Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | NEW MEXICO
Live TV: KCEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22)
Live Video: WAC DIGITAL NETWORK
Live Audio: ESPN RADIO 97.7 FM
Live Stats: vs. NEW MEXICO
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #DixieBlazers | #WeAreONE | #WACmbb | #WAChoops

OPENING TIP: After an unscheduled two-week lay off between games, Dixie State (4-2/0-0 WAC) will play three games in the next four nights, beginning with a newly scheduled home date vs. Mountain West Conference member New Mexico (3-6) inside the Burns Arena. Tip off on Wednesday night is slated for 7 p.m. (MT).

DIXIE STATE VS. NEW MEXICO: Wednesday's game against New Mexico will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Lobos on the hardwood.

OUT WITH THE AGGIES...IN WITH THE LOBOS: Dixie State was originally scheduled to play New Mexico State to open its first season of Western Athletic Conference play last weekend. However, due to COVID-19 issues inside the Aggie program, that two-game series has been rescheduled to be played in St. George on March 5-6.
    Meanwhile, the DSU/UNM game was finalized this past Sunday, and the Lobos will be calling St. George home for at least the next 10-14 days, which includes UNM hosting San Jose State in MWC play in the Burns Arena on Jan. 21 and Jan 23.

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. A live stream of the radio broadcast will be available at sportsradio977.com.
    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 has embarked 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 stepped on to the national stage in its last outing as the Trailblazers squared off against current No. 1-ranked Gonzaga this past Dec. 29, inside "The Kennel" in Spokane, Wash. The Blazers, who dressed only nine players in the game after having to leave four players home due to DSU COVID-19 protocols, matched the Zags bucket for bucket in the early going. However two big Bulldog first half runs doomed Dixie State as Gonzaga turned a 25-point halftime lead into a 112-67 home victory.
    Junior guard Cameron Gooden paced four Trailblazers in double figures with 20 points, while Jacob Nicolds added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds, and Jarod Greene and Trevon Allfrey (career-high) finished with 10 points apiece.

573 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 (573 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 138-29 (.826) overall record in the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a quick 3-0 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 132-95 (.581) in 227 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, including a 1-2 start this year, and a combined 11-5 record last season (7-5 road; 4-0 neutral). Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 104-74 record (.584) 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: Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 95-straight games, which included 12 made treys (12-of-29) in the win vs. Saint Katherine (12/5), and 10 more trifectas (10-of-27) at Denver (12/12). DSU then went on to hit nine 3FGs in the loss at SUU (12/17).  
    In fact, when DSU posted back-to-back games with 10 or more 3FGM vs. SKU/at Denver, it marked just the second time in the program's NCAA era that the Blazers accomplished that feat.
    The first occurrence happened nearly two full seasons ago when DSU hit with 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).
    Meanwhile, DSU only reached double figures in 3FGM twice all of last season, 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).
    In all, Dixie State has hit at least one three pointer in 296 of its last 298 games overall, and in 391 of the program's 394 NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    In addition, Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 21 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. Saint Katherine (12/5), the Trailblazer defense made a little history on the defensive side of things.
    For the FIRST TIME in the program's NCAA era (390th game overall), 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 the SKU win, 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 4-2 start to the 2020-21 season, Dixie State has improved to 81-70 (.536) all-time against non-conference opponents in 14-plus seasons of four-year competition. That record includes 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).

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. 

STOP......THIEF: Dixie State picked off a season high 12 steals and forced an opponent season high 22 turnovers in the win at Denver (12/12). DSU reached double figures in steals eight times last year, including a season best 12 steals against another "Mile High City" opponent in Regis (1/18/20).

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - Sophomore forward Frank Staine, who DNP at Gonzaga (12/29), has scored in double figures in four of his first five starts this season, highlighted by a game-high 19 points in the season-opening home win vs. North Dakota (12/2).
* - Staine also dished out three or more assists in four starts, including a pair of five-assist outings vs. UND and at Denver (12/12) ... Staine posted his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and scored his 300th career point, at SUU (12/17).
* - Junior forward Jacob Nicolds tied a career-high 17 points in his season debut vs. North Dakota (12/2) on his way to WAC Player of the Week honors (12/7) ... Nicolds also posted his first collegiate double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 boards in the Bethesda win (12/19) ... Nicolds has scored in double figures in five of six starts this season, including an 11-point effort at Gonzaga (12/29).
* - 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), and grabbed his 200th career rebound in the Bethesda win (12/19) ... Schofield reached double figures in points for the first time this year with a 14-point day at Denver (12/12) on 6-of-9 shooting.
* -  Schofield is currently ranked third in DSU's NCAA era in scoring average (15.1 ppg), and seventh in career rebounding average (5.7 rpg) and career FG% (.524).
* - Senior guard Dason Youngblood did something during 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 the win vs. SKU (12/5) three days later, during which Youngblood blocked a career-high three shots to go with seven points, four assists and two rebounds, all while NOT committing a personal foul ... Youngblood also tallied nine points and five dimes vs. Bethesda (12/19) ... the senior guard played just three minutes at Gonzaga (12/29), against which he missed both shot attempts and registered one assist before leaving the game due to injury.    
* - Senior forward Jarod Greene continued to display his hot shooting touch as he poured 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting at Gonzaga (12/29) ... Greene also tallied 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting and 4-of-4 at the line in his previous outing vs. Bethesda (12/19) ... Greene (19-of-27, .704 FG% - #2 in the WAC) 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), and went 6-of-8 for 12 points and pulled down a career-high nine caroms vs. Saint Katherine (12/5).
* - Junior guard Cameron Gooden was DSU's "Iron Man" at Gonzaga (12/29) as he played in a game-high 36 minutes and wound up with a team-high 20 points including three 3-pointers ... he also dished out a pair of assists and grabbed three rebounds.
* - Gooden enjoyed a breakout game at Denver (12/12), against which he poured in game and career-high 23 points on 7-of-13 from the floor (5-of-9 3FG) to go with three assists and three steals ... Gooden followed that up with a team-high 16 points with three more 3FGM at SUU (12/17).
* - DSU's bench has outscored its opponent reserves by a 159-118 margin (26.5-19.6 ppg) through its first six games (4-of-6 games overall), including a 39-14 clip vs. Bethesda (12/19), 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 (12/5), 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.
* - Sophomore guard Isaiah Pope has made an immediate impact since becoming eligible prior to the SUU game (12/17) ... Pope, who missed the Gonzaga trip, has averaged 11.5 points on 69.2 percent shooting in two games, highlighted by a 14-point night on 6-of-8 shooting vs. Bethesda (12/19).
* - Ergas also enjoyed a breakout night vs. Bethesda as he nailed back-to-back first half 3FGs and threw down a highlight reel alley-oop jam on his way to a career-high eight points.
* - Though Gilbert did not score in the Gonzaga loss (12/29), he did dish out a DSU career-high nine assists to go with three caroms and a steal in nearly 30 minutes of game action.
* - Redshirt freshman forward Trevon Allfrey enjoyed his trip back to the Northwest as he hit 5-of-8 from the floor en route to a career-high 10 points off the bench at Gonzaga (12/29) ... Allfrey originally signed to play at WAC member Seattle U before transferring to Dixie State midway through last season.
* - Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 62 of its last 119 games decided by nine points or less, including three of four games against D-I opponents this season.
* - DSU's 38-point margin of victory vs. Saint Katherine (12/5) was the fifth-largest in the program's NCAA era.
* - On the flip side, DSU's 45-point loss at Gonzaga (12/29) was the largest margin of defeat in the program's NCAA era, eclipsing DSU's 37-point loss suffered at Chaminade during the 2007-08 season (1/5/08) ... Gonzaga's 112 points were also a DSU four-year era opponent record, eclipsing the 108 points scored by New Mexico Highlands last season in a game that the Trailblazers actually won in overtime, 109-108 (12/13/19).
* - Since the 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 44 of its last 114 games overall.
* - DSU shot a season-high 63.2 percent vs. Bethesda (12/19) ... that performance broke a string of 66 games from the last time the Trailblazers shot at least 60 percent from the floor (60.0% vs. Holy Names - 2/19/18).
* - Dixie State dished out a season-high 25 assists on its 36 made field goals vs. Bethesda (12/19), including five dimes apiece for Youngblood and Staine.
* - Dixie State also recorded 22 assists on its 34 made field goals vs. SKU (12/5), including dimes on 10 of the Blazers' first 12 made shots, and had 17 assists on 24 FG makes at Gonzaga (12/29).
* - Uncharacteristically, Dixie State has lost the "Battle of the Boards" in four of its first six games this season, including two games by double digits (at Denver 26-38; at SUU 32-46), and by a 38-29 clip at Gonzaga (12/29) ... despite those results, the Blazers have outrebounded an opponent in 70 of its last 90 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 NEW MEXICO "LOBOS": New Mexico enters Wednesday night's game looking to halt a six-game losing skid - all in Mountain West play, this after opening the 2020-21 season by winning three-straight non-conference games. The Lobos are coming off a pair of lopsided loss to Utah State (45-77 and 46-82) last weekend in two"home" games played in Lubbock, Texas.
    UNM, as well as New Mexico State, are currently the only two D-I programs that have had to relocate indefinitely due to state COVID-19 restrictions. The Lobos had called Levelland, Texas their home away from home prior to their relocation to St. George this week.
    Paul Weir (Oregon, 1987) is in his fourth season as head coach at New Mexico, where he has compiled a 55-53 overall record during his time in Albuquerque.
     Senior G/F Makuach Maluach (6-7) is the lone Lobo averaging double figures at 13.8 ppg on 48.0 percent shooting. The senior, who became the 30th Lobo in UNM history to reach the 1,000-point plateau earlier this season, also leads the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and steals (1.1 spg).
    As a team, New Mexico averages 65.6 ppg on 39.7 percent shooting through nine games while allowing 73.4 ppg. UNM also averages 4.9 3FGM and 39.4 rpg a contest.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will finally make its WAC debut this weekend as the Trailblazers travel to the Lone Star State for a two-game set at UT Rio Grande Valley on Friday and Saturday nights, Jan. 15-16. Tip-off each night is slated for 6 p.m. (MT) inside the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.