Men's Basketball | 12/27/2025 6:30:00 PM

Game #15
Who | Utah Tech (7-7, 0-0 WAC) vs. Southern Utah (4-9, 0-0 WAC)
When | Monday, Dec. 29 – 7 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena – St. George, Utah
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 FM The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

SCOUTING THE SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS
Southern Utah is 4-9 on the season coming into Monday night's contest with wins on the season over Bethesda, Nobel, Stetson and West Coast Baptist College.

The Thunderbirds are 0-8 on the road this season with losses away from home coming to the likes of Gonzaga, Arizona State, Washington, Oregon State & Washington State.

SUU, who was picked seventh in the WAC preseason poll, is coming off a 12-19 overall record in 2024-25 and finished eighth in the regular season standings with a 4-12 mark.

The Thunderbirds check in second in the WAC in blocks per game (4.4), three pointers made per game (7.5), three point attempts per game (23.9) and free throw percentage (72.5).

Individually, senior forward Jaiden Feroah, a transfer from Holy Cross, leads the WAC in blocks (28) and blocks per game (2.15) and is sixth in rebounds per game (5.9).

Freshman guard Elijah Duval is fourth in the league in field goal percentage (47.1) and is fifth in assists per game (3.7).

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTHERN UTAH
This will be Utah Tech's 12th meeting against Southern Utah as the Trailblazers are 4-1 at home against the Thunderbirds.

The overall series goes in favor of Southern Utah leading 7-4.

The Trailblazers fell 82-75 at home in the regular season last season before downing SUU, 72-65 in the opening round of the WAC Tournament hosted at Burns Arena behind four Trailblazers in double figures.

UTAH TECH IN WAC OPENERS
The Trailblazers are 3-2 in WAC openers winning their last three contests to start conference action defeating UT Arlington at home last season, Utah Valley at home in 2023-24 and UTRGV at home in 2022-23.

It will be the fifth straight season Utah Tech will open WAC action at home after also opening the 2021-22 WAC slate at home against Tarleton State.

The Trailblazers opened WAC action in their inaugural season at UTRGV before hosting Grand Canyon in their first WAC home game on Jan. 22, 2021. 

LAST TIME OUT AT CREIGHTON
The Trailblazers fought tough on Dec. 22 to wrap up non-conference action falling 92-69 at Creighton at the CHI Health Center Omaha.

Utah Tech was led by a pair of Trailblazers in double figures with WAC Player of the Week Ethan Potter leading the charge with 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go along with grabbing a team-high eight rebounds.

Jusaun Holt posted his second-highest scoring total of the season notching 16 points, including 12 in the first half, and hit a season-leading three three-pointers adding three steals and a pair of assists.

Noah Bolanga tallied nine points and dished out a team-high five assists and Chance Trujillo chipped in eight points off the bench.

The Trailblazers shot 50 percent (29-58) from the field, 33.3 percent (6-18) from three-point range and 62.5 percent (5-8) from the free throw line.

A layup by Trujillo kept the Trailblazers within a pair at 28-26, but a 15-5 run for Creighton pushed the home team ahead by 12 before a three-pointer by Holt in the final seconds of the half made it 43-34 in favor of Creighton at the break.

A layup by Potter got the second half started for the Trailblazers and after a layup by Bolanga got within nine (51-42) five minutes into the half, the Bluejays answered back with a 7-0 run to push their lead to 16 going on to lead by double digits the remainder of the game.

POTTER NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For a second time this season, Potter was named the WAC Player of the Week on Dec. 22.

Potter notched fifth 20-point performance of the season at Weber State on Dec. 20 after tallying a team-high 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and made the game-winning layup in the final seconds of a thrilling 82-80 win over the Wildcats.

In addition, the Utah Valley transfer grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds, dished out a pair of assists & added a block in 36 minutes of action.

It was Potter's second weekly WAC award of the season after also being named WAC Player of the Week on Dec. 1.

WHERE THE TRAILBLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA IN 2025-26
Utah Tech comes into WAC action leading the WAC in three point attempts (24.6), ranks second in turnovers per game (12.9) & is third in assist/turnover ration (1.07), field goal percentage (47.2), scoring offense (78.4), three pointers per game (7.4) and three point percentage defense (30.7).

Individually, Potter ranks second in the WAC in field goal percentage (58.5) & points per game (17.0) & is third in rebounds per game (7.2).

Trujillo is second in free throw percentage (86.8) and is third in minutes per game (33:17).

Bolanga continues to lead the conference in three point attempts (91), ranks second in three-pointers made (24) and is fifth in minutes per game (31:07).

THREE STRAIGHT CONTESTS OVER 50 PERCENT
For the first time since the 2022-23 season, the Trailblazers have shot 50 percent or better from the field in three straight games after connecting on 50 percent at Creighton to go along with 51.8 percent at Weber State & 54.2 percent in wins at Weber State and Creighton, respectively.

DOUBLE DIGITS PERFORMANCES
Potter has registered double digits in 13 of the Trailblazers' 14 contests this season and has topped 20 or more points in five games.

Bolanga sits second with nine double figure contests followed by seven apiece from Tanner Davis & Holt & five apiece fom Trujillo & Owona.

IN ALL SEVEN WINS
The Trailblazers have found three commonalities in all seven of its victories this season. 

Utah Tech have led at half and shot 40 percent or better from the field in all seven of its wins.

Prior to the Trailblazers' win at Weber State on Dec. 20, the Trailblazers had also edged their opponents in assists and had a better three-point percentage than their opponents in all six of their previous wins, but saw the Wildcats hold an edge in both of those categories.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers open the 2026 calendar year on New Year's Day traveling to Abilene Christian (8-5) for a 6 p.m. MT tip on Thursday night at Moody Coliseum.