Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | UVU
Live TV: NONE
Live Video: WAC DIGITAL NETWORK - UVU
Live Audio: ESPN RADIO 97.7 FM
Live Stats: GAME #1 / GAME #2
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #DixieBlazers | #WeAreONE | #WACmbb | #WAChoops

OPENING TIP: Dixie State (6-9/2-6 WAC) will close out the road portion of its Division I debut season this Friday and Saturday nights as the Trailblazers make the short trip up Interstate-15 to Orem to face in-state foe Utah Valley (6-7/4-1 WAC). Tip-off each night inside UVU's UCCU Center slated for 6 p.m. (MT). 

DIXIE STATE VS. UTAH VALLEY: This weekend's two games vs. Utah Valley will be first two "official" NCAA contests between the two former junior college rivals on the basketball court. The two sides first played each other in 1972-73, and met annually in Scenic West Athletic Conference/NJCAA Region 18 until the 2002-03, which was UVU's last season of JUCO play before the program began its transition to NCAA Division-I status (2003-04 season).
    Since then, DSU and UVU have played in three exhibition games, the first occasion came in DSU's first-ever game as an NCAA Division II program on Nov. 1, 2006, when the Wolverines claimed a 74-47 victory in Orem. The two sides also met in exhibition games in Orem to open both the 2017-18 (DSU 70, UVU 81; 11/1/17) and 2018-19 (DSU 70, UVU 88; 10/30/18) campaigns.

STOP, HAMMER TIME: Just in time for the first WAC meeting between Dixie State and UVU, the two schools have announced a new name for the renewed rivalry. "The Old Hammer Rivalry" will continue the tradition that had been formed during their junior college days to present day with both schools holding NCAA Division I status and sharing membership in the WAC.
    DSU and UVU will go head-to-head and compete for WAC titles against one another in baseball, m/w cross country, m/w golf, m/w basketball, m/w soccer, softball, women's track & field, and women's volleyball.

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. This weekend's two games will feature Devin Dixon calling the play-by-play action and Andy Thompson 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 opened the final full month of the regular season with a home split of two WAC games vs. Seattle U last weekend in the Burns Arena. The Blazers shook off a sluggish start with a late second half rally to escape with a 77-76 triumph in the opener last Friday night.
    DSU started out slow again in Saturday's finale, but this time there was no recovery or rally as the Redhawks ran away with a 77-56 result. 

575 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 (575 career wins; .680 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.

JUDKINS COACHED IN 400TH NCAA GAME LAST FRIDAY NIGHT: Though Dixie State played in its 400th NCAA game at CBU (1/29), Coach Judkins coached in his 400th NCAA game at DSU last Friday night vs. Seattle U, a game that the Blazers' rallied for a 77-76 triumph.
    Judkins, who missed two games during the 2014-15 season, now owns a 271-130 (.676) four-year record as part of his Dixie State overall resumé.

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 139-33 (.808) overall record in the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a 4-4 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.

HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is 133-98 (.575) in 231 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, though the Blazers are off to a 2-5 start this year, this after a combined 11-5 record last season (7-5 road; 4-0 neutral). Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 105-77 record (.577) 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 104-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).
    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 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 305 of its last 307 games overall, and in 400 of the program's 403 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).

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

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - A season-high five Trailblazers scored in double figures in DSU's 77-76 G1 win over Seattle U last Friday night ... the last time DSU had at least five players tally double figures was nearly a year to the day (2/20/20) at Colorado Christian.
* - One of those players was not junior guard Cameron Gooden, who saw his streak of scoring in double figures halted at six-straight starts after being held to just seven points in Friday's win vs. Seattle U.
* - However  three of Gooden's seven points came at an opportune time for the Trailblazers as he converted an "And-One" with 15.2 seconds to play to help cap a furious second half rally and give Dixie State the lead for good.
* - Gooden came back with 17 points in G2 vs. Seattle U last Saturday, 15 of which came in the second half as he tried to keep Dixie State in the game.
* - Gooden has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 13 starts overall with three 20-plus point nights ... he has also led the team in scoring eight times, including in six of his last 10 outings.
* - Gooden posted game-highs of 22 points (3-of-5 3FG) and six assists (career-high) in the win at California Baptist (1/30) ... Gooden scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half to help rally DSU to the win, and wound up averaging 19.5 ppg in the two games at CBU (17 pts in G1, 1/29).
* - The junior point guard also made a little history in game one at CBU (1/29) as he became just the 10th-different player in the program's NCAA era to record at least five steals in a game ... Gooden collected five steals in G1, and for good measure, picked off four more steals in the game two win.
* - 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.
* - Senior forward Hunter Schofield has scored in double figures in four-straight games and in seven of his last nine outings, including both starts vs. Seattle U last weekend ... the senior tallied 10 points in G1, and followed that up with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting last Saturday.
* - Schofield tied a season-high with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting (6-of-6 FT) in G1 at CBU (1/29) ... it was Schofield's 11th career game with at least 20 or more points ... Schofield also just missed his fifth career double-double in that start as he pulled down nine boards to go with a career-best two blocks.
* - Schofield scored his 600th-career point at DSU on a first half mid-range jumper in game two vs. GCU (1/23), this after he poured in 23 points in game one vs. the Lopes (1/22).
* - Schofield posted his fourth career (and first of the season) double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds at UTRGV (1/16).
* -  Schofield is currently ranked third in DSU's NCAA era in career scoring average (14.7 ppg), t-sixth in career rebounding average (5.8 rpg) and eighth in career FG% (.520).
* - Sophomore forward Frank Staine has scored in double figures in eight of his first 14 starts this season, highlighted by a game-high 19 points in the season-opening home win vs. North Dakota (12/2).
* - Staine tallied 11 points and five rebounds in G1 vs. Seattle U last Friday, including a pair of late free throws to ice the game ... he then just about reversed that stat line with a season-high tying 10 rebounds and five points in game two.
* - Staine also pulled down 10 rebounds at SUU (12/17), which was one off his career high of 11 set last year at Westminster College (2/28/20).
* - Staine averaged 15.5 ppg and 4.5 in the two games at CBU two weeks ago on a combined 52.0 percent shooting ... the sophomore tallied 17 points and five boards in G1, then followed that up with 14 points and four caroms in the G2 win.
* - Staine scored his 400th career point on a leaner in the paint with exactly 5:00 minutes to play in the second half in G1 vs Seattle U last Friday.
* - Junior forward Jacob Nicolds, who missed last Saturday's game vs. Seattle U, just missed his second career double-double by one carom as he finished with 12 points and a team-high nine boards off the bench in G1 vs. Seattle U last Friday night ... Nicolds' biggest rebound of the night came on SU's Darrion Trammell's second missed FG attempt in a two-point game with 3.3 seconds left.
* - Nicolds tied a career-high with 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).
* - Senior forward Jarod Greene continues to lead all DSU active players, and is eighth in the WAC, in FG% at 54.1 (46-of-85) ... Greene poured in a season-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and a perfect 6-of-6 at the foul line in G1 vs. Seattle U last Friday night.
* - Greene's 16 points were one off of his career high of 17 points scored last season vs. Colorado Christian (1/17/20) ... he also tied a career-high with two blocked shots for good measure in SU win.
* - Greene displayed his hot shooting touch as he poured 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting at Gonzaga (12/29) ... Greene also tallied 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in game two at UTRGV (1/16), and went 6-of-8 from the floor for 12 points and pulled down a career-high nine caroms vs. Saint Katherine (12/5).
* - DSU's bench has outscored its opponent reserves by a 327-288 margin (21.8-19.2 ppg) through its first 15 games (8-of-15 games overall) ... DSU reserves outscored Seattle U's bench by a 31-11 count in Friday's win, thanks in part to Nicolds' 12 points and 10 points from sophomore guard Isaiah Pope.
* - Last season DSU reserves outscored its opponents' reserves in 22 of 30 games played (748-571/24.9 ppg-19.0 ppg).
* - Dixie State posted season highs in FTM (28), FTA (31) and FT% (.903) in the win over Seattle U last Friday night ... prior to that outing, the last time DSU shot at least 90 percent at the foul line came nearly a year-to-the-day ON THE ROAD in a 90-82 win at Western Colorado (27-of-30, .900; 2/7/20).  
* - DSU combined to shoot 82.3 percent (42-of-51) from the charity stripe in the two games vs. Seattle U, which increased its season FT% by 30 percentage points to 67.2 percent (7th in the WAC).
* - Dixie State's road victory at CBU (1/30) was not only the program's first WAC victory, but it also doubled as a streak breaker ... the Trailblazers entered the weekend having lost six-in-a-row, but saw that skid reach an NCAA-era program record seven-straight games in the G1 89-74 loss (74-89; 1/29) at CBU.
* - Prior to this season, DSU had lost six-straight games on only two other occasions in its four-year era ... the first instance happened in the program's first year of NCAA play in the 2006-07 season, while the second happened a year later in the 2007-08 campaign.
* - Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 67 of its last 128 games decided by nine points or less, including eight of 13 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.
* - Since the 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in just 44 of its last 125 games overall, and has only shot better than 50 percent once this season, that being 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 tied a season-low with its 33.3 percent FG% (19-of-57) vs. Seattle U last Saturday ... DSU also shot 33.3 percent (22-66) in its home loss to New Mexico (1/13).
* - Dixie State dished out a season-high 25 assists on its 36 made field goals vs. Bethesda (12/19), including five dimes apiece from senior guard Dason 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).
* - DSU was held to just 46 points at home vs. GCU (1/23) ... the 46 points tied for the second-fewest points in a game in the program's four-year era (L, 46-66 at Chaminade; 1/4/08), and marked the second time this season that DSU failed to score at least 50 points (49-82 at UTRGV, 1/15/21).
* - In addition, the Blazers' 35-point loss to Grand Canyon (1/23) was Dixie State's worst home loss in the program's NCAA era.
* - Uncharacteristically, Dixie State has lost the "Battle of the Boards" in 10 of its first 15 games this season, though the Blazers did outrebound Seattle U in both games last weekend (47-44 in G1, 42-38 in G2) ... overall, the Blazers have outrebounded an opponent in 73 of its last 99 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 UTAH VALLEY "WOLVERINES": Utah Valley enters the weekend set having won four of its last six games, which includes a split of a pair of home games vs. Tarleton State (W, 73-60; 1/29; L, 62-70; 1/3) two weekends ago.
    Mark Madsen (17-26 overall; Stanford, 2000) is in his second season as head coach at UVU, where he posted an 11-19 record in his debut season as a college head coach, this after a six-year stint as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.  
    The Wolverines feature four players scoring in double figures, led by senior guard Jamison Overton (6-6) at 17.6 ppg on 55.1 percent shooting. Meanwhile, sophomore center Fardaw Aimaq (6-11) is currently the NCAA D-I leader in rebounding at 14.9 rpg to go with 15.8 ppg and 2.0 bpg (t-33rd nationally) averages.
    As a team, Utah Valley averages 76.2 ppg on 49.6 percent shooting through 13 games while allowing 76.3 ppg. SU also averages 5.6 3FGM and 37.5 rpg a contest.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will wrap up its D-I debut season with a five-game homestand, beginning with a pair of games against fellow WAC newcomer Tarleton State next weekend, Feb. 19-20. Tip-off each night inside the Burns Arena is slated for 7 p.m. (MT).