Men's Basketball | 2/14/2025 1:00:00 PM
Game #25
Who | Utah Tech (6-18, 2-7 WAC) at California Baptist (12-12, 5-5 WAC)
When | Saturday, Feb. 15 – 7 p.m. MT
Where | Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center – Riverside, Calif.
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media |
Instagram +
Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb
SCOUTING THE LANCERS
California Baptist comes into Saturday night's contest against the Trailblazers with a 12-12 overall record and a 5-5 mark in the WAC, sitting in a tie for third in the conference along with Seattle U.
Coming off a hard-fought 82-79 loss in overtime at UT Arlington on Thursday, the Lancers are 8-5 at home on the season.
Posting a 7-7 non-conference record, CBU earned wins over Incarnate Word, Kennesaw State, LIU, Eastern Washington, Fresno State (2x) and Jackson State.
The Lancers are currently leading the WAC in free throw percentage (74.7), turnovers per game (11.5) and offensive rebounds per game (12.63).
CBU also ranks fourth in rebounds per game (37.04), scoring offense (73.4) and three point attempts per game (21.2).
Individually, senior guard Dominique Daniels Jr. leads the WAC and ranks 28th in the NCAA averaging 19.3 points per game.
Senior forward Kendal Coleman checks in fourth in the WAC in rebounds per game (8.5) and is fifth in double-doubles with five.
In total, CBU averages 73.4 points per game and is 10-3 when scoring 73 or more points.
In 10 WAC games, the Lancers are averaging 69.6 points per game and are 3-1 when scoring 70 or more points.
SERIES HISTORY VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
This will be Utah Tech's 24th meeting against California Baptist and 14th on the road in Riverside.
The Trailblazers lead the all-time series, 14-9 and 7-6 on the road.
Utah Tech won both contests last season winning 72-69 on the road and 85-78 at home.
Since moving to Division I in 2020-21, the Trailblazers lead the series 4-3 and are 3-2 in Riverside.
The two teams will meet in St. George on March 1 where Utah Tech will honor its 2025 Hall of Fame Class.
LAST TIME OUT
A last-second tip-in layup by Southern Utah handed the Trailblazers a hard-fought 76-74 loss to the Thunderbirds on Thursday night at America First Event Center.
Led by freshman guard
Madiba Owona, the France native doubled his previous season high finishing with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the floor adding season highs in rebounds (four) & blocks (two) and a steal.
Two other Trailblazers finished in double figures with
Beon Riley adding 17 points while
Noa Gonsalves chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
A back-and forth opening first half saw the Trailblazers get out to a 13-12 lead after a jumper by Riley.
A 6-0 run for the Thunderbirds put Southern Utah ahead 18-13, but a three-pointer by
Dallin Grant and dunk by
Tennessee Rainwater locked up the game at 18.
After a layup by Owona put UT ahead 26-25, SUU answered with a 7-0 run to go ahead by six and stayed ahead for the remainder of the half taking a 42-37 lead to halftime.
With the Thunderbirds continuing to lead 53-52 after the first eight minutes of the second half, a layup by Gonsalves gave the Trailblazers a 54-53 lead.
SUU jumped back in the lead with a jumper and continued to lead for the next six minutes before a three-pointer by Rainwater gave UT a 66-64 edge with 5:43 to play.
Four straight free throws put SUU up by a pair, but a three-pointer by
Justin Bieker put the Trailblazers back in front by one, 69-68.
UT continued to lead by one, 71-70 with 1:57 to play, but a three-pointer by SUU's Dominique Ford put Thunderbirds ahead 73-71.
After the teams traded one free throw apiece, two free throws by Riley tied the game with 25 seconds left..
With the game appearing to head for overtime, a tip-in layup by Jeffrey Langston Jr. with 1.8 seconds left proved to be the game-winning basket for Southern Utah.
WATCH PARTY ON SATURDAY
Come out to a watch party at Cafe Sabor in St. George on Saturday night to watch the Trailblazers take on California Baptist at 7 p.m.
WHERE THE BLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech checks in second in the WAC in three point attempts per game (22.5) & assist/turnover ratio (1.09), ranks third in three point percentage defense (32.6) and three pointers made per game (7.3).
The Trailblazers also rank fourth in assists per game (13.3) and turnovers per game (12.3).
Individually, Gonsalves ranks second in the WAC in three-pointers made (57) & three-pointers made per game (2.38) and third in minutes per game (34:15).
Riley ranks fifth in rebounds per game (7.9) & third in double-doubles (7).
Hakim Byrd checks in fifth in the WAC in assists per game (3.1) & assist/turnover ratio (1.48) while
Samuel Ariyibi is sixth in blocks per game (1.41) & blocks (31).
OWONA COMES UP WITH BIG PERFORMANCE
Freshman guard
Madiba Owona sets season highs in points (22), rebounds (4), blocks (2), minutes (31), field goals made/attempts (8/15) and free throws made/attempts (4/4) on Thursday at Southern Utah.
In 11 games, Owona has made two starts and is averaging 7.2 points per game and 18.9 minutes per contest.
FALLING IN CLOSE CONTESTS
Utah Tech fell to 0-5 in games decided by three points or less on Thursday at SUU and have dropped their last six games decided by three or less dating back to a 70-68 win at home over Southern Utah on Feb. 8, 2024.
RILEY CONTINUES STRONG SEASON
Riley's average of 7.9 rebounds per game is tied for fifth all-time in a single season while he is sixth all-time in program history grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game.
A two-year Trailblazer, Riley's average of 12.1 points per game is tied for ninth all-time in program history.
REBOUNDING ADVANTAGE
The Trailblazers have outrebounded their opponents in three of their last five games and are 5-3 overall (four times in WAC play) on the season when holding the advantage in rebounds.
BYRD STRONG IN WAC PLAY
Since the turn of the new calendar year to 2025 and WAC play has got underway, Byrd has been on fire hitting double figures in six of nine contests averaging 13.6 points per game.
In addition, he has dished out three or more assists in seven contests and is 22-for-24 (91.7) from the free throw line during that stretch.
GONSALVES MOVING UP CAREER TOP 10 MARKS
Gonsalves continues to ascend the all-time career scoring list moving past former teammate Cameron Gooden (2020-23) on Thursday and now has 1,120 career points.
He enters Saturday only 26 points shy of reaching the top five in career points and is 67 points away from moving into fourth place.
In addition, Gonsalves ranks second in career games played (118), fourth in steals (119), starts (84), field goals made (387) & field goal attempts (877) & seventh in free throw percentage (79.1).
BYRD & GONSALVES STANDOUTS FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
Byrd and Gonsalves have been consistent all season from the free throw line.
Byrd has connected on 47-of-52 (90.4) from the line while Gonsalves is 47-of-53 (88.7).
Gonsalves saw his streak of 29 consecutive free throws made come to an end on Thursday at Southern Utah as it was his first miss in nearly two months dating back to Whittier on Dec. 16.
DOUBLE FIGURES
Gonsalves has reached double figures in 19 of 24 contests, including 11 of his last 13.
Riley (14), Justin Bieker (7), Ariyibi (7), Byrd (7), Britton Berrett (3), Owona (2) & Tennessee Rainwater (2) have also recorded multiple double digit contests this season.
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 202 made three-pointers on 536 attempts and is ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.7 percent.
Overall in 118 games played, Gonsalves has hit a three-pointer in 92 contests, including 49 out of 55 games over the last two seasons.
He has hit multiple triples in 18 games this season and 58 career games.
SEASONED VETERAN
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 337-221 (.604) overall record and a 317-209 (.603) 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).
WAC TOURNAMENT LESS THAN ONE MONTH AWAY
Set for March 11-15, the opening game of the WAC Tournament between the number eight and nine seeds are set for March 11 at Burns Arena with the rest of the tournament set for March 12-15 against Orleans Arena.
UP NEXT
The Trailblazers return home on Thursday night to host WAC leader Utah Valley (17-7, 9-1 WAC) for the Old Hammer Rivalry Game at Burns Arena at 7 p.m.
