Who | Utah Tech (10-18, 6-11 WAC) vs. Abilene Christian (13-15, 8-9 WAC)
When | Saturday, March 2 / 7 p.m. (MT)
Where | Burns Arena (4,779) / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | ESPN+ / The Fan Sports Network 99.5 FM
Live Stats | vs. ACU
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UniteTheFamily / #IntoTheStorm

Utah Tech vs. Abilene Christian
            Utah Tech heads into its 2023-24 home finale looking for its first victory against Abilene Christian. The Trailblazers are 0-4 all-time against the Wildcats, which includes an 82-60 road loss in Abilene back on Jan. 25.
 
Scouting the Wildcats
            Abilene Christian extended its season-long win streak to five-straight on the strength of a 77-68 road win at Southern Utah this past Thursday night.
            The Wildcats boast three players scoring in double figures, led by junior guard Ali Abdou Dibba (6-4) at 15.4 ppg on 47.8 percent shooting. Meanwhile, senior forward Airion Simmons (6-5) is ACU's top rebounder at 6.4 rpg, and is the 'Cats second-leading scoring at 13.3 ppg.
 
Last Time Out
            Utah Tech lost its fourth-straight game on Thursday night when the Blazers dropped an 85-74 home decision to Tarleton State. 
 
And Down the Stretch We Come
            With three games left in the 2023-24 regular season, Utah Tech finds itself in a five-team battle for the final four spots in the upcoming WAC Tournament later this month. 
            Currently the Trailblazers (6-11) are on the outside looking in as they are three-games back of fifth-place Utah Valley (9-8), two games behind both ACU (8-9) and Stephen F. Austin (8-9), both of which are tied for sixth, and are one game back of eighth place California Baptist (7-10). However Utah Tech does hold the tiebreak on CBU due to its two-game season sweep of the Lancers.    
 
The March to 500 - Part II
            Utah Tech played in its 500th NCAA game in last Saturday's loss at UT Arlington. 
            The Trailblazers are now 311-190 (.621) all-time during their four-year era, which began in the 2006-07 academic year.
            Meanwhile, Head Coach Jon Judkins (310-189) will coach in his 500th career NCAA game at Utah Tech in Saturday's home finale vs. Abilene Christian. 
 
Searles Continues Strong Play
            Junior forward Jaylen Searles kept his strong February going with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting at UT Arlington last Saturday.
            That effort came on the heels of his first double-double of the season with 13 points and a career high 10 rebounds vs. Seattle U (2/17) one week earlier.
            The junior enjoyed a banner week during Utah Tech's home sweep of both Southern Utah (Feb. 8) and California Baptist (Feb. 10), during which he averaged 23.0 points and 6.0 rebounds on his way to earning both the WAC Player and Newcomer of the Week awards on Feb. 12.  
            After he tallied 13 points and four boards in the SUU win, the junior struck for a career-high 33 points on 12-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-9 at the foul line two days later vs. the Lancers. He also pulled down a game-high eight boards, and had four assists and picked off a career-high four steals. 
            Searles' 33-point day tied for the fourth-most points scored in a game by a Utah Tech player in the program's four-year era. 
            In addition, his 33 points were also the second-most scored by a Utah Tech player in the program's NCAA Division I era, second only to former point guard Cameron Gooden's school record 35 points in his final game in the Trailblazers' WAC Tournament quarterfinal loss to SUU last season (3/9/23).
 
Life of Riley
            After missing the majority of January due to injury, junior guard Beon Riley returned to action vs. Southern Utah (2/8) and picked up right where he left off with team-highs of 16 points and eight rebounds in the win.
            Riley, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half, connected on 7-of-12 from the floor, including a 6-of-8 clip in the opening frame, and had two assists and one steal in 29-plus minutes of action off the bench.
            The junior guard returned to the starting lineup vs. CBU (2/10) and responded with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four boards in 28 minutes vs. CBU before fouling out.
            Riley, who went for eight points and eight boards in Thursday's loss to Tarleton, has scored in double figures in 14 of his 21 games played this season, including a season-high 21 points in Utah Tech's road win at CBU back on Dec. 6. 
 
Release-Rotation-Splash
            Junior guard Noa Gonsalves led five Trailblazers in double figures with 16 points in Thursday's loss to Tarleton State.
            Gonsalves, who managed to hit one 3-pointer in the game, has knocked down 16 3-pointers over his last eight games overall, which has vaulted into fourth place on Utah Tech's career 3FGM list (137). 
            In fact, the junior guard now stands 30 made trifectas away from passing former Blazer guard Brandon Simister (166; 2012-18) to become the program's all-time leader. 
            Meanwhile, Gonsalves (58 3FGM) has moved into fourth place on Utah Tech's single-season 3FGM list, where he stands three treys away from moving up to second all-time, and is 11 3-pointers away from passing Simister (67; 2017-18) for the top spot on that list.  
            Gonsalves has hit three or more trifectas nine times this season, highlighted by a single-game school record seven 3-pointers in the Blazers' home overtime victory over Florida International (12/30). He followed that up with four treys vs. Grand Canyon (1/6) and five more in the Stephen F. Austin home win (1/11).
            Gonsalves, who is currently third in the WAC in made threes (58), also became just the second player in the program's NCAA era to hit 50 or more 3-pointers twice in one season. Former guard Tom Whitehead was the first to do so with 56 in 2009-10, and 60 more one year later. 
            In addition, Gonsalves has been near-automatic at the charity stripe, leading the team with an 81.1 percent clip (43-of-53) at the line, including a career-best 9-of-10 effort vs. UT Arlington back on Feb. 3. 
 
Double Your Pleasure
            Junior forward Tanner Christensen posted his sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 18 points and team-high 10 rebounds at GCU on Feb. 15. In fact, Christensen was five assists shy of a triple-double as he dished out a team-best five helpers.
            For Christensen, who racked up four double-doubles in his Blazer debut season last year, it was the 11th double-double of his collegiate career, which included one he recorded while at Idaho during the 2021-22 season.
            Christensen now has 12 double-digit rebound games in his near two years at Utah Tech and 17 overall during his collegiate career. He (414 rebs.) also became the ninth Trailblazer in program history to surpass 400 career rebounds, and including his rebounding numbers during his time at Idaho (2020-22; 273 rebs), he is 13 caroms away from 700 career rebounds overall.
 
Block Party
            Sophomore forward Hamed Olayinka and Christensen have been jockeying back-and-forth for the team lead in blocked shots this season.
            Entering Saturday's game vs. ACU, the duo finds themselves ranked t-second (Olayinka 50) and fourth (Christensen 46) in the WAC in blocks, respectively. 
            Olayinka has led or co-led the Blazers in blocks 18 times this season overall, including three more blocks vs. Tarleton on Thursday night, while Christensen is four games back at 14 games. 
            Christensen is currently third all-time in program history in career blocks (71 in 60 games), while Olayinka (50 in 28 games) has already moved into sixth place on the career list. 
            Meanwhile as a team, Utah Tech is t-46th in the NCAA Division I ranks at 4.5 bpg. 
 
Hip-Hip-Turay
            Junior guard Unisa Turay was stellar off the bench vs. Tarleton on Thursday night, going off for 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a pair of treys and a co-game high five assists.
            Turay just missed tying his career-high of 14 points set at GCU (2/15), with nine of those points coming after halftime to help keep the Blazers within striking distance.
 
Fantastic Freshmen
            Though he was held to just three points on Thursday night, freshman guard Aric Demings has come on strong as of late.
            Demings tallied a then-WAC career high 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting vs. Seattle U (2/17), the chased that with a career-high tying 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting at UT Arlington last Saturday. 
            Meanwhile, fellow freshman Tennessee Rainwater made his first collegiate start vs. Tarleton and responded with 11 points on 5-of-10 from the floor with four boards and two steals in a career-high 26 minutes. 
            Rainwater's 11 points on Thursday was one off his career-best of 12 he scored off the bench in the Blazers' home win over UTRGV (2/1).
 
What's Next
            Utah Tech will close the 2023-24 regular season with a pair of road games in Texas, starting with a Thursday night tilt at UTRGV.