Men's Basketball | 1/31/2025 2:30:00 PM

Game #22
Who | Utah Tech (6-15, 2-4 WAC) at UT Arlington (10-11, 3-4 WAC)
When | Saturday, Feb. 1 – 1 p.m. MT
Where | College Park Center – Arlington, Texas
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
UT Arlington comes into Saturday's contest against the Trailblazers with a 10-11 overall record and a 3-4 mark in the WAC.    

Winners of three straight after opening WAC play 0-4, the Mavs have notched wins over Seattle U (65-56), Abilene Christian (79-76 OT) and Southern Utah (70-68) and enter the weekend in a tie for fifth in the WAC alongside Seattle U.

The Mavericks, earned non-conference wins over UNT Dallas, Texas College, Austin Peay, two wins against Louisiana-Monroe, Evansville and Texas State and are 6-2 at home on the season.

The Mavericks are sharpshooters from downtown leading the WAC in three-point percentage (36.5), three point attempts per game (25.0) & three pointers per game (9.1).

Defensively, the Mavs check in second in the WAC in field goal percentage defense (42.3) and are also second in offensive rebounds per game (12.0).

UTA ranks third in assists per game (13.9), field goal percentage (44.4), rebounds per game (37.2) & scoring offense (76.2).

Individually, senior forward Lance Ware, a graduate transfer from Villanova who spent his first three seasons at Kentucky, tops the team averaging 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game to rank seventh and third, respectively in the conference. Ware leads the WAC in field goal percentage (58.5) and is second in blocks per game (1.87).

Senior guard Jaden Wells, a Division II All-American at Central Oklahoma, leads the WAC in three point percentage (36.8) & three pointers made per game (2.85).

In total, six Mavs average 8.0 or more points on the season and are 7-5 on the season when scoring 76 (season average) or more points.    

SERIES HISTORY VS. UT ARLINGTON
This will be Utah Tech's fifth meeting against UT Arlington and third on the road.

Looking to complete the season sweep over the Mavericks, the Trailblazers defeated UTA, 74-62 at home in their WAC opener on Jan. 9 hitting a season-high 15 three-pointers and got a season-best 24 points from Noa Gonsalves.

UT fell in a pair of contests last season falling at home (87-66) and on the road (89-78) last season.

The first meeting between the Trailblazers and UTA came in Arlington on Feb. 25, 2023 dropping a heartbreaker to the Mavs, 71-69 in overtime.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trailblazers fought tough on Thursday night at Tarleton State falling 61-54 in a defensive battle against the Texans at Wisdom Gym.

UT was led in scoring by senior guard Hakim Byrd with 18 points adding five assists, two rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes of action.

Gonsalves reached double figures for the 16th time this season adding 12 points adding four rebounds and two steals.

The Trailblazers jumped out to an early 10-5 lead after a layup by Samuel Ariyibi and a three-pointer by Gonsalves pushed the UT lead to 13-5.

An 8-0 run for the Texans over the next four minutes locked up the first half at 13 apiece before a three-pointer by Madiba Owona put the Trailblazers back in the lead.

A triple from Gonsalves kept UT in the driver seat leading, 19-18, but Tarleton State scored six straight points before a layup Gonsalves made it 24-21 in favor of the Texans at the break.

A layup from TSU's Chris Mpaka extended the Texans lead to 38-27 midway through the second half before a quick 6-1 run for the Trailblazers cut the Tarleton lead down to six (39-33).

With the Texans continuing to lead by 12 (56-44) with 1:32 to play, three free throws and a layup by Gonsalves cut the contest to 56-49 and a late three-pointer and a layup from Owona got the Trailblazers as close as five, but they were unable to get any closer.

WHERE THE BLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech checks in second in the WAC in three point attempts per game (22.6) & three point percentage defense (31.2) while ranking third in turnovers per game (12.3), assist/turnover ratio (1.08) & three pointers made per game (7.2).

Individually, Gonsalves ranks second in the WAC in three-pointers made (49) and third in three-pointers made per game (2.33) and minutes per game (33:57).

Riley ranks fifth in field goal percentage (48.1), seventh in rebounds per game (7.9) & is eighth in points per game (14.2) while Samuel Ariybi is sixth in blocks per game (1.30) & blocks (26).

BYRD HEATING UP
Since the turn of the new calendar year to 2025 and WAC play getting underway, Byrd has been on fire hitting double figures in five of six contests averaging 14.3 points per game.

In addition, he has dished out five assists in three contests and is 17-for-19 (89.4) from the free throw line.

STRONG DEFENSE
The Trailblazers held Tarleton State to 39.1 percent from the field on Thursday night as the Texans connected on 18 field goals on 46 attempts as both were season lows by a Trailblazer opponent.

Overall on the season, UT has held five opponents under 40 percent and is 4-1 in such games.

GONSALVES MOVING UP CAREER TOP 10 MARK
Gonsalves continues to ascend the all-time career scoring list currently sitting seventh all-time in career points with 1,070.

Only 76 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 second in career games played (115), fourth in steals (117) & starts (81), fifth in field goal attempts (840) & field goals made (368) & seventh in free throw percentage (78.7).

GONSALVES THE SHARPSHOOTER
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 194 made three-pointers in 515 attempts and is ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.7 percent.

Overall in 115 games played, Gonsalves has hit a three-pointer in 89 contests, including 47 out of 52 games over the last two seasons.

He has hit multiple triples in 16 games this season and 56 career games.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Riley notched his sixth double-double of the season against Grand Canyon on Jan. 25 and it was his first since Dec. 19, 2024 against South Dakota.

Overall, his six double-double rank second in the WAC and 57th nationally.

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

They both have connected on 43-of-48 (89.6) from the line percent.

Gonsalves has hit his last 26 straight free throw attempts dating back to his first attempt against Whittier on Dec. 16.

His current streak currently ranks in a tie for second in the nation behind Sean Newman Jr. (27-Louisiana Tech) & Jared Fry (26-Stony Brook).

The Trailblazers got to the free throw line a season-high 32 times at Seattle U on Jan. 16 and are 3-8 this season when attempting over 20 free throws in a game.

DOUBLE FIGURES 
Gonsalves has reached double figures in 16 of 21 contests, including eight of his last 10.

Riley (12), Justin Bieker (7), Ariyibi (7), Byrd (6), Britton Berrett (3) & Tennessee Rainwater (2) have also recorded multiple double digit contests this season.

SCORING/REBOUNDING LEADERS
Gonsalves has led the team in scoring in eight games followed by Riley with six along with Bieker & Byrd with three, Rainwater in a pair of games and Stone Hutchings in one.

On the rebounding side, Riley has led or tied for the team lead in 13 contests followed by Samuel Ariyibi with six, Rainwater with two and Dallin Grant with one.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Trailblazers return home next week to host Abilene Christian (9-13, 1-6 WAC) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Burns Arena.

Utah Tech will host a Food Drive starting at 6 p.m. and all donations go to the Utah Food Bank.