Men's Basketball | 12/18/2024 2:30:00 PM

Game #14
Who | South Dakota (9-4) at Utah Tech (3-10)
When | Thursday, Dec. 19 – 7 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena – St. George, Utah
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

SCOUTING THE COYOTES
South Dakota comes into Thursday night's game with a 9-4 mark coming off a 89-66 win at home last Saturday over Western Illinois.

A perfect 8-0 at home, the Coyotes are only 1-4 on the road this season with their lone victory coming at Western Michigan, 80-76 on Nov. 20.

Coming off a 12-20 mark in 2023-24, the Coyotes finished in a tie for eighth in the Summit League with a 5-11 mark. Led by third-year head coach Eric Peterson, South Dakota is 33-43 (.434) overall with a 5-27 record on the road in his tenure.

The Coyotes are sitting atop the Summit League in a number of categories leading the way in bench points per game (38.15), blocks per game (4.0), free throws made/attempted (18.9/26.9), scoring offense (87.0) and turnovers per game (10.6).

Junior center Cameron Fens  leads the Summit League in blocks (15) while leading the team in rebounds (5.2 per game) and is shooting 60.2 percent from the field.

Senior guard Chase Forte has gotten to the free throw line a league-high 90 times and ranks third in the league in assists per game (3.6) and is seventh in points per game (15.2).

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH DAKOTA & SUMMIT LEAGUE
This will be Utah Tech's first-ever meeting against South Dakota.

The Coyotes will be the Trailblazers' third opponent from the Summit League joining North Dakota (2-2) and Denver (3-0).

The Trailblazers defeated DU earlier this season on Nov. 26 at the Stew Morrill Classic, 68-54. Utah Tech squared off against North Dakota at home last season falling 79-62 at home.

LAST TIME OUT
Reaching the 100-point plateau for the first time in nearly two years, the Trailblazers defeated Whittier, 100-66 on Monday night at Burns Arena.

Highlighted by five Trailblazers in double figures, Utah Tech was led by a career-best 17 points from redshirt sophomore guard Stone Hutchings.

Senior center Sammy Howlin came off the bench to notch his first career double-double finishing with career highs in both points (16) and rebounds (15).

Junior guard Britton Berrett tacked on a career-best 16 points off the bench, sinking four three-pointers, while Samuel Ariyibi recorded his first career double-double tallying 13 points and grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds.

Senior guard Noa Gonsalves rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points, two rebounds and a steal.

Getting out to a 9-2 lead after a three-pointer by Tennessee Rainwater, the Trailblazers went on a 25-11 run to extend their lead to 34-13 after a jumper by Ariyibi with 7:20 to play in the opening half.

The Poets chiseled down the lead to 17 (39-22), but the Trailblazers ended the first half on an 11-4 run to take a 24-point lead to the break.

A layup by Gonsalves got the scoring started for UT in the second half as the Trailblazers shot 46.5 percent from the field in the half extending their lead to as many as 37 going on for the win.

WHERE THE BLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech continues to lead the WAC and rank 55th nationally in three point percentage defense holding opponents to 29.6 percent from beyond the arc. Eight of UT's 12 opponents have shot below that mark with Montana being the lowest mark (.200).

The Trailblazers are also second in turnovers per game (11.4) & offensive rebounds per game (11.54) while ranking fourth in three point attempts per game (23.2) & assist/turnover ratio (1.18).

Individually, Gonsalves ranks second in the WAC in three point attempts (81) and third in made 3-pointers (27) & steals (18).

Beon Riley checks in third in the conference in rebounds (70) while Ariybi is fifth in blocks per game (1.17).

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE
The pair of double-doubles by Howlin and Ariyibi against Whittier were a Division I-first for the Trailblazers as it was the first time since Feb. 14, 2020 (Jack Pagenkopf & Cameron Chatwin) that two Trailblazers notched double-doubles in the same game.

PROGRAM RECORDS
UT set a pair of single game program records against Whittier in both total rebounds (66) and field goal attempts (85).

BYRD CLOSING IN 1K CAREER POINTS
Senior guard Hakim Byrd is closing in 1,000 career points as he enters Thursday only 22 points shy of that mark.

With 92 total points at UT this season, Byrd totaled 658 points at Thomas Jefferson (2022-24), 176 points at Marist (2020-21) & 52 points at UMBC (2021-22).

BENCH COMING THROUGH
With its three highest scoring performances against Whitter all coming off the bench, six total Blazers scored in total as the 59 bench points were the most since Dec. 15, 2021 vs. SAGU-AIC (64).

SHARING THE ROCK
The Trailblazers recorded a season-leading 23 assists on Monday against Whittier.

It was the most assists for the Trailblazers since dishing out 22 assists in a 79-74 win at home at UTRGV on March 7, 2024.

THREE POINT KING
Gonsalves became the program leader for the most career three pointers made on Dec. 7 at Utah State passing Brandon Simister (2012-18). 

He currently has 172 made three-pointers in 462 attempts and is ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.2 percent.

CONSISTENT TRAILBLAZERS
Gonsalves, Bieker and Britton Berrett have played in all 13 games while Gonsalves is the lone Blazer to score in all 13 contests.

SEASONED VETERAN
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 334-213 (.611) overall record and a 314-201 (.610) 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).

WHAT'S NEXT
Utah Tech closes out the 2024 calendar year and non-conference action on Dec. 30 at Florida International (4-7) at 10 a.m.