In the start of conference play for their final year in the Western Athletic Conference, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team took on rival Utah Tech University on Monday, Dec. 29. Despite a strong first half, SUU fell 80-66 to the Trailblazers.
The T-Birds now hold a record of 4-10 and have lost four games in a row. Utah Tech improved to 8-7 and have won three of their last four games.
First half
SUU took charge to start the game and jumped to an early 8-2 lead. The Trailblazers didn’t score outside of the free-throw line until a goaltending violation five minutes in. It would be another two and a half minutes until the first made field goal from Utah Tech.
The Thunderbirds kept their intensity, going on a 10-4 run capped off with a three from Dylan Jones. He was SUU’s leading scorer playing off the bench with 12 points overall and hit another three two minutes later to give Southern Utah a 10-point lead.
From there the momentum shifted towards UTU. The Trailblazers went on a 14-4 run that tied the game and included two steals and eight straight points from guard Madiba Owona. The sophomore from Bordeaux, France recorded a season-high four steals and notched 16 points.
After going back and forth for the final minutes of the period, Utah Tech’s Jusaun Holt hit a buzzer-beating three to put the Trailblazers up two points at halftime.
Second half
The T-Birds started strong with five consecutive points from Elijah Duval, but a 13-0 run from UTU quickly put SUU behind by double digits. That run included three turnovers from Southern Utah.
SUU attempted to keep things close and got the deficit down to as many as five points, but Utah Tech scored the next 11 points. In the final eight minutes of play, Southern Utah made just two field goals with both coming from Lorenzo Abellar.
With Utah Tech’s lead above 10 for nearly that entire stretch, they cruised to an 80-66 victory. They were lights out from three-point range, sinking seven of their 14 attempts this half while SUU went 2-8.
Key stats
— Utah Tech scored 20 points off turnovers compared to SUU’s six.
— SUU shot 26.3% from three while Utah Tech shot 43.5%.
— All but one of the Trailblazers’ starters scored 13 or more points.
— SUU had more bench points than Utah Tech, scoring 24 to UTU’s 16.
Top T-Birds
— Zach Bell recorded 11 points, three rebounds and two steals. Bell, Tanner Hayhurst and Jones all shot 50% from the field.
— Isaiah Cottrell grabbed eight rebounds to go along with seven points and a block.
— Duval scored 11 points, a team-high three assists, two rebounds and a block.
— Hayhurst notched nine points, four rebounds and a steal.
— Jones scored a team-high 12 points off the bench while also turning in two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
What’s next?
SUU will head home to Cedar City to face the University of Texas at Arlington on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the America First Events Center. That game will also be streamed live on ESPN+.
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
