Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | NM STATE - PDF
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OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (9-10/1-5 WAC) returns to action this Saturday night when the Trailblazers welcome defending WAC tournament champion New Mexico State (7-12/0-7 WAC) to the Burns Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (MT).  
 
UTAH TECH VS. NM STATE: Utah Tech enters Saturday night's match-up vs. NM State looking for its first victory in the series. The Trailblazers are 0-4 against the Aggies, with three of those four losses coming inside the Burns Arena, including a 77-69 home setback last season (2/10/22).
          Utah Tech also dropped both ends of a two-game home series to NM State during the 2020-21 season, and suffered a 75-64 road loss to the Aggies in the Blazers' first trip to Las Cruces (2/16/22) last year.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech suffered its fifth-straight WAC loss in a hard-fought 89-85 road loss at Grand Canyon last Wednesday night in Phoenix.  
          The Trailblazers climbed out of an early 22-11 hole thanks to a 19-3 run, which turned a double-digit deficit into a 30-25 UT lead with six-plus minutes remaining in the first half. 
          GCU answered with a 13-2 spurt to snatch the lead back and outscored UT 16-7 to close out the period to take a slim 41-37 advantage into the halftime break. 
          Utah Tech stayed within striking distance throughout the second half, but could not wrestle the lead away from the Lopes, who staved off a late Trailblazer rally to escape with the home win. 
 
HI MY NAME IS...: The Trailblazers began the 2022-23 season with a new institutional name - Utah Tech University. 
          This past July 1, the university re-branded to the new moniker, replacing "Dixie State University," while the "Trailblazers" nickname remained in place. 
 
NEW RADIO HOME OF UT ATHLETICS: 
          Along with the new name, Utah Tech University Athletics announced in July a new five-year multimedia agreement with Canyon Media Corporation. 
          Beginning this fall through the 2026-27 season, all Trailblazer football and men's basketball games, including comprehensive pregame and post game coverage, will be broadcast live on The Fan Sports Network (99.5/95.3 FM in St. George; 93.1 FM/1400 AM in Cedar City).
          The agreement will also feature select coverage of several other Trailblazer Athletic events throughout the year.
 
AND A NEW VOICE: In conjunction of the new radio home announcement, longtime Utah sportscaster Rod Zundel was introduced as director of broadcasting and multimedia content for Trailblazer Athletics, and will serve as the new radio voice for football and men's basketball.
          Along with complete radio coverage, Zundel will host "The Jon Judkins Coaches Show" every Tuesday night on The Fan Sports Network at 6 p.m. He will also oversee the production of several weekly Trailblazer student-athlete, coach and team online video feature stories, along with other digital content throughout the year. 
          Joining Zundel court side at home and select road games this season will be former UT assistant coach and current athletic administrator Mike Olson. 
 
JUDKINS NOW NO. 1 IN UTAH: Head Coach Jon Judkins became the all-time winningest head coach in Utah collegiate basketball history last season with career victory No. 583 in UT's 114-49 home rout of SAGU-AIC (12/15/21).
          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 Utah Tech (then 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 599-302 (.664) overall record during his time at both Utah Tech and Snow (UT) College (1992-2005; 284-128).
          Coach Judkins became the first men's coach in Utah collegiate basketball history to reach the 500-win plateau when UT defeated Hawai'i Hilo (81-72) back on January 28, 2017.
 
CHALK UP ANOTHER MILESTONE WIN FOR COACH...: Coach Judkins also reached another career milestone one game later when he won his 300th game as Utah Tech head coach in Blazers' 78-69 victory at North Dakota (12/18/21). 
          Coach Judkins is currently 315-174 (.644) in 17-plus years at Utah Tech, including a 295-162 (.645) mark in the program's NCAA era.
 
...AND A NEW CONTRACT EXTENSION: Utah Tech and Coach Judkins agreed to a five-year contract extension this past September that will keep the longtime Trailblazer mentor on the Burns Arena sidelines through the 2026-27 season. 
          Along with all the victories, conference championships and NCAA D-II Tournament appearances, Judkins has coached 44 all-conference selections, including 19 first team honorees, and two conference players of the year (Trevor Hill – PacWest 2017-18, Jack Pagenkopf – RMAC, 2019-20). In addition, he has had seven players collect all-region recognition, and two players – Zach Robbins (2014-15 D-II Bulletin Honorable Mention) and Hill (2017-18 NABC First Team) go on to earn All-America honors.  
          Meanwhile in the classroom, Judkins has had a combined 120 student-athletes earn academic all-conference recognition since 2009-10, with three of those student-athletes – Josh Fuller (2016-17 second team), Brandon Simister (2017-18 second team) and Hunter Schofield (2020-21 second team/2021-22 first team) garner CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. 
 
300/600 NOW IN SIGHT: Coach Judkins is closing in on two more milestones as he now stands just one victory shy of career win No. 600. The longtime Trailblazer mentor is also five wins away from his 300th NCAA era victory at Utah Tech. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 156-44 (.780) overall record in the Burns Arena under Head CoachJon Judkins, which includes a 6-2 start to the 2022-23 campaign, along with a 10-6 home mark last season. 
          Prior to the home opening win vs. CSUN (11/12), UT's last home win was an 80-75 overtime thriller vs. 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.                  
          The Blazers went 5-7 in their Division-I debut season in 2020-21, this after UT posted a 12-2 record in its final D-II year in 2019-20. That 2020-21 record snapped a 13-year streak that saw Utah Tech finish above .500 at home. The last time the program did not finish with a home winning record was UT's first NCAA season in 2006-07, when the Blazers finished with a 2-5 home mark.  
          Utah Tech 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?: Utah Tech fell to 140-119 (.540) in 259 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkinsfollowing its loss at GCU last Wednesday. That mark includes a 111-97 record (.533) in true road games, and a 29-22 mark (.568) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure. 
          Utah Tech has already matched its away from home win total from last season (3-8 overall), when UT played to a 3-12 (3-11 in true road games) record in 2021-22, which included a five-game skid to close out the year. 
          UT finished the 2020-21 campaign with a 3-6 overall road mark, which snapped an 11-year run that saw the program post a winning road record. The last time Utah Tech 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. 
          UT has won eight or more games away from home in 11 of its previous 16 NCAA campaigns overall, including a program best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11. 
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 160-straight games, which included 10 made threes at GCU last Wednesday, and a season-high 14 treys vs. Lindenwood (12/22). The 14 treys are the third-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era. 
          Last season, the Trailblazers nailed a school-record 21 treys in its 114-49 blowout win over SAGU-American Indian College (12/15/21).
          That record was one of five 3FG school records to fall that night as the Blazers 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.
          UT has reached double figures in made 3-pointers six times though 19 games this season, this after doing it only four times last year.
          In all, Utah Tech has hit at least one three pointer in 361 of its last 363 games overall, and in 455 of the program's 459` NCAA-era games, which began in the 2006-07 season, with 28 total games of at least 10 3FGM.
 
RELEASE...ROTATION...SPLASH: Utah Tech has attempted 20 or more 3-pointers 13 times this season, including a season-high 32 at Arizona (11/17), and 20 more at GCU (10-of-20) last Wednesday night.  
          UT took 20 for more 3-pointers 23 times last season, including a WAC season-high 31 3FGA (12-of-31; .387) vs. Utah Valley (2/19). In fact, UT broke the school record for attempted 3-pointers with 698 in 31 total games last season, which bested the previous record of 565 set in 30 games during the 2019-20 season. 
          Meanwhile, UT also broke its single season 3FG made record last year with 219 makes (219-of-565; .387), eclipsing the previous record of 205 also set in the 2019-20 campaign. 
 
SEEING 20/20/20: For the first time since beginning its Division I transition, and for the third time in the program's NCAA era, Utah Tech had three players score at least 20 points in a game last Wednesday night at GCU.
          Junior guard Isaiah Pope led the way with a career-high tying 25 points, while junior forward Frank Staine poured in a career-best 21 points. Sophomore forward Tanner Christensen also got into the act as he matched Staine with 21 points of his own. 
          Utah Tech achieved that feat two other times during its Division II run, the first coming at home in a 93-91 win over Chaminade (2/12/15), when DeQuan Thompson (22 pts), Mason Sawyer (21 pts) and former All-American Zach Robbins (20 pts) led the Blazers to victory.
          Fast forward nearly two years later when former All-American Trevor Hill (25 pts), Brandon Simister (23 pts) and Kyler Nielson (20 pts) did it in a narrow overtime loss at Azusa Pacific (104-103; 12/10/16). 
          Utah Tech has also had 23 instances during its NCAA of two players scoring 20 of more points in one game, the last coming during the 2020-21 season against, coincidentally, Grand Canyon (1/22/21). 
 
POPE LEADING THE CHARGE: Pope, who was inserted into Utah Tech's starting lineup 14 games ago, scored 17 of his career-high tying 25 points in the second half at GCU to help keep the Blazers within striking distance. Pope shot 6-of-12 from the floor and knocked down 11-of-14 at the foul line, both of which were career highs from the charity stripe. 
          Pope  first set his career high in UT's home win vs. Lindenwood (12/22) just before Christmas, which he followed up with 20 points in the Blazers' WAC-opening home win over UTRGV one week later (12/29). 
          The junior is averaging 14.3 ppg in WAC play this season, which includes team highs of 14 points and four assists at Utah Valley (12/31).  
          Pope was inserted into the starting lineup for both games in North Dakota and responded with 12 points against both UND (11/25) and Cal State Fullerton (11/26). He has now scored in double figures in 13 of 19 games to this point of the season, and is averaging 13.7 ppg since moving into the starting lineup. 
 
STAINE MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Like Pope, Staine also had a solid second half at GCU, scoring 13 of his career-high 21 points after halftime with three made 3-pointers. The junior's previous career high was 20 points, which he hit twice, the last coming just over three years ago vs. UC-Colorado Springs (1/3/20).
          Staine, who played in his 100th-career game on Wednesday night, hit on 7-of-11 from the floor, including a red-hot 5-of-8 from the perimeter. He became the third different Trailblazer to drain five 3-pointers in a game this season, while his five made threes, which tied a career high, moved him into fourth place on UT's career 3FG made list (131).
          Staine's 21 points also vaulted him into ninth place on UT's career points list (868), and he picked off two steals to become just the fifth player in program history to record 100 career steals. 
          In addition, Staine is ranked second in career 3FGA (362), ninth in career 3FG% (.362), and is currently five starts shy of becoming UT's career leader in starts (87). 
 
GOODEN PLENTY: Senior guard Cameron Gooden is close to returning to action after missing the last five games due to injury. Gooden had started in all 66 games of his Trailblazer career prior to suffering the injury in the UTRGV win (12/29).  
          Gooden has averaged a team-best 15.6 ppg and 3.8 assists through his 14 starts this year. He has led or co-led the Blazers in scoring eight times and has scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games overall, highlighted by a career-high 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting (5-of-7 3FG) at Utah State back on Dec. 1.
          Gooden scored 20 of those 29 points in the first half at USU, and he finished with five assists and three rebounds, while his nine made field goals and five 3-pointers also tied career highs. The senior's career night marked the third time in his last five starts that he tallied 20 or more points, which included his previous career high of 27 in UT's road win at Idaho (11/19).
          Gooden averaged 14.2 points on 47.9 percent shooting (23-of-48) during UT's Holiday homestand, which included game-highs of 19 points in the Chapman win (12/9), and 17 points vs. Westmont (12/19) ... the senior also tallied 13 points and dished out a season-high seven assists (with no turnovers) in the Lindenwood win (12/22). 
          Gooden has scored in double figures in 44 of his 66 career games with 10 20-plus point outings, and has led the team in scoring 36 times overall. Gooden (851 pts) also stands 10 points shy of moving into 10th place on UT's career points list. The senior is already in seventh place on UT's career scoring list (12.89 ppg), and is eighth in career assists (233).
 
SEND IT IN BIG FELLA: Christensen scored 16 of his 21 points at GCU last Wednesday night in the first half, which helped keep Utah Tech in the game. For Christensen, it was his eighth double-digit scoring night and his third 20-point game of the season.
          His 21 poins at GCU were the most since he scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with eight rebounds and five assists in UT's road win at Weber State (12/3). Christensen also threw down three dunks on the Wildcats, and had another at GCU, and now has a team high 18 dunks on the season.
          The sophomore posted his second double-double of the season with game highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds at California Baptist (1/5). His 14 boards were a career high and also the most by a Trailblazer player in the program's new NCAA D-I era, and he also blocked one shot at CBU, all while not committing a personal foul.   
          Christensen put on a show at Washington (11/14), going for a game and UT career-high 26 points in nearly 35 minutes. The sophomore scored UT's first eight points and had 16 of the team's 25 points as Blazers' opened up a 25-17 lead 12-plus minutes into the first half. Christensen, who hails from Spokane Valley, Wash., finished the night 11-of-17 from the floor with four rebounds and three assists in his return to his home state.
 
NICOLDS IS RED-HOT: Senior forward Jacob Nicolds had a career night in the UTRGV (12/29) as he poured in a career-high 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Nicolds knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and went 4-of-4 at the line, and just missed his second career double-double as he finished with nine rebounds. 
          Nicolds tallied nine points and five boards last Wednesday at GCU, and in the process vaulted into eighth place on UT's career rebounding list (375). In addition, the senior is currently seventh in career FG% (.530).
          Like Pope, Nicolds has also started in UT's last 14 games and has averaged just under 10 points in those outings, including 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting at CBU (1/5), which included a career-high four made 3-pointers (4-of-6 3FG). 
          In fact, Nicolds has had the hot shooting touch over his last 13 starts, having hit on 47 of his 72 (.652) shot attempts (18-of-30 3FG; .600) and 24-of-32 (.750) at the foul line, including a perfect 5-of-5 (3-of-3 3FG) from the floor, and he hit his lone FT attempt en route to 14 points vs. The Master's (12-17).
          Nicolds was also a perfect 5-of-5 with a 3-pointer for 11 points in the CSUF victory (11/26), and went 3-for-3 with a trey and 4-of-4 at the foul line for 11 points in road win at Weber State (12/3). 
 
GOING...GOING...GONSALVES: Sophomore guard Noa Gonsalves tied his WAC-career high with 11 points in the home loss to Stephen F. Austin (1/12), with six of his 11 points came at the foul line, while he recorded team highs of three assists and two steals. 
          Gonsalves also got into the act vs. Lindenwood (12/22) as tied his career high with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. The sophomore sharpshooter knocked down his first five 3-point attempts (5-of-6 3FG) and pulled down four rebounds. 
          Gonsalves' effort vs. Lindenwood virtually matched his night vs. Chapman (12/9), against which he scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a 5-of-8 effort from the perimeter. Gonsalves' five 3-pointers that night were a career high, while he became the 16th different Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to hit at least five 3-pointers in one game. 
          Gonsalves' previous career high scoring game came earlier this season in a 15-point night at Utah State (12/1), and he has scored in double figures in eight of his 19 starts overall to this point of the season.
 
BLAZING TRAILS:
* - Sophomore guard Hagen Wright had a breakout game in the home loss to SFA (1/12) as he poured in a career-high 14 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers, including a big corner three with 5:26 to play that cut the Lumberjack lead to 69-63 ... Wright's night eclipsed his previous career high of nine points vs. The Master's (12/17) last month. 
* - Senior forward Dancell Leter also had the hot hand off the bench in the SFA loss as he hit on 5-of-6 of his attempts en route to a WAC season high 12 points.
* - Leter came within one point of his second career double-double as he tallied nine points and a career-best 13 rebounds in the UTRGV win (12/29) ... Leter's 13 caroms bested his previous career high of 11 set at Chicago State last season (1/29/22), which is where he recorded his first UT double-double (13 pts).
* - Leter tied his career high with 17 points off the bench at Utah State (12/1), with 13 of those points coming after halftime ... Leter went 5-of-6 from the floor and 6-of-8 at the foul line, and added four boards, three assists and two steals to his final stat line.
* - Leter's 17 points at USU were the most he has scored on the road in his year-plus as a Trailblazer, and matched his career high of 17 he scored in last year's home game vs. Weber State (11/27/21).
* - After Utah Tech's bench was outscored by the Nevada (11/7) reserves by a 34-23 count in the season opener, the Trailblazer reserves had outscored their next four opponent reserves by a combined 98-31 count, including a 25-3 clip at Idaho (11/19) ... however that number took quite the hit as North Dakota's bench outscored UT's reserves by a whopping 42-5 spread (11/25), while the Utah State bench enjoyed a 49-19 scoring edge (12/1). 
* - Utah Tech entered its game at CBU with a 333-268 scoring advantage in bench points through 15 games, though the Lancers closed that gap considerably as they outscored the Blazer reserves by a 49-3 count ... the minus-46 bench point differential was the largest in UT's Division-I transition.
* - UT's bench was also outscored 40-18 in last Saturday's loss to Sam Houston, and the Blazer reserves are currently trailing their opponent's reserves by a 401-389 count, though the UT bench has outscored their opponents' reserves 10 times in 19 games overall this season.
* - Last season the Blazer bench posted a 699-652 point margin (22.5 ppg-21.10 ppg), and outscored its opponents bench 15 of 31 games (with two ties) overall last season.
* - Utah Tech shot a season-best 54.8 percent (23-of-42) from the floor in the SFA loss (1/12) ... that effort eclipsed the previous season best 54.1 percent (40-of-74) from the floor in the Chapman win (12/9), which followed up a 52.0 percent (26-of-50) effort a week earlier at Weber State (12/3).
* - UT then made it three-straight games by shooting 53.3 percent (32-of-60 vs. The Master's (12/17), which marked the first time in the program's brief D-I era that the Blazers have shot better than 50 percent in three consecutive games. 
* - The last time Utah Tech shot north of 50 percent in three-straight games was during the 2019-20 season when the Blazers did it in four-straight games (2/22-3/6/20). 
* - Utah Tech posted season highs of 52 points and 64.5 percent shooting (20-of-31) in the first half vs. Lindenwood (12/22) ... UT shot 52.4 percent (33-of-63) for the game.
* - Since the 2016-17 season, Utah Tech has shot 50 percent or better in just 56 of its last 181 games overall, though the Trailblazers have done it seven times through 19 games this season.
* - In fact, the Blazers shot better than 50 percent only four times in 31 games last season. 
* - Also dating back to the 2016-17 season, Utah Tech has had 80 of its last 184 games decided by nine points or less, including 22 of 71 games to this point of the program's Division I transition.
* - Utah Tech's 42-point victory vs. The Master's (12/17) was the sixth-largest margin of victory in the program's NCAA era, and is the second-largest during its Division-I transition .. that winning margin eclipsed the previous season-best of 41 points, which was set eight days earlier in the home win over Chapman by nearly the exact same score (99-58; 12/9/22). 
* - The Trailblazers' 100 points vs. The Master's were the most this season and marked the first time UT had hit the century mark in points in just over one calendar year ... UT scored 114 points in a home win over SAGU-American Indian College (114-49; 12/15/21). 
* - Utah Tech dished out a season-high 24 assists on its 40 made field goals in the Chapman (12/9), which are the most helpers recorded since UT racked up 25 dimes in game one vs. Bethesda last season (11/30/21) ... UT also collected 22 assists on its 33 made baskets vs. Lindenwood (12/22).
* - The Blazer defense also picked off a season best 16 steals vs. Chapman (12/9), which is the fourth-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era, and two shy of the school record of 18 set in game two vs. Bethesda last season (12/1/21). 
* - After being outrebounded in its first two games of the season, Utah Tech has won the rebounding battle in 13 of its last 17 games, highlighted by a decisive 38-25 rebounding margin at Washington (11/14), which included a 15-4 edge on the offensive glass ... UT also outrebounded Chapman by a 42-28 count (15-5 offense), and posted a season best +23 rebounding margin (51-28) in the UTRGV win (12/29).
* - In fact, Utah Tech's 51 rebounds vs. UTRGV were a season high and the most since the Blazers pulled down 52 rebounds against, coincidentally, UTRGV last season (1/22/22).
* - Last season the Trailblazers won the "Battle of the Boards" in 15 of 31 games (10-5), this after they were outrebounded 12 times in 21 games in their D-1 debut in 2020-21 ... overall, Utah Tech has outrebounded an opponent in 103 of its last 157 games going back to the 2017-18 campaign. 
* - A week after turning the ball over a combined 45 times vs. both SFA (25) and Sam Houston (20), Utah Tech only committed nine turnovers last Wednesday at GCU ... the nine miscues were the second-lowest total of the season and only bested by the six total turnovers committed at Washington (11/14), which was the third game of the season. 
 
ABOUT THE NEW MEXICO STATE "AGGIES": New Mexico State enters Saturday night's tilt having lost seven-straight and 10 of its last 13 after a 4-2 start. All seven losses in the Aggies' current skid have come in WAC play, which includes a lopsided 111-76 road defeat at Southern Utah this past Thursday night in Cedar City. 
          Senior guard Xavier Pinson (6-2) is one of two Aggies averaging double figures at 12.9 ppg and he is second in the WAC in assists at 4.5 apg. Junior G/F Deshawndre Washington (6-7) is NM State's top rebounder at 7.1 rpg to go with his 12.1 ppg average. 
 
UP NEXT: Utah Tech will make the first of two trips to Texas next week for WAC games at Tarleton State on Thursday, Jan. 26, and at Abilene Christian on Saturday, Jan. 28.