2021-22 Dixie State Trailblazers Men's Basketball (7-7 / 0-1 WAC)
Game No. 15
vs. Abilene Christian (10-2 / 1-0 WAC)
Saturday, January 1 / 7 p.m.
Burns Arena (4,779); St. George
 

Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | ACU - PDF
Live TV: ESPN+
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: ESPN RADIO 97.7 FM
Live Stats: vs. ABILENE CHRISTIAN
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #DixieBlazers | #WeAreONE | #WACmbb | #WAChoops

OPENING TIP: Dixie State (7-7/0-1 WAC) rings in the 2022 New Year with a match-up against WAC newcomer Abilene Christian (10-2/1-0 WAC) this Saturday night, Jan. 1. Tip-off inside the Burns Arena is set for 7 p.m.

DIXIE STATE VS. ACU: Saturday night's game vs. Abilene Christian will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Wildcats on the hardwood.  

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 Dixie State home games and Western Athletic Conference games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
     In August, the WAC announced a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement with the "The Worldwide Leader" that will see over 500 annual events on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State opened its second season of WAC play on a sour note after the Trailblazers dropped an 83-69 home decision to Tarleton State this past Thursday night.
    The Blazers were doomed by another slow start, while the short-handed Texans, who dressed only 10 players (played six) for the game, led wire-to-wire. DSU made a late charge with a 14-2 second-half run to pull within two points at 59-57 with 7:13 to play, but TSU outscored the Blazers 24-12 the rest of the way to escape with the win.  

JUDKINS NOW NO. 1 IN UTAH: Head Coach Jon Judkins became the all-time winningest head coach in Utah collegiate basketball history with career victory No. 583 in DSU's 114-49 home rout of SAGU-AIC back on Dec. 15.
    Judkins moved past legendary Utah head women's basketball coach Elaine Elliott (582-324) atop the state's all-time coaching victories list (men's and women's). That list also includes a pair of former Dixie State coaches in Dave Rose (1990-97 before moving on to BYU) and Stan Watts (1941-45 before moving on to Utah), along with such names at Stew Morrill (Utah State) and Rick Majerus (Utah).
    Judkins now owns a 584-281 (.675) overall record during his time at both Dixie State and Snow College (1992-2005).
    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. Prior to his arrival at DSU, Judkins spent 12 full seasons at Snow (UT) College, where he was 284-128 on the Badger sideline. Also of note, his older brother Jeff Judkins, who is currently the head women's coach at BYU, is sixth on the state's all-time collegiate wins list (440-201).

CHALK UP ANOTHER MILESTONE WIN FOR COACH: Coach Judkins also reached his second career milestone in as many games as he won his 300th game as Dixie State head coach in DSU's 78-69 victory at North Dakota (12/18).
    Coach Judkins is 300-153 (.662) in 16-plus years at Dixie State, including a 280-141 (.665) mark in the program's NCAA era.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED 12TH IN THE WAC: Dixie State was voted to finish 12th by both the coaches and the media as the Western Athletic Conference announced its 2021-22 conference men's basketball preseason polls on Oct. 19.
    New Mexico State was overwhelming pick to reclaim its crown in 2021-22 as the Aggies received eight first place votes and 138 points in the coaches' poll, and was favorite among the media pollsters as well.
    Defending WAC champion Grand Canyon collected three first place votes and 131 points to finish second in the coaches' rankings, while the Lopes were voted third in the media poll. Meanwhile, conference newcomer Stephen F. Austin garnered one first place nod and 106 points to finish third in the coaches' poll and second in the media poll.
    The rest of the coaches poll listed Utah Valley (103 pts) in fourth, WAC newcomer (and 2020-21 Southland champion) Abilene Christian (1 FPV; 92 pts) in fifth, Seattle U (90 pts) in sixth, WAC newcomer Sam Houston (86 pts) in seventh, California Baptist (84 pts) in eighth, Tarleton State (48) and UTRGV (48 pts) in t-ninth, conference newcomer Lamar (41 pts) in 11th, DSU (35 pts) in 12th, and Chicago State (12 pts) in 13th.
    Rounding out the media poll was ACU in fourth, followed by UVU, CBU, SHSU, Seattle U, Tarleton, Lamar, UTRGV, DSU and CSU.  

HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 144-38 (.791) overall record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins. Despite the loss to Tarleton last Thursday, and bolstered by a 5-1 homestand last month, the Blazers are now 6-2 at home this season, this after going 5-7 in their D-I debut season last year, and a 12-2 mark in DSU's final D-II year in 2019-20.
    In fact, DSU has recorded 13 home winning season records in 15-plus years of NCAA competition overall, though last season's 5-7 result was the first time in that 13-year winning stretch that the Blazers did not finish above .500 at home.
    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.
    
HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State fell to 1-5 (1-4 in true road games) away from home this season following the loss at Southern Utah on Dec. 22.
    DSU finished the 2020-21 campaign with a 3-6 overall road mark, which snapped an 11-year run that saw DSU post a winning road record. The last time Dixie State did not come away with a winning road record was all the way back in the 2007-08 season, when it went 4-11 away from home in the program's second year of Division-II competition.
    Dixie State is now 135-104 (.566) in 239 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, which includes a 107-82 record (.566) in true road games, and a 28-22 mark (.560) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure. That neutral mark includes last month's Texas State (11/19 in Northridge, Calif.) game, which served as the Blazers' first neutral court tilt in the program's new D-I era.
    DSU has won eight or more games away from home in 11 of its 15 NCAA campaigns overall, including a program best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.

AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Dixie State won six of its last seven 2021-22 non-conference games to improve to 88-77 (.533) all-time against non-conference opponents in 16 seasons of NCAA competition. In addition to DSU's 7-6 non-conference mark this season, the Blazers also posted a 4-3 record in their NCAA D-I debut last season.
    Thanks to the win at North Dakota last month (12/18), DSU clinched its ninth winning non-conference season overall during its four-year era, which is highlighted by 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).

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: After draining a combined 55 3-pointers over a four-game stretch prior leading into its non-conference finale at SUU (12/22), Dixie State hit a season-low four treys (4-of-24; .167) in its loss to the Thunderbirds. However, DSU doubled that number in Thursday's WAC opener vs. Tarleton, against which the Blazers were 8-of-23 (.347) from beyond the arc.
     DSU closed out its six-game homestand with at least 10 made 3-pointers in three-straight games, this after only doing it just 21 times the previous 417 NCAA era games overall. The Blazers knocked down 11 treys in the Saint Katherine win (12/4), and followed that up with a then-school record 16 3FGM vs. Denver at week later (12/11).  
    The Blazers then went off against SAGU-AIC (12/15), hitting a school record 21 3-pointers, which was one of five 3FG school records to fall that night. DSU also broke records for first half 3FGM (10), second half 3FGM (11), and for 3FG attempted (37). In addition, 11 different Trailblazers hit at least one 3-pointer, which was another school record.
    Dixie State has now hit at least one 3-pointer in 124-straight games. In addition, DSU has hit at least one three pointer in 325 of its last 327 games overall, and in 420 of the program's 423 NCAA-era games, which began in the 2006-07 season, with 24 total games of at least 10 3FGM.

NINETY AND NINE: For the first time in the program's NCAA era, Dixie State scored 97 or more points in three-straight games when the Blazers lit the scoreboard for 99 points twice against Bethesda (11/30 and 12/1), and 97 vs. USK (12/4).
    Then after an 82-point night in the Denver win (12/11), DSU erupted for a season-high 114 points in the SAGU-AIC win (12/15), which is the second-most points in the program's NCAA era. In all, DSU averaged 93.5 points over its six-game homestand (11/27-12/18).
    Dixie State is 56-6 all-time when scoring at least 90 points, including a 43-5 mark in games of 90-99 points, and a 13-1 record when the Blazers eclipse the century mark.

MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Dixie State has moved up the WAC rankings over its current seven-game stretch. Thanks in part to those lopsided home wins, the Blazers entered conference play this week second in the league in both points/game (81.0 ppg) and assists (17.5 apg), third in 3FG% (.367), fourth in 3FGM/game (8.5), and fifth in FG% (.456).
    In addition, IF Dixie State was eligible to be ranked in the official NCAA national statistics during its D-I transition, the Trailblazers would be currently ranked t-17th-nationally in assists/game, 30th-nationally in points/game, and 64th in the country in 3FG%.

GOODEN-PLENTY: Junior guard Cameron Gooden earned Dixie State's first WAC award this season when he was named WAC Player of the Week back on Dec. 13, after he scored a season-high 22 points and dished out six assists in the Denver win (12/11).
    Gooden, who poured in a game-high 15 points to go with a game and career-high tying eight rebounds in the Tarleton loss on Thursday night, has scored in double figures in seven-straight games and in 12 of his 14 starts this season.
    Additionally, he collected four assists on Thursday night, marking the 10th time this season he has dished out four or more dimes overall.
    Gooden earned All-Tournament Team honors at the CSUN Good Sam Empire Classic, which was highlighted by 20 points and a career-best eight rebounds at CSUN (11/13). Gooden also led DSU in scoring against both Texas State (18 pts; 11/19) and at then-No. 24 USC (17 pts; 11/22).
    Gooden picked up right where he left off from last season with a team-high 15 points in 31 minutes at then-No. 1 Gonzaga (11/9). Gooden hit on 6-of-12 shots to go with a team-high five assists and three rebounds.
    The junior then went for 10 points and a career-high nine assists in DSU's home win over Southern Utah (11/12). His nine dimes bested his previous career high of six set at California Baptist (1/30/21) last season.
    Gooden has scored in double figures in 26 of 35 games as a Trailblazer, and has led or co-led the team in scoring 17 times overall.

GOING BACK ON THE HUNT: While death and taxes headline the few guarantees in life, there is another guarantee that the Trailblazers can count on - a major Hunter Schofield bounce back.
    The senior forward struggled in his start at SUU (12/22), against which he was held to a career-low two points on 1-of-7 shooting. He did however block a season-high two shots and collected four rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.
    True to form, Schofield did bounce back in Thursday's loss vs. Tarleton with 14 points, including scoring DSU's first seven points on the night, and had 10 points in the first half overall. The senior hit 6-of-8 from the floor in the game, but was plagued by second half foul trouble.
    Prior to the SUU loss, Schofield's previous career-low was five points, which he recorded twice, the last time coming in the season opener at Gonzaga (11/9). All he did after that game was score in double figures in nine of his next 10 starts (15.2 ppg), including a season-high 29 points in the Southern Utah home win (11/12).
    Schofield was also held to five points last season in a home loss vs. Grand Canyon (1/23), and he responded with 10 or more points in six of his next seven outings. Schofield poured in 20-plus points three times during that stretch, highlighted by a career-high 31 points in a road win at Utah Valley (2/13).

MORE ON "SCORE"FIELD: Schofield entered some rarefied air in game one vs. Bethesda (11/30) as he went a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor for a game-high 18 points. Schofield joined former Trailblazers Mark Ogden Jr. (9-of-9 vs. Holy Names; 12/20/14) and Steven Larson (11-of-11 at Montana State-Billings; 11/16/12) as the only other players in DSU's NCAA era to post a perfect shooting night with at least nine made field goals.
    Schofield continued his dominant play the next night vs. Bethesda (12/1) with his first (and sixth career) double-double of the year with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds.
    Schofield's recent tear has vaulted him up the career charts as he is currently third in career scoring average (14.9 ppg), fifth in FGM (372), seventh in rebounds (376) and rebounding average (5.78 rpg), and eighth in scoring (950 pts) and in FG% (.519). He also moved into ninth in career blocks (34) and t-ninth in career starts (56).

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - Sophomore forward Frank Staine matched Gooden with a season-high 17 points at USC (11/22) ... the Inglewood native also knocked down three 3-pointers to go with one rebound and a steal in 24 minutes in his return to his Los Angeles hometown area.
* - Staine saw his streak of scoring in double figures stopped at five-straight starts after he tallied nine points at North Dakota (12/18), though he did hit for 10 points in the Tarleton loss on Thursday night ... Staine has scored 10 or more points in seven of his last 10 outings overall, including 15 points on 5-of-5 from 3-point country vs. SAGU-AIC (12/15).
* - In fact, Staine became the first player in Dixie State's NCAA era to hit his first five 3-point attempts.
* - Staine also became eligible to be ranked on DSU's career 3FG percentage list, where he currently stands in sixth place (.397) ... Staine's 89 3FGM in 64 career games are also good for t-seventh on DSU's career list, while his 224 3FGA ranks him sixth in the program's NCAA era.
* - Speaking of perfection, freshman guard Hunter Bohls would be hard-pressed to top what he did in his two minutes vs. SAGU-AIC (11/15) ... Bohls hoisted up his first three collegiate shots - all from beyond the arc, and knocked them all down for nine points.
* - Freshman forward Trevon Allfrey just missed his third (and fifth career) double-digit scoring game this season after he finished with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting at SUU (12/22) ... Allfrey also collected three rebounds and blocked a shot in 10 minutes off the bench.
* - Allfrey recorded his first collegiate double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the game one win vs. Bethesda (11/30) ... Allfrey went 5-for-5 from both the field and the charity stripe in 18 reserve minutes.
* - Meanwhile, junior guard Brock Gilbert flirted with a double-double in his own right in game two vs. Bethesda (12/1) ... the 5-10 guard dished out six assists and pulled down a career-best eight rebounds to go with two points and two steals in 23 minutes of action ... Gilbert also tied a season-high with eight assists vs. Saint Katherine (8 vs. SUU - 11/12).  
* - Junior forward Dancell Leter posted his second straight 13-point night in the Tarleton loss on Thursday night ... Leter accounted for four of DSU's 14 points, including a monster two-handed jam, in the Blazers' 14-4 second half run that cut the Texan lead to two points.
* - Leter, who poured in 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the loss at SUU (12/22), knocked down 5-of-10 from the floor vs. Tarleton and filled the stat sheet with three assists, two rebounds, one steal and a career-high two blocks.
* - Leter has scored 10 or more points in four of his last six starts, and six times overall this season, highlighted by a career-high 17 points vs. Weber State (11/27).
* - Freshman guard Noa Gonsalves was solid once again off the Blazer bench in the Tarleton loss, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in a career-high 27 minutes of action.
* - Gonsalves' 11 points were one off of his career high of 12 set in the road win at North Dakota (12/18), against which he went 5-of-7 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers, on his way to WAC Freshman of the Week (12/20) honors.
* - Freshman guard Andre Mulibea picked off a career-high three steals in the road loss at SUU (12/22) ... in fact, DSU racked up 10 steals off of 19 SUU turnovers, marking the fourth time this season that the Blazer defense collected 10 or more steals.
* - Mulibea was one of five Blazers to score in double figures with 11 points vs. Saint Katherine (12/4) ... in fact, all 11 of Mulibea's points, including three 3-pointers, came over the last 2:47 of the first half as he accounted for all but two of DSU's final 13 points of the frame.
* - Mulibea also knocked down what turned out to be both initial record-breaking 3-pointers, including the 14th trey vs. Denver (12/11), and the 17th trifecta vs. SAGU-AIC (12/15).
* - After throwing down just three total dunks in 21 games last season, the Trailblazers already have 10 dunks through the first 14 games this year - all of which have come over the last 10 games, including three flushes vs. Saint Katherine (12/4) ... Leter is the current team leader in dunks with five, including a break-away jam at SUU (12/22) to go with his flush vs. Tarleton on Thursday night.
* - DSU's bench combined to outscore the SAGU-AIC reserves by a whopping 64-18 margin (12/15) ... the 64 bench points eclipsed the previous season-high of 57 set in game one vs. Bethesda (11/30), against which the Blazer reserves combined to outscore their Flame counterparts by a 101-55 clip in the two wins.
* - Through 14 games, DSU's bench has outscored its opponent reserves by a 441-327 margin (31.5 ppg-23.3 ppg), and in 10 of 14 games overall this season.
* - Last season DSU outscored its opponent reserves by a 466-406 margin (22.2-19.3 ppg) in 21 games (11-of-21 games) ... in 2019-20, DSU reserves outscored its opponents' reserves in 22 of 30 games played (748-571/24.9 ppg-19.0 ppg).
* - While the Blazer offense hitting on all cylinders in the sweep of Bethesda, the Dixie State defense came up just as clutch as the Trailblazers broke the program's NCAA era single-game steals record with 18 in game two win (12/1) ... DSU forced 23 Flames' miscues on the night, which led to 28 Blazer points.
* - The 18 steals eclipsed the previous record of 17 set twice, most recently at home vs. Dominican more than 10 years ago (2/10/11). DSU also had 17 steals at Adams State (11/18/06) in the program's third-ever NCAA game.
* - Since the 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in just 49 of its last 145 games overall, though the Blazers have shot better than 50 percent four times through 14 games this season.
* - DSU shot a season-high 57.6 percent (34-of-59) vs. Saint Katherine (12/4), and 51.9 percent vs. SAGU-AIC (12/15).
*- DSU only shot better than 50 percent twice last season, the first being a season-high 63.2 percent vs. Bethesda (12/19/20) ... that performance broke a string of 66 games between the last time the Trailblazers shot at least 60 percent from the floor (60.0% vs. Holy Names - 2/19/18).
* - Also dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 71 of its last 148 games decided by nine points or less, including 12 of 35 games to this point of the program's Division I transition.
* - Dixie State crashed the boards in its sweep of Bethesda as the Blazers owned a plus-44 rebound margin in the two wins ... in fact DSU's 59 rebounds in game one (11/30) are the third-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era, while the 56 caroms in game two (12/1) are tied for seventh-most overall.
* - In addition, the two-game stretch also marked the first time in the program's four-year era that Dixie State posted consecutive 50-plus rebound games.
* - DSU also matched its season high with 59 rebounds in the SAGU-AIC win (59-33 rebound margin) ... freshman Trey Edmonds cleared a game and career-high eight of those missed shots to go with a career-best eight points off the bench.  
* - Uncharacteristically, Dixie State lost the "Battle of the Boards" in 12 of 21 games last season, though it has outrebounded its opponent in eight of 14 games this season (6-2) ... overall, the Blazers have outrebounded an opponent in 83 of its last 121 games going 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 ABILENE CHRISTIAN "WILDCATS": Abilene Christian (10-2/1-0 WAC) comes into Saturday's game as the hottest team in the WAC after pushing its win streak to 10-straight with an 80-76 road victory at Utah Valley on Thursday night.
    Eight of the Wildcats' 10 wins during this stretch have come at home, while ACU has played all but two of its games in the Lone Star State. The other two games have been played...in UTAH, including a 70-56 road loss at Utah (11/9) to open the 2021-22 campaign.    
    Abilene Christian joined the WAC this past July 1, as defending the Southland Conference tournament champion, which the Wildcats parlayed into a 53-52 upset win over Texas (14-seed vs. 3-seed) in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.  
    Brette Tanner (10-2 overall at ACU; Emporia State, 1998) is in his first season as head coach at ACU, this after serving on the Wildcats' staff for eight seasons, the last six as associate head coach.
    Senior guard Coryon Mason (6-0) is one of two Wildcats averaging double figures at 11.7 ppg on 48.4 percent shooting (13-of-30; .433 3FG), while fellow senior guard Mahki Morris (6-3) is scoring at a 10.8 ppg clip on 52.4 percent from the floor (13-of-35; .371 3FG).
    As a team, ACU averages a WAC-best 83.9 ppg (DSU is currently No. 2 at 80.1 ppg) on 46.9 percent shooting, while allowing 61.9 ppg (No. 2 in the WAC) through 12 games. ACU also averages 7.5 3FGM and 35.4 rpg a contest.

UP NEXT: Dixie State begins a stretch that will see the Trailblazers play six of their next eight WAC games on the road, beginning with a showdown at in-state rival Utah Valley next Saturday, Jan. 8. Tip-off at UVU's UCCU Center in Orem is scheduled for 2 p.m.