Noa Gonsalves sank a school record seven 3-pointer to lead five Trailblazers in double figures as Utah Tech closed out its 2023-24 non-conference slate with a thrilling 96-92 overtime victory over Florida International on Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Arena. 
 
A Trailblazer victory did not look like it would be in the offing, at least in the early going, as FIU (5-10) led virtually the entire first half and held a 32-20 advantage with five minutes to play in the period.
 
However Utah Tech (6-7/2-0 WAC) would close the half with a flourish, outscoring the Panthers 16-7 over those final five minutes. Nine of those points came off the hot shooting hand of Gonsalves, who knocked down three of his record-tying six treys in that stretch run, as the Trailblazers pared the deficit down to 39-36 at the halftime break.
 
The Blazers, who scored the first basket of the game for their only lead, finally managed to draw even at 48-48 with 13:38 to play after Tanner Christensen split a pair of free throws.
 
FIU quickly responded with an 11-4 spurt over the next three minutes to extend back to a seven-point advantage at 59-52 following a Javaunte Hawkins jumper.
 
Utah Tech then flipped the script with a 16-2 run, including 13-straight points, which turned that seven-point deficit into a 68-61 lead following two Aric Demings free throws.
 
In fact, it was Demings who spurred the Blazer rally with seven quick points, including a convention three-point play and a 3-pointer. Jaylen Searles then gave Utah Tech the lead back with a step-back trey of his own from the right wing with 8:23 to go in regulation.
 
Demings, who tallied 11 of his career-high 19 points in that run, tacked on four more points at the foul line, which sandwiched around a Hamed Olayinka bucket, as Utah Tech wrestled the momentum back. 
 
FIU guard Jayden Brewer finally stopped the run with a breakaway dunk, albeit briefly, as Utah Tech would push its lead to double digits thanks to Gonsalves' record-breaking seventh trey, and an Angelo Kambala four-point play that staked the Blazers to a 75-65 cushion with 4:41 to go.
 
However the Panthers would claw back, outscoring Utah Tech 15-5 to tie the game at 80-80 after a Hawkins 3-pointer with 29.1 seconds left.
 
Utah Tech countered on its ensuing possession with a Searles deep trifecta that made it an 83-80 game with 5.7 seconds remaining. 
 
But Hawkins had other ideas as he took the inbound pass, raced down the court and banked in a 30-foot buzzer-beater to again tie the game at 83-83 with 0.9 on the clock.
 
After a Utah Tech timeout, the Trailblazers had a good look at a possible game winner, but Christensen could not get his 17-footer to fall and the game went to overtime.
 
Utah Tech took early control in the extra frame thanks to four quick points from Christensen, while Kambala followed with his second 3-pointer of the game to spot the Blazers with a 90-85 lead.
 
The Trailblazers led 93-87 after a Demings free throw with 49 seconds left, but Hawkins would score five-straight Panther points to make it a 93-92 game with 17 ticks on the clock.
 
Utah Tech would go on to split six free throws in the waning seconds to hold off FIU and close the 2023 calendar year with a hard-fought home win. 
 
Gonsalves went 7-of-11 from beyond the arc to break a school record that had stood since the 2009-10 season when former Blazer guards Donovan Plunkett and Tom Whitehead both his six 3-pointers in a road win at Hawai'i Pacific (97-86; 2/20/10). 
 
In all, seven different Trailblazers had hit six 3-pointers in a game, with the last player to do it being former Utah Tech guard Cameron Gooden last season in a road win at UTRGV (W, 88-81; 2/23/23). 
 
Meanwhile, Demings went 4-of-7 from the floor and 10-of-16 at the foul line en route to his 19 points. The freshman guard also pulled down career-best seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
 
Christensen came away with his third double-double of the season, and the seventh of his career, with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Christensen also came within five assists of a triple-double as tied a career-high with five dimes.
 
Kambala wound up with a career-best 11 points, while Searles matched it with 11 points of his own on 4-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.
 
Utah Tech shot 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the floor and knocked down a season high 14 3-pointers (14-of-26; .538), which helped offset a 61.1 percent clip (22-of-36) from the foul line. The Trailblazers also outrebounded FIU 58-34, and collected 18 assists on their 30 made field goals.
 
Hawkins led all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting. FIU hit on 33-of-74 of its field goal attempts (.446), which included a 12-of-35 effort (.343) from the perimeter. 
 
Utah Tech opens the New Year, and the bulk of its WAC slate, by playing five of its next seven games on the road, starting with a quick trip to the "Emerald City" to face Seattle U on Thursday, Jan. 4.