2021-22 Dixie State Trailblazers Men's Basketball (9-10 / 2-4 WAC)
Game No. 20
vs. UTRGV (6-12 / 1-5 WAC)
Saturday, January 22 / 7 p.m.
Burns Arena (4,779); St. George, Utah
 

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

OPENING TIP: Dixie State (9-10/2-4 WAC) closes its brief two-game homestand on Saturday night as the Trailblazers welcome in UTRGV (6-12/1-5 WAC) for a conference tilt. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
 
DIXIE STATE VS. UTRGV: Dixie State will look to break through against the Vaqueros after the Blazers dropped both games of their WAC debut weekend last season in Edinburg. UTRGV welcomed DSU into the conference with a decisive 82-49 decision in game one (1/15/21), and completed the home sweep with a 72-65 win (1/16/21) the next night.

DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: All Dixie State Division I home and select road 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: Behind Hunter Schofield's third double-double of the season (22p/12r), Dixie State picked up its first WAC home win with a 71-55 triumph over conference newcomer Lamar on Thursday night.
    DSU led 36-32 at the halftime break, and though the Blazers never trailed in the second half, they weren't able to put the Cardinals away until late. Nursing a slim 45-43 lead with 12:13 remaining, DSU rattled off a 12-4 run to extend to a 57-47 DSU cushion with 5:08 remaining.
    Lamar trimmed the deficit to six at 57-51 with 4:35 to go, but DSU outscored the Cards 14-4 the rest of the way to close out the victory.

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 currently owns a 586-284 (.673) 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 (442-201).

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 currently 302-156 (.659) in 16-plus years at Dixie State, including a 282-144 (.662) mark in the program's NCAA era.

JUST WIN BABY: Thanks to Thursday's victory over Lamar, the Trailblazers (9-10) have surpassed their win total from last year's NCAA Division I debut season (8-13).

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: Thanks to Thursday's win vs. Lamar, Dixie State has played to a 147-39 (.790) overall NCAA-era record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins. Bolstered by a 5-1 homestand last month, the Blazers are now 7-3 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 2-7 (2-6 in true road games) away from home this season after last Saturday's loss at Seattle U.  
    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 136-106 (.562) in 242 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, which includes a 108-84 record (.562) 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.

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 has hit just 40 combined treys over its last seven games overall. The Blazers did manage to knock down eight treys (8-of-25; .320) in Thursday's win over Lamar, which were most over this current stretch, this after they were held to just four 3-pointers at Seattle U last Saturday.
     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 total 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 129-straight games. In addition, DSU has hit at least one three pointer in 330 of its last 332 games overall, and in 424 of the program's 428 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.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: After struggling in his start at UVU (1/8) two weeks ago, senior forward Hunter Schofield has come back with a vengeance, averaging a double-double at 21.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over his last three games.
    Schofield posted his second double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 boards in the win at CBU (1/12), then just missed No. 3 at Seattle U last Saturday, going for 25 points and eight caroms.
    The senior did get his third double-double of the season, and eighth of his career, in Thursday's win vs. Lamar with game highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds. His 12 boards were also a season-high and a WAC career-best.
    Schofield has scored 10 or more points in 15 of his 19 starts this season, and in 26 of his last 34 games dating back to the 2020-21 campaign, with eight games of 20 or more points over that stretch.
    Dixie State is 7-2 this season when Schofield scores 15 or more points, which includes a season-high 29 points in the home win over Southern Utah (11/12).
    Schofield entered some rarefied air in game one vs. Bethesda (11/30) when he went a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor en route to his 18-point night ... the senior 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.

MR. 1000/400: Schofield became the fourth player in DSU's NCAA era to join the 1,000-point/400-rebound club, and was the first player to reach both numbers in the same game, after his banner day at Seattle U.  
    Schofield (1,027 pts/416 rbs) also became the eighth player in program history to reach the 1,000 point plateau, and the sixth player to record 400 or more career rebounds.
    The senior joined some elite company in the 1000/400 club, which includes former DSU All-Americans Zach Robbins (2009-15; 1,470 pts/932 rbs) and Trevor Hill (2014-18; 1,441 pts/596 rbs), who are ranked 1-2, respectively, on both career lists. Meanwhile, former DSU guard Ryan Sanchez (2006-09) stands fourth in career rebounds (474) and fifth in career points (1,052).  
    Schofield enters Saturday night's game vs. UTRGV needing 26 more points to vault all the way up to fifth on DSU's career points list. In addition, Schofield is currently third on DSU's career scoring (14.6 ppg) and FGM (397) lists, sixth in rebounding average (5.9 rpg), and eighth in FG% (.515), FTM (192) and blocks (36).

GOODEN-PLENTY: Junior guard Cameron Gooden had a night in last week's win at CBU (1/12), pouring in a game and career-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting with three 3-pointers (3-of-4 3FG). Gooden also went 7-of-9 at the foul line and finished with six rebounds and four assists in nearly 35 minutes of game action.
    He then followed that up with 10 points, five dimes, four boards and three steals at Seattle U last Saturday.
    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 then-season high 22 points and dished out six assists in the Denver home win (12/11).
    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). The junior guard also led DSU in scoring against both Texas State (18 pts; 11/19) and at then-No. 24 USC (17 pts; 11/22) on that three-game SoCal trip.
    Gooden dished out a career-high nine assists and had 10 points in DSU's home win over Southern Utah (11/12), which bested his previous career high of six dimes set in the win at California Baptist (79-75; 1/30/21) last season.
    Gooden has recorded four or more assists 21 times over his 40-game Trailblazer career. Meanwhile, he has scored in double figures in 15 of 19 starts this season, with three 20-plus point nights, and in 28 of 40 games as a Trailblazer, while he has led or co-led the team in scoring 18 times overall.

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - Sophomore forward Frank Staine poured in 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 (12/30), and led the Blazers with 15 points at UVU (1/8) ... the sophomore also poured in 11 points and had five rebounds in Thursday's win vs. Lamar.
* - Staine was limited to seven points at CBU (1/12), though he did dish out a season-high three assists, including his biggest dime of the night on Isaiah Pope's GW-basket with 7.1 seconds left ... he also dished out three assists at Seattle U to go with six points, three rebounds and two steals.  
* - Staine also did the job on the defensive end at UVU (1/8) as he picked off a career-high five steals, which is t-fifth on DSU's single game list ... Staine became the 12th different Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to record five or more steals in a game, and he is the first to do it since Gooden collected five steals in DSU's loss at California Baptist last season (1/29/21).
* - As a team, DSU racked up 10 steals off of 19 UVU turnovers, marking the fifth time this season that the Blazer defense recorded 10 or more steals in a game.
* - Staine has scored 10 or more points in nine of his last 15 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 has vaulted into DSU's career 3FG shooting ranks, where he is currently sixth in 3FGM (94), 3FGA (245) and 3FG% (.383).
* - 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).
* - Gilbert tallied a WAC career high six points on 2-of-4 from the perimeter vs. ACU (1/1) ... in fact, both of Gilbert's made threes allowed DSU's current streak of 125-straight games with a made 3-pointer to continue.   
* - Junior forward Dancell Leter has scored in double figures in four of his last seven starts, including 12 points - eight in the second half - in the road win at CBU (1/12) ... Leter also had 15 points vs. Abilene Christian (1/1) and consecutive 13-point outings at SUU (12/22) and Tarleton (12/30).  
* - Leter has scored 10 or more points eight times overall this season, highlighted by a career-high 17 points vs. Weber State (11/27).
* - Freshman guard Noa Gonsalves returned to his early season form as he filled the stat sheet with eight points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in the Lamar win on Thursday night ... Gonsalves also blocked a career-high two shots, both of which came in the second half, including a highlight-reel smother block on a Cardinal fast break.
* - Gonsalves' eight points on Thursday were the most since he poured in a WAC season-high 11 on 4-of-6 shooting in a career-high 27 minutes of action off the bench in the Tarleton loss (12/30).
* - 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 has averaged 6.0 points since returning to action last Saturday at Seattle U, including seven points in 12 minutes vs. Lamar on Thursday night ... Prior to the Seattle game, Mulibea had not played since the loss at SUU (12/22), when he picked off a career-high three 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 19 games this year - all of which have come over the last 15 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), and another flush vs. Tarleton (12/30).
* - 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 19 games, DSU's bench has outscored its opponent reserves by a 532-401 margin (28.0 ppg-21.1 ppg), and in 13 of 19 games (with one tie) overall this season.  
* - Sophomore guard Isaiah Pope and junior forward Jacob Nicolds accounted for half of DSU's 30 bench points at UVU (1/8) ... Pope tallied a season-high 13 points and pulled down four rebounds, while Nicolds added 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting with two 3-pointers and four caroms.
* - In fact, Pope's effort at UVU earned him the start at CBU (1/12), and he responded by filling the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal in 28 minutes ... Pope's biggest points of the night came with 7.1 seconds when he knocked down a leaner in the key, got fouled, and completed the conventional three-point play to give DSU the lead for good.   
* - DSU's bench tallied a season-low eight points at CBU (1/12), thanks to the five DSU starters combining to score a season-high 71 of the team's 79 points ... the previous starting line-up season high was 66 set in the Saint Katherine win (97-65; 12/4).  
* - 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 150 games overall, though the Blazers have shot better than 50 percent four times through 19 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 73 of its last 153 games decided by nine points or less, including 14 of 39 games to this point of the program's Division I transition, with five of those occasions coming this season (3-2 overall).
* - 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 12 of 19 games this season (8-4) ... overall, the Blazers have outrebounded an opponent in 87 of its last 126 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 UTRGV "VAQUEROS": UTRGV makes its first-ever trip to St. George having lost 10 of its last 12 outings, this after opening the year 4-2, which includes a 66-56 loss at Utah Valley on Thursday night in Orem.
    Junior swingman guard Justin Johnson (6-6) leads the Vaqueros' offense in averaging 16.1 points on 49.8 percent shooting (19-of-52, .365 3FG) and 5.9 rebounds. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky graduate transfer Marek Nelson (6-7) lead the team in steals and averages 10.3 ppg.
    As a team, UTRGV averages 24.4 ppg on 44.7 percent shooting through 18 games while allowing 77.6 ppg. The Vaqueros also average 6.8 3FGM, along with 33.9 rpg and 12.7 assists per game.

UP NEXT: Dixie State opens a three-game road swing next Saturday when the Trailblazers travel to the "Windy City" for a WAC match-up at Chicago State. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. (CT).