), and followed that up with seven points and five dimes vs. SKU last Saturday.
* - DSU's bench has outscored its two opponent reserves by a 54-29 margin (27.0-14.5 ppg) through its first two games, including a 40-19 clip vs. Saint Katherine last Saturday, continuing a trend from last season when DSU reserves outscored its opponents' reserves in 22 of 30 games played (748-571/24.9 ppg-19.0 ppg).
* - The Trailblazer reserves accounted for seven of DSU's 12 3FGM in the SKU win, including two treys apiece for junior guard Brock Gilbert (2-for-2) and freshman guard Emad Elniel (2-of-3) ... freshman guard Andre Mulibea also knocked down his first collegiate 3-pointer, and senior guard Jamar Ergas nailed a 3-pointer for his first DSU field goal make.
* - Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 60 of its last 115 games decided by nine points or less, including the season-opening win vs. North Dakota (12/2), and in 14 of 30 games last season (9-5).
* - DSU's 38-point margin of victory vs. Saint Katherine last Saturday was the fifth-largest in the program's NCAA era.
* - Since the 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 43 of its last 110 games overall.
* - DSU shot a season-high 47.8 percent vs. SKU last Saturday ... The Blazers also shot 45.8 percent vs. North Dakota (12/2), which included a 53.0 percent clip on its 2-point field goal attempts (26-of-49), which offset an uncharacteristic 1-of-10 (.100) effort from beyond the arc.
* - Dixie State dished out a season-high 22 assists on its 34 made field goals last Saturday vs. SKU, including dimes on 10 of the Blazers' first 12 made shots ... last season DSU recorded 20+ assists 11 times, highlighted by a season-high 27 helpers (#4 all-time in DSU's NCAA era) at Fort Lewis (1/31/20).
* - After getting outrebounded by a slim 38-37 margin by North Dakota (12/2), DSU outrebounded SKU by a 51-34 (+17) count vs. SKU ...
* - The Blazers won the "Battle of the Boards" in 25 of 30 games last year, and has outrebounded an opponent in 69 of its last 86 games dating back to the 2017-18 campaign.
* - DSU is 20-13 all-time in overtime games ... four of those 33 games have gone to double-overtime (2-2), the last was a 79-75 loss at Cal Poly Pomona (11/10/17) in the 2017-18 season opener.

ABOUT THE DENVER "PIONEERS": Denver enters Saturday's game with a 1-2 overall record on the young season. The Pioneers opened their campaign with an 82-66 home win over Regis (11/28), but dropped their next two at home vs. UC Riverside (63-83; Dec. 6) and at Wyoming (61-83) last Wednesday night in Laramie.
     Junior guard Jase Townsend (6-3) leads three Pioneers averaging double figures at 16.7 ppg on 41.5 percent shooting, while he is a perfect 13-of-13 at the foul line. Sophomore forward Robert Jones (6-10) averages 11.3 points (.500 FG%) and 4.7 rebounds in three starts, and senior forward Frank Ryder (6-10) is shooting a team-best 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the floor and averages 11.0 ppg off the bench.
    As a team, Denver averages 68.7 ppg on 45.4 percent shooting through three outings while allowing 77.3 ppg.

UP NEXT: Dixie State continues its road swing this Tuesday night, Dec. 15, when the Trailblazers are scheduled to head to Logan for their first-ever meeting against in-state foe Utah State. Tip-off inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is slated for 7 p.m.