(Abilene, Texas – Jan. 25, 2024) Utah Tech men's basketball played Thursday night, falling to the Abilene Christian Wildcats 80-62 at Kimbrell Arena in Abilene. With the result, UT's season record now sits at 7-12 and 3-5 against WAC opponents.
 
Aric Demings returned to the starting five as the opening minutes proved to be a back-and-forth affair. Noa Gonsalves put in the game's first points before two-straight Hamed Olayinka buckets – including a thunderous dunk – gave the Trailblazers an early lead.
 
After Utah Tech built a four-point lead with a Tanner Christensen layup that connected five minutes into the first half, Abilene responded with a quick 10-2 run of its own, turning a 12-8 Trailblazer lead into a 16-12 Wildcat advantage with 11:58 on the clock. The game continued to remain within five points as Angelo Kambala connected on a triple, but a late ACU run put the hosts ahead by seven at halftime.
 
The lead was cut down to four early in the second half after a pair of Jaylen Searles free throws and another Gonsalves bucket, but Abilene promptly responded with an 23-2 run across the next nine minutes of game action. Stone Hutchings made his way into the game and scored four points in his first three minutes on the court but it was too little too late as both teams traded buckets down the stretch of a game that finished in favor of ACU.
 
Christensen led the team in scoring and rebounding with 15 points and nine boards, shooting 5-7 from the field, 5-7 at the line and dishing out three assists. Angelo Kambala scored eight points in 17 minutes played while Demings' night finished with a line of seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Tennessee Rainwater tied a career-high with seven points in nine minutes of action while Trey Hall played a season-high 11 minutes to finish with three points (1-2 3PT) and two rebounds.
 
As a team Utah tech shot 22-46 (47.8%) from the field, using five steals and three blocks to force 14 Wildcat turnovers that were converted into 16 points – six of which came on the fast break. The bench accounted for 24 points while Utah Tech scored 36 points in the paint.
 
The Trailblazers are back in action on Saturday, facing Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas.