Men's Basketball | 1/17/2025 3:15:00 PM

Game #19
Who | Utah Tech (6-12, 2-1 WAC) at Utah Valley (12-6, 4-0 WAC)
When | Saturday, Jan. 18 – 2 p.m.
Where | UCCU Center – Orem, Utah
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Utah Valley comes into the "Old Hammer Rivalry" Game on Saturday afternoon with a 12-6 overall record and riding a seven-game winning streak while being the lone team in the WAC to be undefeated sitting 4-0 in conference play.

The Wolverines, who were picked fifth in the WAC Preseason Poll, are coming off a 85-83 win in overtime at UT Arlington on Thursday night and opened WAC play with home wins over Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon and California Baptist.

UVU posted a 16-16 overall mark in 2023-24 while going 11-9 in WAC play tying for fourth in the regular season before falling to California Baptist in the first round of the WAC Tournament.

The Wolverines lead the WAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.19), assists per game (15.2), blocks per game (6.2 - 3rd nationally), field goal percentage (46.6), rebounds per game (38.9) & scoring defense (68.8).

Utah Valley also ranks second in field goal percentage defense (41.9), third in scoring offense (75.8) and fourth in free throws made per game (15.5).

Individually, the Wolverines have three players averaging double figures led by junior guard Dominick Nelson with 14.9 points per game.

Sophomore forward Carter Welling leads the WAC in blocks per game (2.1) and is sixth in the conference in rebounds per game (6.4) while averaging 12.3 points per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UTAH VALLEY        
This will be Utah Tech's ninth meeting against Utah Valley with the Wolverines currently leading the series, 5-3.

The teams split its pair of meetings last season with the Trailblazers winning at home, 65-53 in its WAC opener and falling on the road, 84-71.

UT is 1-4 at Utah Valley all-time with its lone win coming on Feb. 13, 2021 in a 93-89 victory.

The two teams will meet in St. George on Feb. 20 for the second match up of the season.

LAST TIME OUT
A late second half rally by Seattle U tripped up the Trailblazers in their WAC road opener on Thursday night falling 82-62 to the Redhawks at the Redhawk Center.

Utah Tech had three Trailblazers tally double figures led by 17 points from senior guard Noa Gonsalves, who adding four steals, two rebounds and an assist.

Beon Riley posted 13 points & a team-leading six rebounds and Samuel Ariyibi chipped in 12 points for his sixth double digit game of the season.

A pair of three-pointers and a free throw got the Trailblazers out to a 7-3 lead after the first five minutes of action.

Continuing to lead by a pair (12-10) halfway through the opening half, a layup by Riley and a jumper by Dallin Grant put the Trailblazers ahead, 16-14.

A 12-0 run over the next three-and-half minutes of action for the Redhawks put Seattle U ahead 26-16 before a pair of free throws by Riley ended the run.

A quick 8-0 run for the Trailblazers saw buckets from Stone Hutchings, Gonsalves, Riley and Justin Bieker to get within one at 27-26, but seven of the final nine points of the half went the way of the Redhawks for a 34-28 lead at the break.

The opening eight minutes of the second half saw UT get off to a hot start going on a 17-8 run to jump ahead 45-42 after a three-pointer by Gonsalves.

A scoreless stretch over the next three-plus minutes for the Trailblazers saw Seattle go on a 13-0 run to lead 55-45 before a three-pointer from the left corner by Riley ended the run.

A layup by the Redhawks with 5:58 to play put Seattle ahead 61-51 as the Redhawks led by double digits the rest of the contest going on to win by 20.

TRAILBLAZERS LOOK FOR FIRST 3-1 START TO WAC PLAY
The Trailblazers will look for their first 3-1 start to WAC play with a win on Saturday over the Wolverines.

In their four years in the WAC, UT's best four-game start came last season with a 2-2 start.

WHERE THE BLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech leads the WAC and ranks top 60 nationally in three point percentage defense holding opponents to 30.6 percent from beyond the arc.      

The Trailblazers check in second in turnovers per game (11.9) & three point attempts per game (23.1), assist/turnover ratio (1.12) & are third in three pointers per game (7.5).

Individually, Gonsalves leads the WAC in three point percentage (38.8) & checks in second in three-pointers made (45) & three-pointers made per game (2.5).

Riley ranks fourth in field goal percentage (49.0) and is seventh in points per game (14.5) while Samuel Ariybi is fifth in blocks per game (1.29) & blocks (22).

GONSALVES CLIMBING UP THE CAREER RANKS
Gonsalves continues to climb the career ranks as he has now entered the top 10 in career scoring (1,036). Only 110 points shy of reaching the top five mark, if Gonsalves averages his scoring average of 14 points per game for the remainder of the season, he'll move up into third place (Hunter Schofield - 1,223).

In addition, Gonsalves ranks fourth in career games played (112) & steals (113), fifth in starts (78), sixth in field goal attempts (809) and seventh in field goals made (354) & free throw percentage (78.4).

STANDOUTS FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
Byrd and Gonsalves have been consistent all season from the free throw line.

Byrd has connected on 35-of-39 from the line hitting 89.7 percent while Gonsalves has sank 41-of-46 for a 89.1 percent clip.

Gonsalves went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line on Thursday at Seattle U and he has now hit his last 24 free throw attempts dating back to his first attempt against Whitter on Dec. 16.

The Trailblazers got to the free throw line a season-high 32 times at Seattle U and are 3-7 this season when attempting over 20 free throws in a game.

DOUBLE FIGURES 
Matching his career high with 24 points against UTA, Gonsalves has reached double figures in 14 of 18 contests, including six of his last seven.

Riley (10), Justin Bieker (7), Ariyibi (6), Byrd (4), Britton Berrett (3) & Tennessee Rainwater (2) have also recorded multiple double digit contests this season.

MAKING IT RAIN FROM DEEP
The Trailblazers finished 15-of-26 from three-point range on Thursday in their win over UT Arlington on Jan. 9.

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, third-most in the WAC and fifth-best in a single game in program history.

BYRD & GONSALVES EACH RECORD 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Byrd & Gonsalves each recorded their 1,000 career point on Jan. 9 in the Trailblazers win over UT Arlington.

With 146 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 254 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).

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 190 made three-pointers in 497 attempts and is seventh in 3-point percentage at 38.2 percent.

SEASONED VETERAN
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 337-215 (.611) overall record and a 317-203 (.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
The Trailblazers return home next Saturday for a home contest against Grand Canyon (12-5, 2-1 WAC) on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. at Burns Arena.