Hunter Schofield notched his third double-double of the season with game highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds help lead Dixie State past a pesky Lamar Cardinal side, 71-55, on Thursday night inside the Burns Arena.
 
With the victory, the Trailblazers surpassed their win total from last year's NCAA Division I debut season (8-13) as DSU improved to 9-10 overall, 2-4 in Western Athletic Conference play.
 
After spotting the Cardinals (2-16/0-7 WAC) an early 12-4 advantage five minutes in, Dixie State methodically chipped away at the deficit and would take its first lead of the night on a Cameron Gooden lay-in, which made it a 21-20 game with 7:21 to play in the first half.

The two sides exchanged the lead four more times before the Blazers closed the period with a 10-4 spurt to take a 36-32 lead into the halftime break. Andre Mulibea got the rally going with a 3-pointer, while Schofield followed that up with a trey of his own as the senior scored DSU's final seven points of the frame.
 
Dixie State never trailed in the second half, but could not completely put the Cardinals away either, until the Blazers rattled off a 12-4 run that turned a slim 45-43 game into a 57-47 DSU cushion with 5:08 remaining.
 
Lamar trimmed the deficit to six at 57-51 with 4:35 to go, but freshman guard Noa Gonsalves hit a dagger 3-pointer on DSU's ensuing possession. Gonsalves' shot all but took the wind out of the Cardinals' sails as the Blazers closed the game with a 14-4 run, with Schofield again accounting for Dixie State's final seven points.

Schofield hit on 9-of-19 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers, while 10 of his season-high 12 caroms came on the defensive end, as the senior recorded his eighth career double-double overall. Meanwhile Frank Staine was the only other Blazer player to score in double figures with 11 points to go with five boards.

Dixie State rebounded from a cold shooting first half (12-of-36, .333) by shooting 48.3 percent (14-of-29) in the second 20 minutes to finish the night at an even 40.0 clip. DSU also hit on 8-of-25 (.320) from the perimeter, but was just 11-of-18 (.611) from the line. The Blazers outrebounded Lamar, 46-44, and forced 15 Cardinal turnovers, including nine second half miscues.

Lincoln Smith led the Cardinals with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and finished seven rebounds. Lamar shot 30.8 percent (20-of-65) overall, which included a paltry 3-of-21 (.143) from three-point country.

Dixie State will close out its brief two-game homestand this Saturday night against UTRGV in the Burns Arena beginning at 7 p.m.