The Southern Utah University men’s basketball team played their last game on March 12 at the Western Athletic Conference postseason tournament. The T-Birds played a close game but ultimately lost to the University of Texas at Arlington by a score of 69-63.
SUU ended the season with a 10-22 record, two fewer wins than last year. However, they won two more conference games than last year, going 6-12.
UT Arlington ended the year with an 18-14 record. They went 9-9 in conference play and lost in the WAC tournament semifinal to Utah Valley University.
First half
The game was ultimately won on defense, which showed itself to be true early. SUU struggled to score and went on two separate five-minute stretches without scoring a point this half.
Regardless of the offensive issues, SUU had a one-point lead with 2:37 remaining. The teams were competitive down to the wire.
Ultimately, the Mavericks ended the half strong, going on a 6-0 run to end the half with a 29-24 lead.
Second half
The second half was neck-and-neck throughout the first 10 minutes. UTA proceeded to lock down on the defensive end and quickly extended their lead to 12 points.
The T-Birds then went on a 6-0 run of their own, but UTA responded immediately with a 5-0 run, bringing their lead back to 11 points. There were only seven and a half minutes left.
With their season on the line, SUU had one final reach for glory. Elijah Duval scored six straight points to shorten the Mavericks’ lead. He then hit a triple with the Thunderbirds one possession away from tying the game.
Finally, a strong defensive stop led to Dylan Jones hitting a rim shot on a corner triple. Then UTA scored on the next possession and ended the game, winning 69-63.
Key stats
— UTA snagged 20 offensive rebounds, giving them nearly twice as many second-chance scoring opportunities as SUU.
— Both teams massively struggled from three-point range. SUU shot 6-31 and UTA went 3-17.
— While SUU had six blocks and three steals, UTA cashed in a massive five blocks and 12 steals. The Mavericks had 15 points off turnovers compared to the T-Birds’ four.
Top T-Birds
— Jaiden Feroah had a massive final game in his one and only year as a Thunderbird. He had 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block. He played 38 minutes.
— Duval ended his freshman year with style. In just 24 minutes, he recorded 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. He shot 7-11 from two-point range.
— Kai Burdick ended his second and final year as a T-Bird even better than the first. He led all players with 39 minutes played and had eight points, a team-leading nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal.
— Logan Stephens led the SUU bench in scoring in his final game as a T-Bird. He had seven points, a rebound, an assist and a steal.
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Author: Emilia Montgomery and Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Payson Davis
