Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | RU | CCU
Live Video: at Regis | at CCU
Live Stats: at Regis | at CCU
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #DixieBlazers | #RMACmbb

OPENING TIP: No. 13 Dixie State (21-4/16-3 RMAC) wraps up the 2019-20 regular season with three-straight road games, beginning with its final regular season trip to Colorado as members of the RMAC for two games. DSU heads to the "Mile High City" for a Friday date at Regis (14-11/9-10 RMAC) on Friday night, followed by a match-up at Colorado Christian (4-21/4-15 RMAC) on Saturday evening in Lakewood.  
    Both games are slated to tip off at each site at 7 p.m.

DIXIE STATE AGAINST THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Dixie State is 3-0 in its brief series vs. Regis, which includes a 73-53 win inside the Burns Arena this past Jan. 18. DSU also swept a home-and-home set last season - a 77-74 road win in Denver (1/19/19), and an 89-73 result in the return game in the Burns Arena (2/22/19) later in the season.
    Dixie State is 4-0 all-time vs. Colorado Christian, with three of those wins coming in RMAC play, including an 84-73 result in the Burns Arena last month (1/17). DSU also posted a pair of decisive RMAC victories last season (DSU 84, @CCU 48; 1/18/19, and @DSU 87, CCU 55; 2/23/19), and claimed an 85-72 road triumph in the first-ever meeting between the two sides way back in the 2007-08 season (11/17/07). 

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State closed out its 2019-20 home slate with a sweep of Adams State and Fort Lewis last weekend in the Burns Arena. DSU clinched an RMAC postseason tournament berth with a 102-81 triumph over the Grizzlies, before rallying for a thrilling 73-69 victory vs. the Skyhawks on Senior Night Saturday.

THINGS TIGHTENING UP IN RMAC RACE: With three games remaining in the 2019-20 regular season, Dixie State enters the penultimate weekend still tied for first place in the RMAC standings with Black Hills State at 16-3. 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 (14-5), which  hosts BHSU on Friday night. All three teams were also the first to clinch an RMAC postseason tournament berth.
    Mines is two games clear of both Colorado Mesa (t-4th, 12-7) and South Dakota Mines (t-4th, 12-7), while Westminster (11-8) and UCCS (11-8) follow in t-sixth place. New Mexico Highlands stands alone in eighth place at 10-9, and CSU-Pueblo and Regis (9-10) remain in tourney mix just one game out of the eighth spot.
    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: Dixie State continues to move up the charts in the national rankings as the Blazers vaulted two spots to No. 13 in this week's NABC Division II Top-25 Coaches poll. DSU also jumped up four notches to No. 17 in this week's D2SIDA Media top-25 poll, and remained at No. 3 in the latest D2SIDA South Central Region poll.
    In addition, the first 2020 NCAA South Central Regional rankings were released on Wednesday and the Trailblazers are the top RMAC team on the 10-team list at No. 3. BHSU is close behind at No. 4, followed by Colorado School of Mines at No. 8 and Westminster at No. 10. 

COACHING STAFF: Six-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 567-258 career record) is in his 15th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 283-130 overall record, including a 263-118 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).

567 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 (567 career wins; .687 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 169-49 (.775) 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 tied an NCAA era program record in last Friday's win vs. Adams State as the Blazers reached the 20-win plateau in game No. 24. That feat was first achieved in the 2011-12 season when DSU needed only 24 games to hit the 20-win mark, though that team lost its final three games of the year to finish the campaign at 20-7.  

ON THE CUSP OF HISTORY THIS WEEKEND: Dixie State enters this weekend's road trip with a chance to tie the program's NCAA era record for single-season victories, which stands at 23 (23-7) set two seasons ago in 2017-18. The Trailblazers' 21 wins this season matches the program's win total in 2013-14 (21-7), while DSU won 22 games in both the 2010-11 (22-7) and in 2012-13 (22-7) seasons.  

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 134-28 (.827) overall record on its home floor under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including an 11-1 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.
    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 both total attendance (29,968) and average attendance (2,497) through 12 home dates this season, which includes a season-high 3,493 fans that saw the Trailblazers defeat Western Colorado back on Jan. 25.  
    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 84-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 285 of its last 287 games overall, and in 379 of the program's 383 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 became Dixie State's single season assist leader (151) in the first half vs. Fort Lewis on Senior Night ... Pagenkopf tied the record the night before vs. ASU when he just missed his second triple-double of the year by that one record-breaking assist as he went for 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine dimes ... former guard Dan Stock previously held the record with 147 assists set in DSU's first NCAA season in 2006-07.
* - Pagenkopf 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).  
* - The senior 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 (14.2 ppg - 17th RMAC) and rebounding (5.9 rpg - 14th RMAC).
* - 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, and posted his third double-double of the year against vs. FLC on Saturday night.
* - Pagenkopf's two 10-assist nights were three off the DSU NCAA era program record of 13 assists, which was set by former DSU guard and former assistant coach Jeremiah Barnes vs. Pacifica (12/4/10).
* - Pagenkopf has dished out 228 assists in just 50 career games, which is good for seventh place on DSU's career list
* - Additionally, Pagenkopf moved into third place on DSU's single-season steals list (51) and is currently t-sixth all-time in career steals (85).
* - As if his assist record wasn't enough on Senior Night, Pagenkopf also scored a career-high 27 points in last Saturday's win ... Pagenkopf went 11-of-20 from the floor and finished with four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
* - Junior forward Hunter Schofield has scored in double figures in 22 of 25 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 averaged 16.0 points in DSU's two wins last weekend, including scoring 17 of his 19 points in the second half to help rally the Blazers' past Fort Lewis on Senior Night ... the junior also poured in 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the ASU win on 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/ 9th RMAC/205th-nationally) and rebounding (6.5 rpg - T-5th RMAC), while shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
 * - Junior guard Dason Youngblood has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 18 starts and in 12 of 25 starts overall, including a team-high 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting vs. ASU last Friday ... Youngblood also tallied seven points and eight rebounds the next night vs. FLC.
* - 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 - 17th-nationally), and is t-10th (and T-153rd-nationally) in the conference in assists per game (3.7).  
* - Freshman forward Frank Staine has been showing signs that he's returning to early season form as he has averaged 8.6 ppg on nearly 50-percent shooting over his last six games ... the freshman has also hit on 60 percent (12-of-20) from the perimeter during this current stretch and has hit two or more 3-pointers on four occasions, including four treys at FLC when co-led the team in scoring with 15 points (5-of-7 FG; 4-of-5 3FG) at Fort Lewis (1/31) ... Staine has scored in double figures in 10 of his 24 starts overall, highlighted by a career high 20 points in a home win vs. UCCS (1/3), and poured in 10 points with two 3FGM last Friday vs. Adams State.
* - 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 16 outings and he currently leads the team in 3FG% (.459 - #3 on DSU's single season list; 28-of-61).
* - Senior forward Cameron Chatwin has scored in double figures in four of his last seven games, including a pair of 13-point nights vs. Western (1/25) and at FLC (1/31) ... Chatwin also posted his first DSU double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in 17 reserve minutes vs. Adams State last Friday ... the senior has averaged 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds over his last 14 games.
* - 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 (2/7) 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, who DNP vs. FLC last Saturday, has started each of his last 13 games since and his averaging 6.6 ppg as a starter.
* - Speaking of perfect, sophomore forward Jacob Nicolds also enjoyed "perfection" at Western (2/7) 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, who is averaging 7.0 ppg over his last 13 outings, has proven himself as one of DSU's best all around shooters this season as he has connected on 36-of-62 (.692) from the floor, which includes a 54.5 clip (6-of-11) from the perimeter, and a team-best 82.5 percent (47-of-57) at the line in limited duty.
* - Sophomore Josh Newbold just missed notching his first collegiate double-double in the Adams State win last Friday as he went for 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and a career-high nine boards in just 14 minutes.
* - DSU reserves have outscored their opponent's reserves by a combined 657-492 (26.3 ppg-19.9 ppg) count through 25 games this season, including a season-high 45 points and a season-best +30 (45-15) scoring margin in last Friday's game vs. Adams State ... DSU's previous season-high bench point total was 42 (42-26) in the road win at Chadron State (1/11) ... DSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 18 of 25 games overall.
* - Dixie State reached the 100-point plateau for the third time this season in last Friday's win vs. ASU. DSU is 3-0 this season when scoring 100+ points, including overtime wins vs. UT-Tyler (100-91, 11/9) and at New Mexico Highlands (109-108, 12/13).
* - 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 57 of its last 108 games decided by nine points or less, including both games last weekend and in 12 of 25 games this season (9-3).
* - Also dating back to 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 39 of its last 103 games overall, including six of the last nine games, 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 the Blazers' road win at Western (2/7).
* - 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 447 assists (17.9 apg - 1st in RMAC/15th-nationally) to 327 turnovers (13.1 tpg - 10th in RMAC/131st-nationally) through 25 games of the year ... that number includes a season high 27 dimes (vs. just 10 TOs) 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 29th-nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.40).
* - DSU has won the "Battle of the Boards" in 21 of 25 games of the year, highlighted by a season-best +30 margin (54-24) last Friday vs. Adams State, and has outrebounded an opponent in 64 of its last 79 games dating back to the 2017-18 campaign ... Dixie State is first in the RMAC and is ranked 23rd-nationally in rebounding margin (+6.3), and is ranked 47th-nationally in rebounds/game with an RMAC-leading 38.8 rpg average ... DSU also leads the RMAC and is ranked 20th in the country in defensive rebounds (28.6 rpg).  
* - Twelve of Dixie State's 21 wins have come by double-digits, including six of its last 10, highlighted by a season-high +30 point margin vs. WCU (1/25) ... DSU's +9.4 scoring margin is currently second in the RMAC and good for 41st-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 (2/8) and 73 points in the win vs. FLC last Saturday.

ABOUT THE REGIS "RANGERS": Regis has split its last four games since losing at Dixie State back on Jan. 18, though three of those four wins over that stretch have come at home, including wins over Adams State (99-75; 2/7) and Fort Lewis (90-77; 2/8) two weekends ago.
    Three Ranger starters average double figures, led by senior guard Christian Little (6-2) at 16.3 ppg, while sophomore forward Toni Rocak (6-8) is the team's leading rebounder (6.3 rpg) and is second among regulars in FG% (.530) and points (15.3 ppg).

ABOUT THE COLORADO CHRISTIAN "COUGARS": Colorado Christian, which hosts Westminster College on Friday night before Saturday's game vs. DSU, has won three of its last six since opening the year 1-15. All three of those win have come at home, including a home sweep of Fort Lewis (92-87; 2/7) and Adams State (86-73; 2/8).
    The Cougars boast four players scoring in double figures, three of which are starters, led by sophomore center Spencer Hoffman (6-11) at 15.2 ppg.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will wrap up the 2019-20 regular season with a showdown at in-state rival Westminster College on Friday night, Feb. 28. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m., inside Behnken Fieldhouse in Salt Lake City.