Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | ASU | FLC
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OPENING TIP: No. 15 Dixie State (19-4/14-3 RMAC) closes out its 2019-20 regular season home schedule this weekend with a pair of President's Day weekend games inside the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers begin the weekend with a Friday night match-up vs. Adams State (7-16/5-12 RMAC), followed by a "Senior Night" showdown vs. Fort Lewis (13-10/7-10 RMAC).
    Both games are slated to tip off inside the Burns Arena at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's game will also serve as the final regular season home games for senior guards Jack Pagenkopf and Andre Wilson, and senior forward Cameron Chatwin.

DIXIE STATE AGAINST THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Dixie State enters Friday night's game vs. Adams State looking to avenge an 85-72 road loss to the Grizzlies earlier this month in Alamosa. Prior to that game, the Blazers (4-1 all-time vs. ASU) had won the first four games played in the series (two wins in RMAC play), which included a dramatic 71-70 triumph over the Grizzlies in the last meeting inside the Burns Arena (2/2/19).
    Dixie State is 3-5 all-time against Fort Lewis, however all three Trailblazer wins in the series have come in RMAC play, including a 90-72 triumph in Durango this past Jan. 31. DSU also swept both RMAC games. vs the Skyhawks last season (at DSU 63-53; 2/1/19, at FLC 63-50; 2/16/19).

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State closed out a successful 3-1 RMAC road swing with an impressive two-game sweep last weekend at Western Colorado and Colorado Mesa. The Trailblazers opened the weekend with a 90-82 triumph at Western last Friday, which was followed the next night by a hard-fought 67-62 victory at CMU, which clinched a season-series sweep of both opponents.

THINGS TIGHTENING UP IN RMAC RACE: With five games to go in the 2019-20 regular season, Dixie State enters this weekend tied for first place in the RMAC standings with Black Hills State at 14-3. However the Trailblazers do own the head-to-head tiebreak on the Yellow Jackets by virtue of their 76-54 win inside the Burns Arena earlier this season (12/7/19).
    DSU and BHSU own a two-game lead on third place Colorado School of Mines (12-5), which is a game up on fourth place UCCS (11-6), and two games clear of both CMU and South Dakota Mines, who are both tied for fifth at 10-7.
    Currently there are three teams tied for seventh at 9-8, including New Mexico Highlands, Regis and Westminster, while CSU-Pueblo is still in the mix for a top-eight seed at 8-9.
    The top-eight teams advance on to the 2020 RMAC Tournament, which begins with quarterfinal action at the home sites of the top-four seeds on Tuesday, March 3. The semifinal and championship games will be played at the home site of the top-remaining seed on March 6-7, with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA South Central Regionals.

LAST SEASON IN THE RMAC: After joining the RMAC in 2018, the 2019-20 season will mark the second and final season the Trailblazers will be a competing member of the conference. In the upcoming 2020-21 season, Dixie State will begin its transition to NCAA Division I status and will become a new member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). 

NATIONAL/REGIONAL RANKINGS: As a result of last weekend's sweep, Dixie State made the biggest jump up the charts of any ranked team in the latest NABC Division II Top-25 Coaches poll as the Blazers moved up seven spots to No. 15 this week. DSU also checked in at No. 21 in this week's D2SIDA Media top-25 poll, and remained at No. 3 in the latest D2SIDA South Central Region poll.
    The first official NCAA Regional rankings will be unveiled next Wednesday, Feb. 19.

COACHING STAFF: Six-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 565-258 career record) is in his 15th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 281-130 overall record, including a 261-118 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era.
    Last season, Judkins led DSU to an 18-9 overall record, the program's 11th-straight winning seasons, which includes seven 20-win campaigns, highlighted by a school-record 23 victories in 2017-18, and 22 wins during both the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons. He also guided DSU to six Pacific West championships, including four-straight titles from 2009-13 and two more crowns in 2014-15 and 2017-18, along with PacWest Tournament titles in 2013 and 2018. In addition, Judkins has led Dixie State to eight trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last 10 seasons overall from 2010-19, 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 second Aggie to post a triple-double. During the 1987-88 season, he helped lead the Aggies to the PCAA title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
    Judkins is joined on the Trailblazer sidelines this season by assistant coaches Jake Schroeder (Portland State, 2006), who returns for his second stint as a DSU assistant coach, Andrew May (BYU, 2010), who joins the DSU program this season after serving as director of basketball operations at BYU, and third-year volunteer assistant coach David Foster (Utah, 2013).

565 AND COUNTING: Coach 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 (565 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.

NEW YEAR = NEW STREAK?: Dixie State's road loss at Western Oregon (12/20) snapped the Blazers' NCAA-era program record 23-game regular season win streak, which included the final 13 regular season games last year.  
    In the 2017-18 campaign, the Trailblazers won their final 15 regular season games, and pushed that streak to a school record 17-straight victories overall in the Pacific West Conference tournament, en route to an NCAA-era program record 23 wins (23-7). Coincidentally, the 2017-18 win streak also came to an end on WOU's home court in Monmouth as the Trailblazers carried the streak into their NCAA Division II Tournament West Regional first round game vs. Azusa Pacific, but came away with a season-ending 69-65 loss.
    As the calendar has now turned to a new year and decade, DSU has played to a whopping 167-49 (.773) overall record during the final two months of the regular season in the program's NCAA era (13-plus seasons).

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START....: Dixie State's 19-4 start to the 2019-20 season, including a 10-0 mark to begin the campaign, is tied for the best overall start to any season after 23 games in the program's NCAA era.    
    In the 2013-14 campaign, DSU began that season 11-0 and won three additional exhibition games to boot, including a season-opening 71-70 exhibition upset of perennial NCAA Division-I power UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center (11/1/13). Dixie State, which won 19 of its first 23 games overall to begin that year, finished the season 21-7 and made the fifth of its seven-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

ON THE CUSP OF HISTORY FRIDAY NIGHT: Dixie State enters Friday night's game vs. Adams State looking to tie an NCAA era program record for reaching the 20-win plateau. In the 2011-12 season, DSU (20-7) needed only 24 games to hit the 20-win mark, while in the 2013-14 campaign, DSU won its 20th game in game number 25.  

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. 

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Dixie State's come-from-behind overtime victory at New Mexico Highlands (109-108; 12/13/19), during which DSU erased a 19-point second half deficit, marked the second-largest double-digit comeback in the program's NCAA era. In the 2013-14 season, Dixie State rallied from a 21-point (14-35) first half hole at home vs. Chaminade (2/15/14), outscoring the Silverswords 76-42 over the final 30-plus minutes of play to post a 90-77 triumph.
    The Trailblazers' 19-point rally at NMHU is the largest road comeback in the program's four-year era, passing the 17-point first half deficit DSU erased in a thrilling 66-64 win at California Baptist in the 2018 PacWest Tournament championship game (3/3/18).

HOME SWEET HOME: Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 132-28 (.825) overall record on its home floor under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a 9-1 mark this season. 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.
    In addition, Dixie State clinched its 13th-straight home winning season record in 14 seasons of NCAA competition in the home win over Regis this past Jan. 18.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: Dixie State is currently second in the NCAA D-II ranks in average attendance (2,452) and fourth-overall in total home attendance (24,520) through 10 home dates this season, which includes a season-high 3,493 fans that saw the Trailblazers defeat Western Colorado last Saturday.
    DSU finished the 2018-19 season ranked in the top-three nationally at the NCAA Division II level in home game attendance. Last season's accomplishment also marked the 10th-straight season overall that the Trailblazer program has closed a season ranked in the top-10 in the nation in home attendance.
    The Trailblazers posted the third-highest total attendance number in the country at 34,882 fans in 15 home dates, which was also first in both the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the NCAA South Central Region. In addition, DSU finished tied for second nationally (with Fort Hays State) in season attendance average at 2,325 fans per home game, behind only Northern (SD) State, which led the nation in both total attendance (51,526/14 games) and attendance average (3,680).
    Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State has been 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 and 2011-12 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 130-91 (.588) in 221 games away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a combined 10-3 record this season (6-3 road; 4-0 neutral). Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 102-70 record (.593) in true road games, and a 28-21 mark (.571) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
    The Trailblazers, who posted a 7-5 regular season road mark last year, were a combined 14-6 as road warriors in the 2017-18 campaign, including a 10-4 road mark to go with a 4-2 record in neutral-site games. DSU has now won eight or more games away from home in 11 of its 14 D-II 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 82-straight games, including 10 treys on the road at Fort Lewis (1-31), and a season-high 11 3-pointers at New Mexico Highlands (12/13).
    Last season, 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 283 of its last 285 games overall, and in 377 of the program's 381 NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 18 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.

2019-20 TEAM NOTES:
* - Senior guard Jack Pagenkopf has proven to be a "Jack of All Trades" this season as he leads the RMAC in assists (6.0 apg - 17th-nationally) and is second on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg - 21st RMAC) and rebounding (5.9 rpg - t-14th RMAC) ... the senior guard became the first Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to record a triple-double, going for 17 points and career-highs of 13 rebounds and 10 assists in DSU's 100-91 OT win vs. UT-Tyler (11/9).
* - Pagenkopf also matched his career-high of 10 dimes at Fort Lewis (1/31) and tallied 11 points en route to his second double-double of the year ... the senior followed that up with 20 points, 18 of which were scored in the second half, and five more assists in the loss at Adams State (2/1).
* - Pagenkopf's two 10-assist nights were the most by a Trailblazer player since former DSU guard Mason Sawyer dished out 10 dimes vs. Azusa Pacific over four years ago (12/19/15), and were the ninth and 10th instances in the program's NCAA era that a DSU player had recorded double-digits in assists ... former DSU guard and former assistant coach Jeremiah Barnes owns the school single game assist record with 13 vs. Pacifica (12/4/10).
* - Pagenkopf has dished out 215 career assists in just 48 career games, which is good for t-eighth place on DSU's career list (with Jeremiah Barnes) ... the senior guard also moved into fifth place on DSU's single season assists list with 138 and stands just 10 dimes away from breaking the program's four-year era single season record of 147 set by former guard Dan Stock in DSU's first NCAA season in 2006-07 ... Pagenkopf also joined Stock (four times in 2006-07) as the only two players in the program's NCAA era to have multiple 10-assist games in a single season.
* - Additionally, Pagenkopf moved into fifth on DSU's single-season steals list (45) and is currently eighth all-time in career steals (79).
* - Pagenkopf averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the two games at WCU and CMU last weekend.
* - Junior forward Hunter Schofield has scored in double figures in 20 of 23 games played this season with six 20-plus point outings ... also of note, the three games he didn't reach double figures in points - he had nine points in each of those starts.
*- Schofield notched his team-leading third double-double of the year with team highs of 15 points and 11 boards at FLC (1/31), then tallied 10 points in 19 foul-plagued minutes one night later at Adams State (2/1) ... the junior also tallied 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting at Western last Friday.
*- Schofield scored a career-high 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting with nine rebounds at CSU-Pueblo (12/14) ... the junior registered 16 of those points in the second half, while his 21 FGA are tied for third on DSU's single-game list ... that performance came on the heels of a 25 point/5 rebound effort a night earlier at NMHU (12/13) ... Schofield currently leads the team in scoring (16.1 ppg - T-5th on DSU's season list/T-9th-RMAC/T-208th-nationally) and rebounding (6.6 rpg - 6th RMAC/231st-nationally), while shooting 52.6 percent from the field.
 * - Junior guard Dason Youngblood has scored in double figures in nine of his last 16 starts and in 11 of 23 starts overall, including a 13-point outing on 6-of-11 shooting last Saturday at CMU ... Youngblood was one of three Trailblazer starters to dial up a "Blackjack" three weekends ago (Pagenkopf vs. Western/Schofield vs. CMU) as he hit for 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with seven boards and five assists in the Western win ... the junior also tied a career-high with eight assists in the at Fort Lewis (1/31).
* - Youngblood netted a career-high 27 points in the win over Alaska Fairbanks (11/23) ... Youngblood scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, and connected on 12-of-17 from the floor overall with three rebounds and three assists ... the senior guard currently leads the RMAC in assist/turnover ratio (3.1 - 18th-nationally), and is ninth (and 142nd-nationally) in the conference in assists per game (3.8).  
* - Freshman guard Frank Staine looked to get back on track on the first leg of the road swing at FLC/ASU as he averaged 12.0 ppg and shot a combined 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from the floor, including a red-hot 75.0 percent (6-of-8) from the perimeter ... The freshman co-led the team in scoring with 15 points (5-of-7 FG; 4-of-5 3FG) at Fort Lewis (1/31), then went for nine points and four boards the next night at Adams State (2/1) ... Staine has scored in double figures in nine of his 23 starts overall, which includes a career high 20 points in a home win vs. UCCS (1/3).
* - Senior reserve guard Andre Wilson tied a career-high with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers in the win at Chadron State (1/11), which coincidentally, he also scored 16 points against nearly a year-to-the-day in the Burns Arena (1/12/19) ... the senior continued his solid play off the bench with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three more 3FGM and three assists  at Fort Lewis (1/31), and had nine points and two dimes at Adams State (2/1) before fouling out ... Wilson has scored 10 or more points in five of his last 14 outings and he currently leads the team in 3FG% (.458 - #3 on DSU's single season list; 27-of-59).
* - Senior forward Cameron Chatwin tied a season-high with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds at Fort Lewis (1/31), and tallied 11 points and five boards last Saturday at CMU ... the senior has averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds over his last 12 games, which includes an 13-point, four-rebound outing vs. Western (1/25).  
* - Junior forward Jarod Greene enjoyed a break-out night in DSU's win over Colorado Christian (1/17) as he knocked down 6-of-7 of his shots from the floor and 5-of-6 at the line on his way to a career-high 17 points in just 17 minutes of action ... Greene also posted a perfect night (outside of foul trouble) at Western last Friday with 12 points on 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 at the line with a game and career-high tying eight rebounds.
* - Greene was inserted into the starting line-up for the first time at Western Oregon (12/20), against which his scored nine points with five rebounds in 19 minutes ... Greene has started each of the last 12 games since and his averaging 6.8 ppg as a starter ... the junior forward had averaged 5.3 points in 11.3 reserve minutes over his first 10 games in a Blazer uniform, highlighted by a 15-point night on 5-of-7 shooting vs. UT-Tyler (11/9).
* - Speaking of perfect, sophomore forward Jacob Nicolds also enjoyed "perfection" at Western last Friday as he went 5-of-5 with a 3-pointer and 6-of-6 at the charity stripe on his way to a career-high 17 points ... Nicolds also grabbed three boards and picked off a steal in a career-high 25 minutes of action.  
* - Nicolds' night at Western eclipsed his previous career night at Chadron State (1/11), against which he went for 16 points on 3-of-4 from the floor and 10-of-11 at the foul line, and pulled down a career-best seven rebounds for good measure.
* - Nicolds is averaging 7.3 ppg over his last 11 outings, which includes a pair of seven-point outings at both FLC and ASU on a combined 6-of-7 shooting ... the sophomore has proven himself as one of DSU's best all around shooters this season as he has connected on 34-of-48 (.708) from the floor and a team-best 84.3 percent (43-of-51) at the line in limited duty.
* - DSU reserves have outscored their opponent's reserves by a combined 601-460 (26.1 ppg-20.0 ppg) count through 23 games this season, including a season-best +23 (36-13) edge at NMHU (12/13), and a season-high 42 total points (42-26) in the road win at Chadron State (1/11) ... DSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 17 of 23 games overall.
* - Every Trailblazer that saw time in the win at Western last Friday (1/24) scored at least two points, which marked the sixth occurrence of that feat this season.
* - Dixie State's 109 points scored at NMHU (12/13) were the third-most in the program's NCAA era, while the 108 points scored by NMHU are a DSU opponent single-game record, which eclipsed the previous record of 105 points scored by Dominican (L, 90-105; 2/20/14) during the 2013-14 season.
* - Meanwhile, the 217 combined points scored in the DSU/NMHU game are also a new DSU program record, beating the previous total of 207 set in a 104-103 overtime loss at Azusa Pacific (12/10/16) during the 2016-17 campaign.
* - DSU's home overtime loss to Mines (1/4) snapped a five-game OT win streak, which included OT wins at NMHU (12/13) and vs. UT-Tyler (11/9) earlier this season ... The DSU/Mines OT game was just the 32nd overtime game in the program's NCAA era (371 games), and DSU is 20-12 all-time in overtime games ... Four of those 32 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.
* - Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 56 of its last 106 games decided by nine points or less, including both games last weekend and in 11 of 23 games this season.
* - Also dating back to 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 37 of its last 101 games overall, including four of the last seven games and in seven of its last 16 outings overall, highlighted by a season-high 58.5 clip (35-of-60) at Fort Lewis (1/31), and a 58.3 night vs. Western (1/25).
* - Dixie State tied NCAA-era program record lows in FTM (3) and FTA (4) in the home win vs. CMU (1/24) ... DSU was held to three FTM on three prior occasions, the last coming last season at home against Western Colorado (2/8/19), while it was just the second time in the program's four-year era that the Blazers attempted only four total free throws in a game (vs. Texas A&M-Commerce - 11/29/14).
* - Dixie State shot a season-high 90.0 percent (27-of-30) at the line in last Friday's win at Western.
* - DSU shot a sizzling 70.0 percent (21-of-30) in the second half vs. WCU (1/25) ... in fact, DSU knocked down 19 of its 21 shots from inside the 3-point arc in the frame ... that effort was the second-best shooting half of the season behind only a 73.1 second half (19-of-26) in the win vs. Black Hills State last month (12/7).
* - DSU has dished out 409 assists (17.8 apg - 1st in RMAC/16th-nationally) to 301 turnovers (13.1 tpg - 9th in RMAC/128th-nationally) through 23 games of the year ... that number includes a season high 27 dimes (vs. just 10 TO's) at Fort Lewis (1/31), and a 24-assist, 9-turnover night at home vs. Western (1/25).
*- DSU is also tops in the RMAC and ranked 32nd-nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.40).
* - DSU has won the "Battle of the Boards" in 20 of 23 games of the year, highlighted by a season-best +19 margin (46-27) vs. Lake Superior State (11/22), and has outrebounded an opponent in 63 of its last 77 games dating back to the 2017-18 campaign ... Dixie State is second in the RMAC and is ranked 30th-nationally in rebounding margin (+5.7), and is ranked 57th-nationally in rebounds/game with an RMAC-leading 38.5 rpg average ... DSU also leads the RMAC and is ranked 22nd in the country in defensive rebounds (28.5 rpg).  
* - Eleven of Dixie State's 19 wins have come by double-digits, including five of its last eight, highlighted by a season-high +30 point margin vs. WCU (1/25) ... DSU's +9.2 scoring margin is currently best in the RMAC and good for 46th-nationally ... DSU surrendered a season-low 53 points to Regis (1/18), while the Blazers scored a season-low 67 points in their win at CMU last Saturday.

ABOUT THE ADAMS STATE "GRIZZLIES": Adams State has lost eight of its last 11 games since the calendar turned to 2020, though its last win did come at the expense of Dixie State this past Feb. 1 (82-75).  
    The Grizzlies feature a very balanced scoring attack as four starters are averaging double figures, led by guards Kaelin Crane (6-5) and Juwan Green (6-0) at 14.4 ppg and 14.1 ppg, respectively.

ABOUT THE FORT LEWIS "SKYHAWKS": Fort Lewis, which plays at Westminster College on Friday night before Saturday's game at DSU, enters the week looking to stop a four-game slide, which started with DSU's 90-72 win in Durango back on Feb. 1. Junior forward Riley Farris (6-9), is the nation's ninth-leading scorer with an RMAC-best 24.2 ppg average on 57.3 percent shooting overall.

UP NEXT: Dixie State wraps up the 2019-20 regular season with three-straight road games, beginning with its regular season final trip to Colorado as members of the RMAC for two games. DSU will play at Regis on Friday, Feb. 21, followed by a date at Colorado Christian on Saturday, Feb. 22.