Men's Basketball | 3/4/2025 1:00:00 PM

Game #30
Who | Utah Tech (6-23, 2-12 WAC) at Grand Canyon (22-6, 12-2 WAC)
When | Thursday, March 6 – 7 p.m.
Where | Global Credit Union Arena – Phoenix, Ariz.
Broadcast | ESPN+ / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers + #WACmbb

SCOUTING THE LOPES
Grand Canyon heads into Thursday night's matchup with a 22-6 overall record and a 12-2 record in the WAC, sitting one game behind Utah Valley to rank second in the conference.

GCU, who is 15-1 at home this season with their lone home loss coming to UC Davis on Nov. 20, have won five in a row and 11 of their last 12 games.

The Lopes, who are 7-0 in WAC home games winning by an average margin of 15.4 points per game, have won the last two WAC Tournaments along with winning the regular season a year ago.

The Lopes lead the WAC in field goal percentage defense (40.5), free throw attempts (25.3 - 10th nationally), free throws made per game (18.5 - 8th nationally), scoring margin (9.7), scoring offense (77.8) and three point percentage defense (30.1).

GCU is also second in scoring defense (68.1), blocks (5.1), field goal percentage (45.1) & rebounds per game (37.9) along with being third in assists per game (14.0), steals per game (9.5) & turnovers forced per game (15.07).

Individually, four Lopes average double figures led by senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster, the 2024 WAC Player of the Year & 2024-25 WAC Preseason Player of the Year, averaging 14.6 points per game (6th in WAC) and nabbing 6.2 rebounds per game (6th in WAC).

Senior forward JaKobe Coles, a transfer from TCU, is averaging 14.0 points per game and six rebounds per contest while ranking third in the WAC in field goal percentage (51.2)

Senior guard Ray Harrison is averaging 11.1 points per game & junior forward Duke Brennan ranks third in the WAC in rebounds per game (9.5) and averages 10.7 points per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. GRAND CANYON        
This will be Utah Tech's 26th meeting against Grand Canyon with the Trailblazers leading the series, 13-12.

Utah Tech has dropped its last six contests against the Lopes with the Trailblazers' last win coming at home on Feb. 12, 2022 with a 61-60 victory.

Utah Tech is 5-6 on the road against the Lopes in Phoenix while being 8-6 at home.

The Trailblazers last win at GCU came on Feb. 2, 2013 winning 65-64.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trailblazers dropped a defensive battle on Saturday night to California Baptist, 61-57 on Hall of Fame Night at Burns Arena.

Utah Tech was limited to only two Trailblazers in double figures led by Beon Riley with 11 points and Madiba Owona added 10 points and a pair of assists.

Riley notched his ninth double-double of the season leading the charge with 10 rebounds, three offensive, and tallied a pair of assists and a block.

California Baptist was led by a trio of Lancers in double figures with Tylen Riley notching 24 points and seven rebounds while playing all 40 minutes.

Kendal Coleman matched Riley with a double-double posting 14 points and 18 rebounds and Martel Williams chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Getting off to a quick start, the Trailblazers led 10-5 after the opening five minutes.

The Lancers responded with a 9-0 run, but Utah Tech answered right back with an 8-0 run to jump ahead, 17-14 after a three-pointer by Riley.

Continuing to lead throughout the half, the Trailblazers pushed their lead as many as six at 28-22 after a three-point play by Unisa Turay with 1:35 to play in the opening half.

Four straight points for CBU got the Lancers back within two, but a late layup by Turay put UT ahead 30-26 at the break.

Coming out for the second half with Hakim Byrd hitting a three-pointer to take a seven-point advantage, an 8-0 run for the Lancers gave CBU their first lead since midway through the first half.

The lone three points of the night for Trailblazers' leading scorer Noa Gonsalves came halfway through the second half to put UT ahead, 43-41.

A 10-1 run for CBU pushed the Lancers on top, 51-44 with 6:37 to play and the visitors continued to lead by that margin, before a three-pointer by Riley made it 57-52 in favor of CBU with 2:43 remaining

The Trailblazers went cold from there missing four straight field goal attempts as CBU led 61-54 in the final seconds getting a three-pointer by Owona at the buzzer to account for the final margin.

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 three pointers made per game (7.5).

The Trailblazers also rank third in three point percentage (33.4), check in fourth in turnovers per game (12.6) and are fifth in assists per game (12.8).

Individually, Gonsalves ranks second in the the WAC in three-pointers made (68), three-pointers made per game (2.34), third in minutes per game (34:54) and eighth in points per game (14.3).

Riley ranks third in double-doubles (9) and is fifth in rebounds per game (7.8).

Samuel Ariybi is fifth in blocks (38) and sixth in blocks per game (1.52).

FALLING IN CLOSE CONTESTS
Utah Tech has been on the wrong end of close contests all season sitting 1-8 in games decided by four points or less.

UT has dropped their last five games decided by four points or less after their lone win of the season in such a contest came at home over Tarleton State on Jan. 11 (58-54).

HITTING FROM DOWNTOWN
On the season, the Trailblazers are 218-of-652 (.334) from behind the arc which currently ranks third all-time in both three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted in a single season.

GET THAT OUT OF HERE
As a team, the Trailblazers have notched 93 total blocks, good for fifth-most in a single season in the NCAA era while the 3.2 blocks per game are seventh-most in a single season.

Samuel Ariyibi leads the way with 38 blocks, which is the seventh-most in a single season in program history.

WE'LL TAKE THAT
The Trailblazers have nabbed 185 steals this season, good for the 10th-most in a season and are 20 away from matching last season.

Gonsalves leads the way with 31 steals with Riley (29) and Ariyibi (26) closely following.

OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
Closing in on 1,000 rebounds as a team this season, the Trailblazers have grabbed 301 offensive rebounds as they are now just three shy of reaching the top 10 in offensive rebounds for most in a season.

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

He is also sixth all-time in career rebounds per game averaging 6.7 boards per game.

A two-year Trailblazer, Riley's career average of 12.2 points per game is ninth all-time in program history.

He has scored in double digits in seven straight games & 11 times overall in WAC play and has notched double-doubles in four WAC contests and nine overall.

GONSALVES CONTINUES ASCENT UP CAREER TOP 10 MARKS
Gonsalves heads into the final week of the regular season sitting 26 points shy of moving into third place on the all-time scoring list, currently held by Hunter Schofield (2019-22, 1,223 pts.).

In addition, Gonsalves became the program's all-time leader in career games played on Saturday against California Baptist appearing in his 123rd contest moving past Jacob Nicolds (2018-23, 122).

He is also third in starts (88), fourth in steals (122), field goals made (412) & field goal attempts (937) & seventh in free throw percentage (79.7).

DOUBLE FIGURES
Gonsalves has reached double figures in 23 of 29 contests, including 15 of his last 18, but was held to a season-low three points on Saturday vs. California Baptist and his fewest in 46 games dating back to a two-point outing at Seattle U on Jan. 4, 2024.

Riley (19), Ariyibi (10), Justin Bieker (8), Byrd (8), Owona (4), Britton Berrett (3), , Tennessee Rainwater (3) & Stone Hutchings (2) have also recorded multiple double digit contests this season.

BYRD & GONSALVES STANDOUTS FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
Byrd and Gonsalves have been consistent all season from the free throw line.

Byrd has connected on 50-of-55 (90.9) from the line while Gonsalves is 64-of-72 (88.9) to rank second and third, respectively in program history in a single season in free throw percentage.

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 213 made three-pointers on 568 attempts and is ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.5 percent.

On the season, he is 68-of-187 (.364) from behind the arc as both his three pointers made and attempts are now the most in a single season.

Overall in 123 games played, Gonsalves has hit a three-pointer in 97 contests, including 54 out of 60 games over the last two seasons.

He has hit multiple triples in 21 games this season and 61 career games.

SEASONED VETERAN
Head coach Jon Judkins is in his 20th season at Utah Tech this season sporting a 337-225 (.600) overall record and a 317-215 (.596) 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 NEXT WEEK        
Utah Tech will take on number eight seed Southern Utah in the opening round of the WAC Tournament next Tuesday (March 11) at 2:30 p.m. at Burns Arena.

With a win in that contest, the Trailblazers will go on to play the top seed in the tournament, either Utah Valley or Grand Canyon, on March 12 at 7 p.m. MT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers finish up the regular season on Saturday night hosting Seattle U (11-17, 6-8 WAC) for Senior Night at 7 p.m. at Burns Arena.