Men's Basketball | 11/4/2025 4:00:00 PM

Game #2
Who | Utah Tech (1-0) vs. Bethesda (0-3)
When | Wednesday, Nov. 5 – 7 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena – St. George, Utah
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

SCOUTING THE LION ANGELS
Bethesda is off to a 0-3 start to the season in 2025-26 falling to Hope International, Life Pacific and UC Irvine.

The Lions Angels went 8-17 overall in 2024-25 and 8-5 in conference action.

A deep roster, Bethesda has played in 14 players in a pair of contests (Hope International, UC Irvine) and 12 against Life Pacific.

Senior guard Camron Durr leads Bethesda averaging 12.7 points per game while senior shooting guard Miles Sulka tops the team in rebounds (3.7) and assists (2.7) per game.

Durr led Bethesda with 12 points and Taeo Thomas added 10 points and a team-best four rebounds.         

SERIES HISTORY VS. BETHESDA
This will be the Trailblazers and Lion Angels fifth all-time meeting with Utah Tech winning all four previous matchups.

Utah Tech won last year's contest in St. George, 90-59 and also won a pair of games at home in the 2021-22 season and one in the 2020-21 season.

Four of the Trailblazers six returners saw action in last season's contest led by eight points apiece from Hunter Schenck and Dallin Grant.

The Trailblazers shot 43.6 percent (34-78) from the field & grabbed 59 rebounds while tallying 52 points in the paint and 49 points off the bench.

HOME OPENERS
The Trailblazers are 15-4 overall in home openers in the NCAA era having dropped last season's home opener against New Mexico State, but had won their previous five home openers.

Utah Tech won 10 of 11 home openers from the 2007-08 season through 2017-18.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trailblazers opened the season on Monday night with a thrilling 81-79 victory in overtime over South Dakota at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

Utah Tech, who won its season opener for the first time in five seasons, was paced by five Trailblazers in double figures.

Led by a double-double from sophomore guard Chance Trujillo, the transfer from Snow College finished with 17 points and a team-leading 12 rebounds while also leading the team with five assists and three blocks.

Freshman guard Tanner Davis came off the bench to also chip in 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field while playing 30 minutes in his collegiate debut.

Noah Bolanga, Ethan Potter added 15 points apiece while Jusaun Holt rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points and eight rebounds.

With the score tied at 68 at the end of regulation, the extra session saw the Coyotes jumped out to a 73-72 lead, but a three-pointer from the left corner and a layup by Davis put UT up by four, 77-73 with 1:10 to play.

A pair of free throws by Trujillo extended the Trailblazers lead to 81-75, but the Coyotes kept chipping away with a layup and a pair of free throws by Burns to make it a two-point game.

One final free throw attempt for USD fell short and Holt corralled the ball as the Trailblazers held on for the victory.

SEASON OPENERS/ROAD OPENERS
The Trailblazers improved to 9-11 in season openers in the NCAA era and 2-4 in the Division I era with its overtime win on Monday at South Dakota.

It was Utah Tech's first win in a season opener since the 2020-21 season when the Trailblazers defeated North Dakota, 74-73 at home.

It was the Trailblazers first season-opening victory to come on the road joining six wins at home and two at neutral sites.

It was the fifth straight season Utah Tech has started the season on the road and ninth time overall in the NCAA era.

UT also moved to 9-11 overall in road openers.

TRAILBLAZERS SNAP ROAD LOSING SKID
The Trailblazers earned their first road win since March 7, 2024 at UTRGV snapping its 17-game road losing skid.

FIVE IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Utah Tech had five players in double figures on Monday at South Dakota for the first time since Feb. 15, 2025 at California Baptist.

ELITE COMPANY
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 21st season at Utah Tech sporting a 339-229 (.597) overall record and a 319-217 (.595) mark in NCAA play.

Only eight current Division I coaches have been at their schools longer - Greg Kampe (42nd season at Oakland), Tom Izzo (31-Michigan St.), Mark Few (27-Gonzaga), James Jones (27-Yale), Randy Bennett (27-Saint Mary's), Scott Drew (23-Baylor), Bill Self (23-Kansas) & Gary Manchel (23-Mercyhurst).

ARIYIBI BACK FOR ROUND TWO
Leading the Trailblazers among its six returners is fifth-year senior forward Samuel "Tobi" Ariyibi who is the top returner  in points (240), rebounds (162), assists (48), blocks (44), minutes played (674), steals (30), games played (29) and games started (25) from last season.

After playing in only six games in his first three seasons at Washington, the Nigerian native broke out last season and will look to lead the Trailblazers in his final collegiate campaign.    

OWONA LOOKS TO BUILD OFF ALL-WAC FRESHMAN SELECTION SEASON
Another top returner for the Trailblazers this season is sophomore guard Madiba Owona, who earned WAC All-Freshman Team honors last season.

After making his Trailblazer debut in Utah Tech's win over South Dakota, the Bordeaux, France native appeared in 20 games while making eight starts.

Owona finished fifth on the team averaging 8.0 points & 1.5 assists per game. He tallied five games in double figures led by a season-high 22 points at Southern Utah on Feb. 13.

Owona led the team in scoring in two more WAC contests tallying 18 points at California Baptist and at NCAA Tournament participant Grand Canyon with 20 points.

RETURNERS
Four more Trailblazers join Ariyibi and Owona among returners led by senior guard Britton Berrett, sophomore forward Dallin Grant and sophomore guards Hunter Schenck and Preston Vandermyde.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The Trailblazers welcome eight newcomers to the fold this season led by All-WAC Preseason selection Ethan Potter.

A senior forward from Layton, Utah, Potter comes to UT after three seasons at Utah Valley where he played in 80 career games and scored 459 career points and grabbed 293 career rebounds.

Joining Potter in the front court will be sixth-year senior forward Dario Domingos. A well-traveled WAC veteran, Domingos has spent time at both Tarleton State and UT Arlington along with UT Permian Basin.

The remaining six newcomers feature guards Chance Trujillo (Snow College), Boston Harker (Garden City CC), Jusaun Holt (Kennesaw State/Georgia/Alabama), Marvel Allen (Dayton), Noah Bolanga (St. Bonaventure) and Tanner Davis (Smithfield, Utah).

Holt and Bolanga bring previous Division I experience while Trujillo and Harker arrive from the junior college ranks.

Allen and Davis round out the newcomers and will provide great depth in the backcourt.

HOME COOKING
The Trailblazers are 170-63 (.730) 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 went 5-8 at home last season and are 35-33 (.515) at home in the Division I era.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Utah Tech was picked to finish sixth in the WAC preseason poll released on Oct. 28 with the Trailblazers tallying nine points.         

California Baptist earned the top spot as the preseason favorite registering five first-place votes and 33 total points.

Utah Valley, who went 15-1 in the WAC last season, was picked second with 29 points followed by Abilene Christian (27 pts.), UT Arlington (22 pts.), Tarleton State (19 pts.) in the third through fifth spots with Southern Utah (8 pts.) rounded out the poll.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers head back on the road on Friday traveling to No. 13 Arizona (1-0) for a 7 p.m. tip on TNT.