Utah Tech dropped its fourth-straight WAC game in a tough home result to Sam Houston, 78-53, on Saturday night inside the Burns Arena.  

How it happened 
It was a game of runs in the first half, with the Trailblazers (9-9/1-4 WAC) opening the game by outscoring Sam Houston 15-6. Frank Staine and Noa Gonsalves each tallied five points as UT opened the game hitting on 5-of-9 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers.
 
The Bearkats, who misfired on seven of their first 10 shots, found the shooting touch from the perimeter with three treys as part of an 11-3 spurt that trimmed that Blazer lead to 18-17 with 9:34 to go in the stanza.
 
Utah Tech countered with eight-straight points over a two-plus minute span, with Gonsalves banking in a 3-pointer from the wing, while Tanner Christensen hit a three of his own and laid in two more to extend the Trailblazer lead to 26-17.
 
However Sam Houston (13-5/3-3 WAC) would close the period with a 18-3 run, holding Utah Tech to one field goal over the final seven minutes, to take a 35-29 lead into the halftime intermission. 
 
SHSU kept the momentum going to begin the second half, scoring 11 of the first 14 points of the frame to race out to a commanding 46-32 advantage.
 
Jacob Nicolds stopped the initial rally, albeit briefly, with a 3-pointer, but the Bearkats would rattle off a decisive 18-6 run to go up 64-41. SHSU put it on cruise control from there to notch the road conference win.
 
Numbers to know
Staine was the lone Trailblazer to reach double figures as he finished with 10 points, while Gonsalves and Christensen added eight points apiece.
 
Two nights after posting a season-high shooting night vs. Stephen F. Austin (23-of-42; .548), Utah Tech was held to 39.1 percent (18-of-46) from the floor, including an 8-of-25 clip (.320) from the perimeter.
 
The Trailblazers struggled once again from the foul line, hitting on just 9-of-16 (.563) from the stripe. UT also committed 20 turnovers and was outrebounded by a 34-27 count. 
 
Utah Tech's 53 points were one point off the team's season-low of 52 scored at North Dakota (11/25/22). 
 
Qua Grant led a balanced Bearkat offensive attack with a game high 15 points. SHSU shot 53.6 percent (30-of-56) from the floor on the night and 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point country. Sam Houston's bench also outscored UT's reserves by a 40-18 margin.
 
Saturday night's game was UT Head Coach Jon Judkins' (599-301) 900^th collegiate game as head coach, and UT's 200th NCAA-era home game inside the Burns Arena (156-44; .780). 
 
Up next
Utah Tech travels to the desert for a midweek showdown at WAC preseason favorite Grand Canyon this upcoming Wednesday night in Phoenix.