Men's Basketball | 2/21/2025 9:00:00 AM

Game #27
Who | Utah Tech (6-20, 2-9 WAC) at Abilene Christian (13-13, 5-6 WAC)
When | Saturday, Feb. 22 – 5 p.m. MT
Where | Moody Coliseum – Abilene, Texas
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Meeting the Trailblazers for the second time in a 16-day stretch on Saturday night,  Abilene Christian comes the contest against the Trailblazers with a 13-13 overall record and a 5-6 mark in the WAC, sitting in a tie for fifth with Seattle U in the WAC.

The Wildcats are coming off a 75-59 win over Southern Utah at home on Thursday behind four double digit scorers with Quinon Williams and Hunter Jack Madden each scoring 14 points apiece.

ACU is 8-4 at home on the season and is 3-2 in WAC home contests with wins over Seattle U (75-59), Tarleton State (67-56) and Southern Utah.

The Wildcats lead the WAC and rank second in the nation in steals per game (10.4), rank second in turnovers forced per game (16.9- 7th nationally) & field goal percentage (44.6).

Finally, ACU is third in three point percentage defense (32.2) and fourth in scoring defense (70.3).

Individually, junior guard Quion Williams leads the team in points (13.6) & blocks (0.7) per game while checking in fourth in the WAC in field goal percentage (47.5).

Junior forward Leonardo Bettiol ranks third in the WAC in field goal percentage (53.0) while averaging 13.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN
This will be Utah Tech's seventh meeting against Abilene Christian and fourth on the road in Abilene with UT trailing the all-time series, 6-0.

Meeting earlier this season on Feb. 6 in St. George, the Trailblazers fell 86-72 to the Wildcats with Beon Riley leading the team with 17 points.

With the last two meetings coming in St. George, the Trailblazers' last visit to Abilene came on Jan. 25, 2024 losing 82-60.

Meeting only once in the 2022-23 season, the Trailblazers fell on the road while losing both pair of contests against the Wildcats in 2021-22.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trailblazers battled back from an early deficit to force overtime on Thursday night falling 79-77 to Utah Valley at Burns Arena.

Utah Tech was led by the experienced pair of seniors in Noa Gonsalves and Beon Riley.

Gonsalves finished with a team-leading 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, 4-of-7 from behind the three-point line and added a career-high three blocks.

Riley tallied his eighth double-double of the season finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Two other Trailblazers notched double figures with Stone Hutchings chipping in 14 points off the bench and Samuel Ariyibi added 11 points, seven rebounds and a season-high four blocks.

Utah Valley raced out to a 22-2 lead after the opening six minutes, but the Trailblazers slowly clawed their way back into the contest using an 11-4 run, capped by a three-pointer from Gonsalves, to cut the Wolverines' lead to 26-13.

A layup by the Wolverines kept UVU ahead by 20 (40-20), but six straight points from Hutchings and a layup by Gonsalves made it 40-28.

Halting the run for the Trailblazers was a layup for Utah Valley, but Hutchings stayed hot with a three-pointer and layup to bring the deficit to nine at 42-33 as neither team scored over the final 2:31 of the opening half.

The second half saw Utah Valley continue to lead by as many as 11 (58-47) with 8:30 to play, but a 15-3 run for the Trailblazers over the next four-and-half minutes gave Utah Tech a 62-61 lead with 4:05 left in regulation.

Trading the lead back-and-forth four times over the next three-plus minutes, the Trailblazers led 68-66 after a layup by Ariyibi with 47 seconds remaining.

UVU countered with a layup eight seconds later to tie the score as each team missed a layup in regulation to send the Trailblazers to overtime for the first time this season.

Falling behind 77-72 after the first three minutes of the extra session, the Trailblazers continued to battle with Hakim Byrd nailing a three-pointer and layup to knot the game at 77.

A late layup by Toolson gave the Wolverines a 79-77 advantage as Riley had an opportunity to win the game with a three-pointer at the buzzer, but came up short.

WHERE THE BLAZERS RANK IN THE WAC/NCAA
Utah Tech checks in second in the WAC in three point attempts per game (22.5) and ranks third in three pointers made per game (7.5).

The Trailblazers also rank fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.06), assists per game (13.0) and turnovers per game (12.3).

Individually, Gonsalves ranks second in the WAC in three-pointers made (62) & three-pointers made per game (2.38) and is third in minutes per game (34:43).

Riley ranks fifth in rebounds per game (7.8) & third in double-doubles (8).

Samuel Ariybi is sixth in blocks per game (1.52) & blocks (35).

HOT FROM THE FIELD
The Trailblazers continued its strong shooting on Thursday against Utah Valley with its sixth straight contest shooting over 40 percent from the field.

Overall, UT is 6-14 when hitting that mark this season and 2-7 in WAC contests.

HITTING FROM DOWNTOWN
On the season, the Trailblazers are 194-of-585 (.332) from behind the arc which currently ranks fifth all-time in three-pointers made and the 585 three-point attempts are fourth all-time.

GET THAT OUT OF HERE
As a team, the Trailblazers have notched 79 total blocks, good for ninth-most in a single season in the NCAA era. 

Samuel Ariyibi leads the way with 35 blocks which is the seventh-most in a single season in program history.

FALLING IN CLOSE CONTESTS
Utah Tech fell to 0-7 in games decided by three points or less on Thursday night at home against WAC-leading Utah Valley.

UT has dropped their last eight games decided by three or less dating back to last season. 

Its last win in a contest that was three points or fewer came in a 70-68 win at home over Southern Utah on Feb. 8, 2024.

RILEY CONTINUES STRONG SEASON
Riley's average of 7.8 rebounds per game is sixth all-time in a single season while he is also 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.

GONSALVES MOVING UP CAREER TOP 10 MARKS
Gonsalves moved past Brandon Simister (1,145 - 2012-18) for fifth place on the all-time scoring list on Thursday against the Wolverines as he now has 1,152 career points.

In addition, Gonsalves ranks second in career games played (120), third in starts (85), fourth in steals (120), field goals made (398) & field goal attempts (900) & seventh in free throw percentage (79.0).

SCORING/REBOUNDING LEADERS
Gonsalves has led the team in scoring in 10 games followed by Riley with seven, Byrd and and Bieker 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 16 contests followed by Samuel Ariyibi with six and Gonsalves with a pair.

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 52-of-58 (89.7) to rank second and third, respectively in program history in a single season in free throw percentage.

DOUBLE FIGURES 
Gonsalves has reached double figures in 21 of 26 contests, including 13 of his last 15.

Riley (16), Justin Bieker (8), Ariyibi (8), Byrd (7), Britton Berrett (3), Owona (3, Tennessee Rainwater (3) & Stone Hutchings (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 207 made three-pointers on 547 attempts and is ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.8 percent.

Overall in 120 games played, Gonsalves has hit a three-pointer in 94 contests, including 51 out of 57 games over the last two seasons.

He has hit multiple triples in 19 games this season and 59 career games.

SEASONED VETERAN
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 337-223 (.602) overall record and a 317-211 (.600) 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 are back home next week hosting Southern Utah (11-16, 3-10 WAC) on Feb. 27 and California Baptist (13-12, 6-5 WAC) on March 1.