Men's Basketball | 11/23/2024 11:00:00 AM

Game #6
Who | Utah Tech (1-4) vs. CSUN (3-1)
When | Sunday, Nov. 24 – 2 p.m.
Where | Dahlberg Arena – Missoula, Mont.
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

Game #7
Who | Utah Tech (1-4) at Montana (2-3)
When | Monday, Nov. 25 – 5:45 p.m.
Where | Dahlberg Arena – Missoula, Mont.
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

Game #8
Who | Utah Tech (1-4) vs. Denver (3-2)
When | Tuesday, Nov. 26 – 2 p.m.
Where | Dahlberg Arena – Missoula, Mont.
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

Scouting the Matadors
CSUN enters Sunday afternoon's contest with a 3-1 record winning its last three contests after opening the season with a 14-point loss at St. Bonaventure.

The Matadors are averaging 82.5 points per game while leading the Big West and ranking fourth nationally in field goal defense (34.2).

CSUN is led in scoring by junior guard/forward Scotty Washington with 15.8 points per game while senior forward Keonte Jones is leading the way grabbing nine rebounds per game.

Scouting the Grizzlies
Montana is 2-3 overall on the season with wins over Hawaii Hilo (92-61) and Northwest Indian College (94-44).

The Grizzlies have a narrow scoring margin of 0.6 averaging 74.8 points per game while allowing 74.2 ppg. Montana ranks fourth in the Big Sky in free throw attempts per game (20.2) and are hitting 62.4 percent from the line.

Redshirt freshman forward Jensen Bradtke is leading the Griz averaging 17.0 points per game while Joe Pridgen is third in the Big Sky averaging 7.8 boards per game.

Scouting the Pioneers
Denver is 3-2 on the season with wins over Western Colorado, Colorado Christian and Montana State.

The Pioneers are shooting 45.7 percent from the field, second-best in the Summit League, and are averaging 77.8 points per game.

Three Pioneers are averaging double figures, led by sophomore guard DeAndre Craig with 12.2 ppg. while Nicholas Shogbonyo has a team-leading 4.8 rpg.

Series History vs. CSUN, Montana & Denver
This will be the Trailblazers' fourth meeting against CSUN. The two teams have met each of the last three seasons with Utah Tech winning in 2022, a 69-63 victory at home. CSUN won in Northridge in 2021 and last season.

This will be the first-ever meeting against Montana for the Trailblazers and third contest against Denver.

UT won both previous contests against DU winning on the road in 2020 and at home in 2021.    

Last Time Out
Utah Tech managed to weather an early flurry at Utah on Friday afternoon, who hit four of their first five shots in scoring the first eight points of the afternoon.

Noa Gonsalves stopped the run with a 3-pointer from the right wing to get the Trailblazers on the scoreboard, and the process kick-started an 11-2 rally which gave them an 11-10 lead seven minutes into play.

Tennessee Rainwater followed the Gonsalves trey with one of his own, while Samuel Aribiyi knocked down a nifty turnaround jumper in the paint. Justin Bieker then hit a runner in the lane 50 second later to put his side on top.

Unfortunately that lead would be short-lived as Utah rattled off nine-straight points as part of an 18-6 run to extend to a 28-17 advantage with 6:23 to go until halftime. Utah led 42-26 lead at the intermission and kept that momentum going out of the locker room, striking for six-quick points to extend to its largest lead of the game at 48-26 with 17:35 remaining.

The Trailblazers tried to shoot themselves back into the game, with Britton Berrett, Gonsalves and Hakim Byrd all burying 3-pointers, with the Byrd trey making it a 52-36 game with 14:43 to go.

That would be as close as Utah Tech would get as the Utes outscored the Blazers 18-5 over the next seven minutes, and would cruise from there to earn the in-state victory.

No Double Digit Scorers
Utah Tech was held without a double-digit scorer for the first time in its NCAA Division I era at Utah on Friday, and just the second time in the program's four-year era overall.

Rainwater and Byrd paced the Trailblazers with eight points apiece against the Utes.

The only other occasion that Utah Tech did not have at least one player score in double figures came just over 13 ago to the day in a road loss at Seattle Pacific (L, 42-58, Nov. 11, 2011).

Where the Blazers Rank in the WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech leads the WAC in offensive rebounds per game (12.80), ranks second in turnover margin (3.0), three point attempts per game (25.0), three point percentage defense (30.3) and turnovers per game (11.0).

Individually, Beon Riley ranks fourth in the WAC in rebounds per game (7.5) and seventh in free throw attempts (26).

Gonsalves checks in third in the conference in steals per game (1.60), fifth in minutes per game (30:43) and seventh in field goal attempts (57).

Road Trip Underway
The Trailblazers are in the midst of an eight-game road swing as UT will be back home at Burns Arena until facing Weber State on Dec. 13. 

The Trailblazers will be one of 18 Division I teams who will go at least 30 days in between home games led by Bethune Cookman going 63 days (Nov. 16-Jan. 18).

Seasoned Veteran
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 332-207 (.616) overall record and a 312-195 (.615) mark in NCAA play.

Only nine current Division I coaches have been at their schools longer - Greg Kampe (41st season at Oakland), Tom Izzo (30-Michigan St.), Mark Few (26-Gonzaga), James Jones (26-Yale), Randy Bennett (26-Saint Mary's), Leonard Hamilton (23-Florida St.), Scott Drew (22-Baylor), Bill Self (22-Kansas) & Gary Manchel (22-Mercyhurst).

Gonsalves The Sniper
With 99 career games played, including 65 starts, Gonsalves ranks second in program history in career three-pointers made (155) and attempts (412) while ranking ninth in three point percentage (.376).

He is just 12 made three-pointers and 11 three-point attempts shy of reaching the top spot in both categories.

What's Next
Utah Tech continues its road swing next Saturday (Nov. 30) at Portland State (2-2) at 6 p.m.