2021-22 Dixie State Trailblazers Men's Basketball (13-16 / 6-10 WAC)
Game No. 30
at Abilene Christian (18-9 / 9-7 WAC)
Thursday, March 3 / 7 p.m. (CT)
Teague Center (2,500); Abilene, Texas

 

Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | ACU
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Live Stats: at ABILENE CHRISTIAN
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OPENING TIP: Dixie State (13-16/6-10 WAC) embarks on its final road trip of the 2021-22 season this weekend, beginning with a date at WAC newcomer Abilene Christian on Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (CT), inside the Teague Center (2,500) in Abilene, Texas.

DIXIE STATE VS. ACU: Dixie State enters Thursday's game looking for its first win vs. Abilene Christian after the Wildcats claimed the first-ever meeting between the two programs in a 64-50 road win inside the Burns Arena on New Year's Day.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State wrapped up its 2021-22 home slate on a sour note as the Trailblazers dropped a 73-65 decision to Seattle U on Senior Day last Saturday night.
 
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 590-290 (.670) 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 (454-202).

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 306-162 (.654) in 16-plus years at Dixie State, including a 286-150 (.656) mark in the program's NCAA era.

HOME SWEET HOME: Despite losing three of its final five home games, Dixie State finished with a 10-6 record inside the Burns Arena for the 2021-22 season.
    DSU last home win in that stretch was an 80-75 overtime thriller over in-state rival Utah Valley (2/19), which clinched the Trailblazers' ninth 10-plus win home season in its NCAA era, and the first as a newly-minted D-I program.         
    In addition, the UVU win was also the 150th NCAA home win (150-42; .781) in the Jon Judkins era.  
    Last season the Blazers went 5-7 at home in their D-I debut, this after the DSU posted a 12-2 mark in its final D-II year in 2019-20. That 2020-21 record snapped a 13-year streak that saw the Blazers finish above .500 at home. The last time the program did not finish with a home winning record was DSU's first NCAA season in 2006-07, when the it finished with a 2-5 home mark.  
    DSU posted a perfect 12-0 record at home 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 3-10 (3-9 in true road games) away from home this season after its 75-64 loss at NM State on Feb. 16
    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 137-109 (.557) in 246 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, which includes a 109-87 record (.556) in true road games, and a 28-22 mark (.560) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure. That neutral mark includes November's Texas State (L, 65-85; 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.

WORKING OVERTIME: Dixie State moved to 21-13 (.617) all-time in overtime games after its 80-75 win over UVU on Feb. 19. The OT win came nearly two years to the day of the Trailblazers' last OT game, which did not end as well as DSU dropped a 105-97 decision at Colorado Christian (2/22/20) during its final D-II season.
    Four of those 34 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.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: After draining a combined 55 3-pointers over a four-game stretch prior to its non-conference finale at Southern Utah (12/22), Dixie State has hit only 102 combined treys over its last 17 games overall.
    The Trailblazers looked to have regained their shooting touch in time for the stretch run as they hit a then-WAC season high nine treys at NM State (2/16), and followed that up with conference season best 12 3-pointers (12-of-31) in the UVU win (2/19).
    However DSU was just 3-of-12 from beyond the arc in last Thursday's loss to CBU, though they doubled that by hitting on 6-of-23 (.261) from the perimeter vs. Seattle U last Saturday night.
     DSU closed out its six-game, non-conference homestand (11/27-12/15) 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 139-straight games. In addition, DSU has hit at least one three pointer in 340 of its last 342 games overall, and in 434 of the program's 438 NCAA-era games, which began in the 2006-07 season, with 25 total games of at least 10 3FGM.

RELEASE...ROTATION...SPLASH: Dixie State has attempted 20 or more 3-pointers 22 times this season, including a WAC season-high 31 3FGA (12-of-31; .387) vs. UVU (2/19). In fact, DSU has broken the school record for attempted 3-pointers with 662 through 29 games this season, which bested the previous record of 565 set in 30 games during the 2019-20 season.
    On Saturday night DSU also broke its single season 3FG made record when Isaiah Pope drained the Blazers' 206th 3-pointer of the season with 16:13 to play in the second half. DSU has now hit 208 3FG through 29 games, eclipsing the previous record of 205 also set in the 2019-20 campaign.

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. Saint Katherine (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.

BIG GAME HUNTER: Senior forward Hunter Schofield scored in double figures for the 12th time in his last 13 starts with 14 points on Senior Night vs. Seattle U last Saturday.
    Schofield averaged an even 22.0 points during his final homestand, including consecutive 26-point outings vs. California Baptist (2/24) and Utah Valley (2/19), against which he played in a career-high 43 of a possible 45 minutes.
    Schofield is averaging 18.0 points over this final stretch run, while his 26-point night vs. UVU was his first 20-plus point outing since he became the first Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to score 20 or more points in four-straight games last month.
    The senior started that 20-point run with a then-conference season best 25 at Seattle U (1/15), then followed that up with consecutive 22-point nights in home wins vs. Lamar (1/20) and UTRGV (1/22). Schofield began DSU's three-game road swing with a game-high 23 points in the win at Chicago State (1/29), but did see that streak end in the Sam Houston road loss (2/3), though he did lead DSU in scoring with 15 points.
    Schofield has scored 10 or more points in 24 of his 29 starts this season, and in 35 of his last 43 games dating back to the 2020-21 campaign, with 11 games of 20 or more points over that period.
    Dixie State is 11-4 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).

20/20/20 AND 20: Prior to DSU's win at Chicago State (1/29), Schofield was one of only five Blazers in program history to score at least 20 points in three-straight games and was the second to do it twice (2019-20). Former Blazer swingman Tom Whitehead also achieved the feat twice in 2009-10 and again in 2010-11.
    Former DSU forward and assistant coach Kasey Winters was the first to do it in 2007-08, while Blazer All-American guard Trevor Hill added his name to that exclusive list in 2017-18, and former DSU forward Matt Conway followed suit a year later in 2018-19.

ON TARGET: 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.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Schofield just missed posting his fifth double-double of the season by one rebound as he finished with a game-high nine boards to go with his 14 points last Saturday vs. Seattle U.
    The senior did notch his fourth double-double of the season, and the ninth of his career, with 11 rebounds, two nights earlier vs. CBU (2/24), including 10 defensive boards
    Three of his four double-doubles have come in WAC play, including wins at CBU (16p/10r; 1/12) and at home vs. Lamar (22p/10r; 1/20). He is averaging 7.8 rebounds over his last 13 games, including 6.3 defensive caroms, with two total double-doubles over this current stretch.  

SOON TO BE MR. 1200/500: Schofield enters Thursday night's game at Abilene Christian needing only two points and 14 rebounds to become only the third player in Dixie State's NCAA era to amass 1,200 career points and 500 career rebounds.
    The senior vaulted into third place on both career lists during the team's last homestand. He moved into third place in career rebounds late in the second half vs. CBU (2/24), and when he scored DSU's first points vs. Seattle U on a jump hook last Saturday, he slid into third place on that list.   
    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 milestone numbers in the same game thanks to his banner day at Seattle U (1/15), where he tallied 25 points and eight rebounds.
    He then joined the 1,100-point club at home vs. NM State (2/10) when he hit a mid-range jumper with 18.9 seconds remaining. The senior also became the first of the five previous players to reach that 1,100-point plateau in less than 100 career games (75 games).
     If Schofield can reach both the 1,200 point/500 rebound thresholds in his final two collegiate games, he will join former DSU All-Americans Zach Robbins (2009-15; #1 all-time - 1,470 pts/932 rbs) and Trevor Hill (2014-18; #2 all-time - 1,441 pts/596 rbs) in that exclusive club.
    In addition, Schofield is currently third on DSU's career scoring (14.9 ppg) and FGM (464) lists, fifth in rebound average (6.07 rpg), seventh in blocks (42), and eighth all-time in FG% (.501) and FTM (219).
    On the single season list, Schofield, who broke DSU's single season scoring record (492 pts) in the 2019-20 season, is ranked eighth in points (439) t-10th in points/game (15.1 ppg), and third in FGM (172).  

GOODEN-PLENTY: Junior guard Cameron Gooden filled the stat sheet with 16 points, five boards and four assists in a career-high tying 38 minutes vs. UVU (2/19). The junior guard scored 14 of those points after halftime, including two big "And-Ones" at the end of regulation and to start DSU's overtime scoring.
    Gooden's 16 points were the most he scored since he poured in a career-high 26 points in DSU's win at CBU last month (1/12). Gooden hit 8-of-14 from the with three 3-pointers (3-of-4 3FG) 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 two days later at Seattle U (1/15).
    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, 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 nationally-ranked 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), while he tied a WAC career-best with six dimes at Sam Houston (2/3). The junior has recorded four or more assists 26 times over his 50-game Trailblazer career.
    In addition, Gooden, who tallied team-highs of 15 points and four assists vs. Seattle U last Saturday, has scored in double figures in 20 of 29 starts this season, with three 20-plus point nights, and in 33 of 50 games as a Trailblazer, while he has led or co-led the team in scoring 19 times overall.

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - After seeing his streak of scoring in double figures stopped at seven-straight after a seven-point night vs. UVU (2/19), junior forward Dancell Leter tallied 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting along with five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the loss to CBU (2/24).
* - Leter has scored 10 or more points in eight of his last 10 starts, and in 12 of his last 17 outings overall, including back-to-back 15 point outings in DSU's home split with NMSU (2/10) and GCU (2/12) ... he followed that up with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers at NM State (2/16).
* - Leter is averaging 11.6 ppg (11.6 in WAC play) on 46.1 percent shooting (11-of-25 3FG; .440) over his current run ... Leter has tallied 10 or more points 15 times overall this season, highlighted by a career-high 17 points vs. Weber State (11/27).
* - Leter recorded his first double-double as a Trailblazer after he went for 13 points and 11 rebounds at Chicago State (1/29) ... Leter had 8-and-8 at the intermission, and was sitting on those eight points until the 2:49 mark of the second half when he knocked down a dagger 3-pointer ... the junior then slammed home a breakaway jam after a Frank Staine steal on the Cougars' ensuing possession.
* - Speaking of Staine, he became the sixth player in the program's NCAA era to hit at least 100 career 3-pointers when he drilled his third trey of the game late in the second half at NM State (2/16).
* - Staine finished with 11 points at NMSU, this after he tied a season-high with 17 points to lead four Blazers in double figures at home vs. the Aggies back on Feb. 10.
* - Staine hit three more perimeter jumpers in the UVU win (2/19), including a big 3-pointer in overtime, as part of a 12-point, eight-rebound night.
* - Staine also poured in 17 points at USC (11/22) ... the Inglewood native 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 posted his first double-double of the season, and the third of his collegiate career, with 11 points and a season-high 10 rebounds in the UTRGV win (1/22) ... that performance came on the heels of him going for 11 and 5 in the Lamar victory (1/20) two nights earlier.  
* - Staine led the Blazers with 15 points at UVU (1/8), and did the job on the defensive end as well with a career-high five steals, which is t-fifth on DSU's single game list ... Staine, who is currently 10th all-time in career steals (77), 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).
* - Staine has scored 10 or more points in 13 of his last 25 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 (103) and 3FGA (285), and is ninth in 3FG% (.361).
* - Junior guard Brock Gilbert poured in a WAC career-high seven points with a pair of 3-pointers and a free throw vs. CBU (2/24) ... that effort eclipsed his previous WAC high of six points on 3-of-5 shooting in the GCU win (2/12) ... he also tallied six points on 2-of-4 from the perimeter vs. Abilene Christian (1/1) ... in fact, both of Gilbert's made threes, the only two DSU hit on the night vs. ACU, allowed Blazers' current streak of 139-straight games with a made 3-pointer to continue.   
* - Freshman guard Noa Gonsalves tied career highs with four assists and two steals, and collected four rebounds and two points, in the UVU win (2/19).
* - Gonsalves 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 post player Trey Edmonds had a night at NM State (2/16), against which he poured in a career-high 10 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds in just over 11 minutes off the bench.
* - Edmonds tallied eight of his 10 points in the second half, highlighted by two thunderous dunks, and collected his fifth blocked shot of the year to help keep the Blazers within striking distance late.
* - Edmonds' six caroms also tied his WAC season-high, which he recorded at Stephen F. Austin (2/5), and were the most since he grabbed a career-high eight, to go with a then-career best eight points off the bench vs. SAGU-IAC (12/15).   
* - After throwing down just three total dunks in 21 games last season, the Trailblazers have 19 dunks through 29 games this year - all of which have come over the last 24 games ... Leter is the current team leader in dunks with nine.
* - 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.
* - Sophomore guard Isaiah Pope and junior forward Jacob Nicolds accounted for half of DSU's 30 bench points at Utah Valley (1/8) ... Pope tallied 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 has started every game since and is averaging 8.7 ppg over his last 13 outings overall, including a season-high 17 points vs. UTRGV (1/22), and 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting last Saturday vs. Seattle U.
* - Through 29 games, DSU's bench has outscored its opponent reserves by a 667-596 margin (23.0 ppg-20.5 ppg), and in 15 of 29 games (with two ties) overall this season.
* - DSU tied a season low with eight bench points in the loss at Stephen F. Austin (2/5) ... Prior to that, DSU tallied eight bench points in the come-from-behind win at California Baptist (1/12), thanks to the five DSU starters combining to score a season-high 71 of the team's 79 points.
* - DSU starters also poured in 71 points (of the 80 points) in the overtime win vs. UVU (2/19).
* - 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).
* - 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 season, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in just 49 of its last 160 games overall, and the Blazers have shot better than 50 percent only four times through 29 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).
* - Also dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 76 of its last 163 games decided by nine points or less, including 18 of 50 games to this point of the program's Division I transition, with nine of those occasions coming this season (5-4 overall).
* - Dixie State has won the "Battle of the Boards" in 15 of 29 games this season (10-5), this after the Blazers were outrebounded 12 times in 21 games in their D-1 debut last season ... overall, the Blazers have outrebounded an opponent in 90 of its last 136 games going back to the 2017-18 campaign.
* - DSU attempted a season-low four free throws (3-of-4) in the home loss to NM State (2/10) ... the Blazers' previous season low was six charity tosses (3-of-6) in their home loss to Weber State (11/27).

ABOUT THE ABILENE CHRISTIAN "WILDCATS": Abilene Christian (18-9/9-7 WAC) enters Thursday's game having won seven of its last nine games, while the only two losses over the current stretch were by six total points, including a tight 73-71 road setback at Stephen F. Austin last Saturday night.
    ACU joined the WAC last summer as the defending Southland Conference tournament champion, which the Wildcats parlayed into a 53-52 upset win over Texas (14-seed vs. 3-seed) in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.  
    Brette Tanner (18-9 overall at ACU; Emporia State, 1998) is in his first season as head coach at ACU, this after serving on the Wildcats' staff for eight seasons, the last six as associate head coach.
    Senior guard Coryon Mason (6-0) is one of three Wildcats averaging double figures at 12.5 ppg on 46.5 percent shooting (30-of-78; .385 3FG). Meanwhile junior forward Airion Simmons (6-5) is scoring at a 11.5 ppg clip and leads the Wildcats in rebounding at 5.9 rpg.
    As a team, ACU averages a WAC-best 77.4 ppg (DSU is currently No. 5 at 73.4 ppg) on 43.9 percent shooting, while allowing 66.4 ppg (#1 in the WAC in scoring margin - +11.0 ppg). ACU also averages 6.9 3FGM and 32.7 rpg a contest, and leads the conference in steals (11.0 spg) and turnover margin (+8.81).  

UP NEXT: Dixie State closes out the 2021-22 season with a Saturday showdown at defending WAC champion Grand Canyon. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. (MT), inside the GCU Arena in Phoenix.