CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Following a weekend split with the Eagles of Eastern Washington, the Thunderbird men's basketball team (10-2, 5-1 Big Sky) will have a home-and-home series this weekend against in-state rival Weber State. Thursday night's game will be played in Ogden, while Saturday's contest will be played in Cedar City.
Eastern Washington Recap
After dropping the opening contest against Eastern Washington in Cheney last Thursday, the Thunderbirds bounced back to defeat the Big Sky Conference favorite 99-94 on Saturday.
Tevian Jones led the scoring effort on Saturday, scoring 27 points. Jones found plenty of success at the free throw line, shooting a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe.
John Knight III also had a massive game for SUU, scoring 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.
Record Watch
When the Thunderbirds knocked off Eastern Washington they continued to rewrite the record books at Southern Utah University.
SUU had not defeated EWU on the road since 1992, and were able to accomplish that on Saturday.
They also scored 99 points, which is the most points they have ever scored on the road in a Big Sky Conference game, and the most they've scored in any road game since 1991.
In The Rankings
The Thunderbirds moved down a single spot in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, sitting at No. 17. They find themselves ranked just behind Saint Mary's and ahead of Wright State and Sam Houston State.
Southern Utah sits 160th in this week's NCAA NET Rankings, staying in the same spot they resided in before their trip to Eastern Washington.
Stat Leaders
Now with 12 games as a Thunderbird under his belt, Jones is averaging 19.3 points per game to lead the T-Birds. Jones is currently the second leading scorer in the league, trailing only Cameron Shelton of Northern Arizona. Shelton is averaging 21.4 ppg.
Knight III is averaging 13.2 ppg for the Thunderbirds, along with leading the team in assists with 4.3 assists per game. He also has the most steals for the Thunderbirds, with 21 total for 1.8 per game. Knight III is the Big Sky Conference leader in assists, and sits third in league rankings for steals.
Maizen Fausett is averaging 13.5 ppg for the Thunderbirds, and leads the team's rebounding effort with an average of 7.2 rebounds per game. That puts him sixth in the Big Sky Conference. He does have the second most offensive rebounds in the Big Sky with 30.
Southern Utah has the second highest ranked scoring offense in the Big Sky Conference, behind only Weber State. The T-Birds average 83.9 ppg, while the Wildcats average 85.0.
The Thunderbirds also lead the Big Sky in rebounding margin, with a +8.7 mark.
Opponent Preview: Weber State Wildcats (6-3, 1-1 Big Sky)
Riding a three game winning streak, the Wildcats of Weber State will play host to the Thunderbirds before making the return trip on Saturday.
The Wildcats went 2-0 last weekend in a pair of non-conference matchups, knocking off Yellowstone Christian College and Tarleton State.
Northwestern transfer Isiah Brown has been the leading scorer for the Wildcats through nine contests, averaging 17.8 ppg for Weber State. Zahir Porter is adding 13.6 ppg to the scoring total, and Cody Carlson is averaging 12.0.
WSU head coach Randy Rahe is in his 15th season as the head coach of the Wildcats, and is the Big Sky Conference all-time leader in coaching victories.
Series History vs. WSU
As Division I foes, the Wildcats hold a 29-9 advantage over the Thunderbirds over the past three decades.
Southern Utah claimed both contests during the 2018-19 campaign, but Weber State turned around and did the same during the 2019-20 season.
The Thunderbirds only have four victories over the Wildcats since joining the Big Sky Conference.
Big Sky At A Glance
With a spotless 4-0 Big Sky record, the Montana State Bobcats sit on top of the Big Sky standings. MSU is 7-3 overall on the year.
Southern Utah sits in second, trailed by Sacramento State with a 3-1 Big Sky mark.
The Idaho Vandals are still seeking their first Big Sky win at 0-8 on the year.
Words From The T-Birds
Todd Simon on Weber State…
"They're super talented," he said. "They've added a lot of new players, and coach Rahe does as good a job as anybody. It's an in-state game, so it will be quite a battle."
Todd Simon on seeking redemption…
"I think our returners have a bitter taste in their mouth from last year, and we'll be ready for them," he said.
Where To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
Thursday's contest in Ogden against Weber State will be aired locally on KJZZ with Dave Fox and Lance Allred on the call.
All of Southern Utah's home basketball games, and contests against Big Sky Conference foes, will stream live on PlutoTV Channel 1,055 and www.WatchBigSky.com.
SUU's home contests can be heard over the airwaves on KSUB 107.7 FM and 590 AM in Cedar City, and KDXU News Radio 890 AM and 94.9 FM in St. George. Chris Holmes has recently been announced as the new radio voice for the Thunderbirds, taking on play-by-play duties moving forward.
A link to live stats will be available on www.tbirdstats.com prior to tipoff.
Keep up to date on Southern Utah's Schedule Page for all the most recent updates and links.
Follow the Thunderbirds all season @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.
