The Trailblazers first quarter lag propelled Grand Canyon to a 66-50 win Saturday afternoon. 

How it happened:  Dixie State struggled in the first quarter to find any offensive groove. The Trailblazers went scoreless for the first six minutes of the game and didn't hit a single field goal in the first quarter. It wasn't until Shanaijah Davison sank a pair of free throws at 3:39 that DSU even got on the scoreboard. Breaunna Gillen also hit a pair of free throws with four seconds on the clock and DSU trailed 18-4. 

Davison finally hit an allusive field goal two minutes into the second quarter. The Trailblazers went off on a 10-3 run to try and cut the score deficit. Dixie ended up outscoring GCU 19-16 in the second quarter but still trailed 34-23 going into the half. 

The Blazers lagged in the third quarter with Grand Canyon controlling the pace of the game. DSU trailed 54-33 going into the final quarter of action. 

DSU ended the game on an 11-5 run but the damage had already been done and the Lopes walked away with a 66-50 victory. 

Leaders: Dixie State was led by Davison and Talia Sireni who each had 11 points. Gillen also had double digit scoring with 10. Averi Papa came up with eight rebounds for the game high. 

Comparison: Dixie State ended the game shooting 29 percent from the field, 24 percent from the three and 89 percent from the free throw line. The Trailblazers totaled 26 rebounds, eight assists and 18 turnovers. 

Grand Canyon shot 36 percent from the field, 37 percent from the three and 100 percent from the free throw line. The Lopes ended the game with 48 rebounds, 15 assists, and 17 turnovers.

Notes to Know: DSU is now 7-16 overall on the season and sit at 3-9 in WAC play. 

Up next: Dixie State will be returning to the Burns for a rematch with NMSU on Thursday, Feb. 17 and hitting the road to take on in-state rival Utah Valley on Saturday, Feb. 19.