Men's Basketball | 1/10/2025 1:30:00 PM

Game #17
Who | Tarleton State (7-10, 2-0 WAC) at Utah Tech (5-11, 1-0 WAC)
When | Saturday, Jan. 11 – 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 TEXANS
Tarleton State comes into Saturday night's contest with a 7-10 overall record and are one of two 2-0 teams in the WAC and are coming off defeating Southern Utah in Cedar City on Thursday night, 74-66.

The Mavericks, who were picked sixth in the WAC Preseason Poll, earned non-conference wins over Tabor College (Kan.), Hofstra, Dallas Christian, Howard Payne & Florida A&M and opened WAC play with a win over UT Arlington on Jan. 4.

Coming off a 25-10 season in 2023-24, the Texans finished second in the WAC in the regular season with a 16-4 mark and advanced to the CIT Semifinals where they fell to Purdue Fort Wayne by a point.

The Texans lead the WAC in three point percentage (37.0) and turnovers per game (17.76).

Tarleton is also top five in the WAC in field goal percentage (3rd- 45.1), steals per game (3rd- 9.9), field goal percentage defense (5th - 44.7) & scoring defense (5th - 72.5).

Led by sophomore guard Bubu Benjamin, the Canada native is second in the WAC in points per game (16.6) & minutes per game (35:40) while ranking third in field goal percentage (50.0).

Two other Texans also average double figures in Keitenn Bristow (14.4 ppg) and Ronnie Harrison Jr. (10.6 ppg) while junior forward Chris Mpaka is averaging 8.9 points per game and leads the team with 5.7 rebounds per contest.

SERIES HISTORY VS. TARLETON STATE
This will be Utah Tech's eighth meeting against Tarleton State with the Texans leading the series, 6-1.

The Trailblazers have dropped the last five contests against the Texans with their lone win coming at home on Feb. 20, 2021.

The two meetings last season saw Utah Tech fall 86-68 on the road and 85-74 at home with Noa Gonsalves leading the team in scoring in both contests notching 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

LAST TIME OUT
Powered by a season-high 15 three-pointers, the Trailblazers defeated UT Arlington, 74-62 to open WAC play on Thursday night.

Led by a season-high 24 points from Gonsalves, the senior guard, who matched his career high with his performance, went 6-of-8 from three-point land, sank all four of his free throw attempts and added three assists.

In addition, Gonsalves along with senior guard Hakim Byrd each passed the 1,000 career point mark on Thursday as Byrd finished with 21 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Justin Bieker made it three Trailblazers in double figures chipping in 12 points, six rebounds and an assist in a season-high 37 minutes.

Notching nine three pointers in the opening half, the Trailblazers led 40-27 at halftime.

The second half saw the Trailblazers race out to a 55-38 lead after back-to-back treys from Gonsalves and kept leading by 17 (64-47) with 7:39 to play.

An 8-0 run for UTA over the next four minutes of action brought the Mavs within nine, but two more three-pointers from Byrd pushed the Trailblazers back in front, 70-57 with 1:24 to go as UT went on to win by 12. of action.

TRAILBLAZERS LOOK TO GO 2-0 IN WAC PLAY
The Trailblazers look to go 2-0 in WAC play for the second straight season after opening conference play last season defeating Utah Valley (65-53) at home and California Baptist (72-69) on the road.

UT looks to win its first two WAC home contests in the Division I era after going 1-1 in the last two seasons.

WHERE THE BLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech leads the WAC in three point percentage defense holding opponents to 30.2 percent from beyond the arc.        

The Trailblazers check in second in turnovers per game (11.8), assists per game (13.9) three point attempts per game (23.9), assist/turnover ratio (1.19) and ranks third in three pointers per game (7.7).

Individually, Gonsalves leads the WAC in three point percentage (38.3), three pointers made (41) and is third in minutes per game (33:43).

Beon Riley ranks fourth in field goal percentage (48.1) & rebounds per game (8.4).

Samuel Ariybi ranks fifth in blocks per game (1.33) & blocks (20).

BYRD & GONSALVES EACH RECORD 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Senior guards Hakim Byrd & Noa Gonsalves each recorded their 1,000 career point on Thursday in the Trailblazers win over UT Arlington.

With 124 points at UT this season, Byrd totaled 658 points at Thomas Jefferson (2022-24), 176 points at Marist (2020-21) & 52 pts. at UMBC (2021-22) as he passed the mark with a first-half three-pointer.

Spending all four seasons as a Trailblazer, Gonsalves reached that mark in the second half of Thursday's contest and has a season-high 230 points this season while also leading the team in scoring last season with 385 points.

His first two seasons saw him post 278 points as a sophomore (2022-23) and 119 points as a freshman (2021-22).

MAKING IT RAIN FROM DEEP
The Trailblazers finished 15-of-26 from three-point range on Thursday in their win over UT Arlington.

The 15 made three-pointers were a season high and the third-most in a single game in program history trailing only 21 vs. SAGU American Indian College (Dec. 15, 2021) and 16 vs. Denver (Dec. 11, 2021).

The 57.7 percent shooting from deep was a season high and fifth-best in a single game in program history.

DOUBLE FIGURES 
Matching his career high with 24 points against UTA, Gonsalves has reached double figures in 14 of 16 contests, including his last six.

Riley (8), Bieker (7), Ariyibi (5) & Byrd (3) also have recorded multiple double digit contests.

HOME COOKING
The Trailblazers are 169-57 (.748) overall at Burns Arena in the NCAA era.

Coming off a 6-7 mark at home in 2023-24, UT has recorded 14 winnings seasons in 18 seasons in St. George in its NCAA era, including a perfect 12-0 in 2008-09.

The Blazers are 34-28 (.548) at home in the Division I era.

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 186 made three-pointers in 488 attempts and is tied for seventh in 3-point percentage at 38.1 percent.

SEASONED VETERAN
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 335-214 (.610) overall record and a 315-202 (.609) 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
The Trailblazers head out on the road next week traveling to Seattle U (5-10, 0-1 WAC) on Thursday night and Utah Valley (10-6, 2-0 WAC) on Jan. 18.