Hunter Schofield's lay-up and free throw with 17.6 seconds remaining, coupled with a stout defensive final stop, lifted Dixie State to a thrilling 61-60 victory over defending WAC champion Grand Canyon on Saturday night inside the Burns Arena.
 
The victory snapped the Trailblazers' three-game losing skid as DSU improved to 12-13 overall, 5-7 in WAC play.
 
With the game tied at 58 with 39.8 seconds to play, GCU guard Holland Woods II knocked down a go-ahead midrange jumper to give the Lopes a 60-58 lead.
 
On Dixie State's ensuing possession, Isaiah Pope drove left from the top of the key and found Frank Staine on the left wing. Staine then fed the ball to the low block to Schofield, who sealed off his defender, corralled the pass and drew a foul on the lay-in.
 
After DSU called timeout to set its defense, GCU point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. drove the ball to the right wing, where he was met by Cameron Gooden and Dancell Leter. The Blazer double team forced the ball back out near midcourt to Woods II, who could not dribble past Pope and was forced to take a step-back perimeter jumper that fell off the mark as the final horn sounded.

The game shaped up the be a close defensive battle, especially in the early going as both sides could not get anything going on offense. The two teams combined to miss 23 of their first 31 shots with nine turnovers through the first 10 minutes, but Dixie State still managed to keep pace with the Lopes and trailed 11-9 after a Leter free throw.
 
Trailing 20-14 with just under four minutes to play until halftime, DSU went on a 7-2 run, kick started by consecutive Schofield buckets, to pull to within a point at 22-21. Grand Canyon (17-6/8-4 WAC) countered with Jalen Blackmon 3-pointer with 47 seconds left, but the Blazers answered with a Brock Gilbert driving lay-in 13 seconds later.

Gilbert then picked off at steal in the closing seconds and let fly a 40-foot heave that bounced off the iron at the halftime buzzer as DSU retreated to the locker room down two at 25-23.
 
Dixie State finally took its first lead of the night with 18:47 to play in regulation with a Leter conventional three-point play. However that lead would be short lived as GCU rattled off seven-straight points to match its biggest lead of the night at 32-26.
 
Down four at 41-37 with 10 minutes to play, the Trailblazers used a 7-0 run of their own to wrestle the lead back at 44-41 following an Andre Mulibea 3-pointer with 8:45 left.
 
DSU would see its lead swell to as many as six points at 52-46 following a Schofield trey, and the Blazers would not trail again until that late Woods II jumper in the final minute of regulation.

Schofield led all scorers with 18 points, 12 of which came after halftime. The senior forward also just missed his fourth double-double of the season as he finished with a team-high nine rebounds to go with three assists and two blocks.

Leter was the lone other Trailblazer to reach double figures with 15 points, marking the sixth-straight game the junior has scored 10 or more points in a game.
 
Dixie State shot 38.3 percent (23-of-60) from the floor, though the Blazers were just 4-of-21 (.190) from the perimeter. DSU also went 11-of-15 (.733) at the foul line, and was outrebounded by a slim 45-43 margin.
 
Woods II and Gabe McGlothan paced four Lopes in double figures with 11 points apiece. The Lopes connected on 32.9 percent (23-of-70) of their shots and was 7-of-23 (.304) from 3-point country.
 
Dixie State will look to avenge its Thursday 77-69 home loss to New Mexico State when the Blazers travel to Las Cruces for the rematch this upcoming Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.