Who | Utah Tech (1-1) at Youngstown State (1-2) / Lake Erie College (1-2)
When | Friday, Nov. 17 – 4:30 p.m. MT / Saturday, Nov. 18 – 12 p.m. MT
Where | Beeghly Center – Youngstown, Ohio / Jerome T. Osborne Center – Painesville, Ohio
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UniteTheFamily / #IntoTheStorm
 
Scouting the Opponents:
Youngstown State is 1-2 after defeating NAIA side Ohio Christian on Monday, previously falling to Louisiana in Lafayette, La., 72-62, and on the road at Michigan. Brandon Rush leads the offense with 16.0 points per game, having poured in 32 against Ohio Christian, while Bryson Langdon (11.0) and DJ Burns (10.0) are also averaging double-figures. Rebounding has been a strength this season, as the Penguins currently hold a plus-1.7 advantage in the rebounding margin.
 
Division-II side Lake Erie College also holds a 1-2 record and is also coming off its first win of the season. That victory, a 75-59 result over Clarion, saw four players finish in double-figures, led by Jonny Manning's 18 points, while Manning also added 11 boards. The 6-7 forward/center currently leads the team in scoring (19.0), rebounding (9.3) steals (1.7) and blocks (1.3)
 
Unstoppable
Tanner Christensen played a massive role in Utah Tech's overtime victory over Jacksonville State on Saturday, tying a career high with 26 points, shooting 12-19 from the field while grabbing nine rebounds and blocking two shots. The 6-10 forward/center from Spokane, Wash., also hit the game-tying shot with less than one second remaining in regulation to send the contest into overtime, which Utah Tech would win with a last-second bucket.
 
Christensen is averaging 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds through his first two games in 2023.
 
Jack of All Trades
Like Christensen, Beon Riley was a catalyst in the Trailblazers' 81-79 overtime victory over Jacksonville State on Saturday. The 6-6 guard/forward finished with a career-high 15 points, shooting 5-9 from the field and 3-3 from deep while adding six rebounds and five assists in a balanced effort. After making 65 bench appearances at Hawaii, Riley has started both of his appearances as a Trailblazer and holds averages of 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks while shooting 46.7% from the field through two games.
 
Clutch Buckets
Despite getting his first taste of college basketball, Aric Demings had a huge weekend for the Trailblazers, averaging 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He connected on a number of clutch buckets over the weekend, including a game-tying triple mid-way through overtime before eventually banking in the game-winning layup with three seconds remaining against Jacksonville State.
 
Sixth Man
Entering the second of weekend of play as Utah Tech's leading scorer, David Elliott opened the season up with a 24-point, six-rebound performance at Santa Clara before scoring 14 on 4-5 shooting against Jacksonville State on Saturday. The 6-3 guard from Los Angeles, Calif., came within one point of his career high during that 24-point outburst, having previously rained in 25 while playing at Garden City Community College (Garden City, Kan.). At one point he scored seven-consecutive points in the second half against Santa Clara before fueling a 13-0 run to bring the game back within six points.
 
Elliott ended the opening weekend with averages of 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals while shooting 13-23 (56.5%) from the field, 5-9 (55.6%) from deep and 7-8 (87.5%) at the line.
 
Ready to Play
After not entering Thursday's game against Santa Clara, Unisa Turay had his number called for the first time as a Trailblazer on Saturday, immediately providing a spark. The Phoenix, Ariz., native finished with two points, one rebound and one steal in five minutes of action, earning praise from Head Coach Jon Judkins for his readiness.
 
"UU also gave us a nice little spark," Judkins said after the victory. "He came into the game, hadn't seen a lot of time but came in ready to go. I thought he was one of those guys who had an outstanding game."
 
On the Floor
One of the leading three-point marksmen for the Trailblazers last season, nobody on the roster played more minutes through the first two games than Noa Gonsalves. The 6-1 guard from Lehi, Utah, played 37 minutes against Santa Clara before playing all but 41 seconds of Saturday's contest, finishing the weekend with seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal.
 
Jaylen Searles joined Gonsalves as one of the team's leading minute-getters, with the 6-8 Searles scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds in Thursday's game against Santa Clara before playing 34 minutes and recording a team-high three steals against Jacksonville on Saturday; one of those steals resulted in a breakaway dunk with 13:39 remaining to put the Trailblazers ahead by four.
 
Block Party
Hamed Olayinka saw action in both games off the Utah Tech bench, playing seven minutes against Santa Clara and 10 against Jacksonville State. After scoring his first points on a dunk against Broncos on Thursday, the 6-9 Olayinka blocked two shots against JSU on Saturday, finishing the game with four points, one rebound, one assist and two blocks.
 
Reserve Minutes
Though combining for 22.5 total minutes of action, the combination of Tennessee Rainwater and Caleb Stearman both played in both games over the weekend. Rainwater, a true freshman from Davenport, Wash., scored his first collegiate bucket on an and-one against Santa Clara on Thursday, a game in which Stearman played six minutes and finished with one rebound and one assist.
 
Perimeter Defense
The Trailblazer defense found ways to disrupt opposing shooters over the weekend, holding the Broncos to just 8-27 (29.6%) from range while the Gamecocks finished 5-15 (33.3%). With a combined opponent three point percentage of 31.0% thanks to a 13-42 effort, it comes in nearly 4% lower than last year's opponent season average of 34.9%.
 
Up Next
After playing on back-to-back days this weekend the Trailblazers will head to Pullman, Wash., to face Washington State (Nov. 24, 2 p.m. MT) before traveling to St. Charles, Mo., for a game against Lindenwood (Nov. 27, 6 p.m.).