After starting the year 1-13 in games on the road, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team has defeated two conference opponents on their home court in a row. They faced off against the University of Texas at Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 14 and took home a 78-73 victory.
With the win, SUU sits at a 9-17 record and holds a 5-8 conference standing. UTA fell to a 14-11 overall standing and now sits at 6-7 in the conference.
First half
The Thunderbirds were hitting nearly all of their shots to start the game. They went 5-6 from the field in the first four minutes and led 12-5 at the under-16 timeout.
Then SUU went cold for a stretch, allowing UTA to score six straight points and close the gap. Kai Burdick went to work, scoring four points and blocking a shot to regain the momentum. Dylan Jones scored five points of his own as the Mavericks played the free-throw game.
Southern Utah kept a healthy lead until UTA’s Raysean Seamster hit a big three and Marcus Rigsby Jr. pushed the Mavs into the lead with free throws. SUU didn’t let that deter them and went on a 9-3 run to end the half. They led 34-29 at the break.
The T-Birds only had one free-throw attempt this half, while UTA went 10-14. Despite that disparity, SUU’s defense played a major factor. The Mavericks shot 9-26 from the field and 1-4 from three-point range.
Second half
The Mavericks started the half on a 7-2 stretch that tied the game after three and a half minutes. They had momentum, but allowed a big triple from Tanner Hayhurst that broke the game open for the T-Birds again.
SUU held a good lead for the next while, but Rigsby scored two consecutive baskets to put the Mavs up one with eight minutes left. Dylan Jones then scored five straight points to give Southern Utah a cushion.
From there, almost all of the points came from triples or free throws. SUU had a huge 8-0 run in the final two minutes to ice the game, leading by as much as 12.
UTA was able to cut the lead to four, but there was barely any time left for another possession. SUU was able to pull off the 78-73 win in the end.
Key stats
— UTA scored 25 points, or a third of their total, off SUU turnovers.
— 66 of the game’s 151 points were scored in the paint.
— SUU dominated down low, with six blocks and two steals, while UTA had two blocks and nine steals.
— Nine different players scored in the double digits.
Top T-Birds
— Burdick continued to shine in his recent run of starts. He recorded 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks while going 5-6 from the field.
— Isaiah Cottrell had nine rebounds, five points, two assists and two blocks.
— Freshman Elijah Duval led all players in scoring with 20 points. He also tied for the team lead with three assists and grabbed two rebounds.
— Hayhurst notched 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal. He led all players with 38 minutes.
— Jones had 14 points, a rebound, an assist and a block off the bench.
What’s next?
The Thunderbirds will have a quick set of games in Texas this week. They will play Tarleton State University on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m., then head to Abilene Christian University on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Previous men’s basketball article ——– Next men’s basketball article
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Fanny Felixine
