Men's Basketball | 11/27/2025 1:00:00 PM

Game #10
Who | Utah Tech (4-5) vs. UC Riverside (4-3)
When | Saturday, Nov. 29 – 3 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena – St. George, Utah
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

SCOUTING UC RIVERSIDE
UC Riverside is 4-3 on the season coming off a pair of wins defeating San Diego on the road last Friday, 85-71 and Grambling State on Monday at home, 83-74.

The Highlanders opened the season with back-to-back wins over La Sierra (90-49) and at North Dakota (74-70), but then dropped three straight contests at New Mexico, at home against North Dakota and at WAC member California Baptist

UCR is coming off a 21-13 overall record in 2024-25 and finished in a tie for third in the Big West regular season standings with CSUN with a 14-6 mark. The Highlanders advanced to the NIT falling in the first round to Santa Clara.

The Highlanders were picked ninth out of 11 team in the preseason Big West coaches' poll.

As a team, UC Riverside leads the Big West in free throw percentage (75.5) & three point percentage defense (28.6) while ranking third in blocks per game (4.3) and three point percentage (36.5).

Individually, senior guard Andrew Henderson ranks fourth in the Big West in points per game (17.9) and tops the league in three-pointers made (21) and three point attempts (52).

Junior forward Osiris Grady, a transfer from Utah Valley, ranks second in the Big West in rebounds (52) and is sixth in free throw percentage (85.2)

Junior guard Marqui Worthy, Henderson & Grady are each averaging the top three minutes per game in the league all totaling over 32 minutes per contest.    

SERIES HISTORY VS. UC RIVERSIDE
The Trailblazers and Highlanders are meeting for the first time in program history.

UTAH TECH VS. BIG WEST OPPONENTS
UC Riverside is the fifth current Big West opponent the Trailblazers will have played joining Cal State Fullerton (1-0), CSUN (1-3), UC San Diego (2-4) and Hawai'i (0-1).

LAST TIME OUT VS. PORTLAND STATE
The Trailblazers stumbled in the final minutes on Tuesday night falling 68-63 to Portland State at Burns Arena.

Utah Tech, taking on a future Big Sky opponent for the second time in two seasons, were led by a pair of Trailblazers in double figures.

Ethan Potter led UT with 18 points of 9-of-13 shooting from the field along with 12 points and a team-leading seven rebounds & five assists from Chance Trujillo.

Tanner Davis added eight points and five more Trailblazers added at least one field goal apiece.

As a team, the Trailblazers shot 43.9 percent (25-57) from the field, 23.8 percent (5-21) from three-point range and 80 percent (8-10) from the charity stripe.

A layup by Madiba Owona gave the Trailblazers a 63-58 lead with 2:20 to go, but unfortunately, it was all Vikings from there scoring the final 10 points of the contest. 

A potential game-tying three-pointer by Noah Bolanga with five seconds remaining came up short with two final free throws by PSU sealing the win for the Vikings.

WHERE THE TRAILBLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA IN 2025-26
Utah Tech comes into Saturday's contest leading the WAC in three point attempts (25.4) & turnovers per game (12.4), are second in three pointers made per game (7.0), free throw attempts per game (21.4) and third in three point percentage defense (27.8).

Individually, Potter leads the WAC and ranks 18th nationally in rebounds with 67 boards and checks second in the conference and in points (143).

Trujillo ranks first in minutes per game (34:07) & three-pointers made (18) and sits second in the WAC in free throw percentage (90.0).

Bolanga leads the conference with 97 field goal attempts and ranks third in the WAC in steals with 13. 

BIG WIN OVER NOBEL
Holt led five Trailblazers in double figures with 17 points as Utah Tech doubled up visiting Nobel University, 96-48, on Nov. 21 inside the Burns Arena.

Holt knocked down four of his five shot attempts in the win and went 7-of-9 at the foul line. The redshirt senior guard also blocked a season-high three shots, and collected two rebounds, two assists and two steals in just 25 minutes of action.

Utah Tech shot a season-high 59.3 percent (32-of-54) on the night, including a 7-of-21 (.333) effort from the perimeter.

The Trailblazers also hit on a season-best 78.1 percent (25-of-32) from the foul line, outrebounded the Knights by a 42-33 count, and finished with 16 assists to just nine turnovers.    

TRAILBLAZERS TAKE ONE OF THREE CONTESTS IN HAWAI'I    
The Trailblazers went 1-2 at the OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic hosted by the University of Hawai'i on Nov. 12-15.

Utah Tech defeated Mississippi Valley State, 81-75 on Nov. 14 in double overtime while dropping close contests to Manhattan, 79-75 on Nov. 12 and 68-62 to Hawaii on Nov. 15.

POTTER & TRUJILLO EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS IN HAWAI'I
Potter and Trujillo earned OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic All-Tournament honors with Potter leading the Trailblazers with double-doubles against Manhattan (20 pts. & 11 reb.) & Mississippi Valley State (22 pts. & 13 reb.) and added a team-high 15 points against Hawai'i.

Trujillo averaged 12 points, two assists and a steal over the three games on the islands and scored 15 points against Manhattan while drilling four three-pointers.

HOME COOKING
The Trailblazers are 172-64 (.729) overall at Burns Arena in the NCAA era.

Utah Tech has recorded 14 winnings seasons in 19 seasons in St. George in its NCAA era, including a perfect 12-0 in 2008-09.

The Blazers are 2-1 at home this season season and are 37-34 (.521) at home in the Division I era.    

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers open December on Wednesday night at Santa Clara (6-0) at 8 p.m. MT at Leavey Center.