Box Score ST. GEORGE, Utah. The Southern Utah men's basketball team turned in a scorching second stanza, but it was not enough to overcome a quiet first frame in an 86-79 loss to Utah Tech on Saturday, Feb. 4.
SUU's record moved to 16-8 and 8-3 in the Western Athletic Conference, while Utah Tech improved its record to 11-13 and 3-8 in WAC play.
Career-Scoring Charts
Senior forward Maizen Fausett led five Thunderbirds in double-digit scoring with 19 points as he joined the 1,400-point club with 1,407 in his career at SUU. He's just the fourth player for Southern Utah ever to accomplish that feat as he closes in on former teammate Dre Marin's 1,434 career points for third all-time on the record charts.
Sophomore center Jason Spurgin and sophomore guard Drake Allen each scored 13 points with Spurgin collecting a double-double thanks to 10 rebounds.
Graduate guard Cameron Healy canned four straight three-pointers in the second half en route to 12 points, while senior guard Tevian Jones turned in 10 points during the game. Jones increased his SUU career tally to 1,245 points to go along with 1,343 total as an NCAA Division I player along with some time spent in an Illinois uniform.
Senior guard Harrison Butler chipped in seven points along with 11 rebounds as his career tally increased to 1,331 at SUU.
Points
1,710; Davor Marcelic (1989-1992)
1,568; Jeff Monaco (1997-2001)
1,434; Dre Marin (2017-2022)
1,407; Maizen Fausett (ACTIVE)
1,331; Harrison Butler (ACTIVE)
1,300; James McGee (2014-2018)
1,297; Richard Barton (1989-1993)
1,273; Jackson Stevenett (2010-2013)
1,245; Tevian Jones (ACTIVE)
1,223; John Knight III (2019-2022)
1,205; Davis Baker (2007-2010)
First Half
Utah Tech opened the game quickly, taking a 9-3 lead at the 17:23 mark. Tevian Jones kicked off scoring for the T-Birds with a trifecta during the stretch. The Thunderbirds countered with a 7-3 burst of their own during the following 1:45 of play to cut the Utah Tech lead to 12-10 with 15:38 on the clock. Jones added another triple during this stretch of play.
The Trailblazers, however, pushed their lead to 14-10 with 15:04 on the clock heading into the first media timeout. That keyed a 12-0 run for Utah Tech as it extended its lead to 24-10 with 12:26 to play.
Drake Allen ended the scoreless streak for SUU with a deep trifecta with 12:01 on the clock to cut the lead to 24-13. The teams then traded buckets with Utah Tech holding a 28-15 advantage with 11:07 to go heading into the next media timeout.
Jason Spurgin provided a quick 4-0 run for the 'Birds during the next 30 seconds thanks to a pair of free throws and a layup to cut the lead to 28-19 with 9:35 to go. Utah Tech responded with an 8-0 stretch to improve its advantage to 36-19 with 7:46 prior to heading into another media timeout.
Utah Tech added to its lead with five more points during the next 47 seconds of play, taking a 41-19 advantage at 4:44. Dee Barnes ended the Trailblazer run with a pair of free throws to pull the 'Birds to within 41-21 with 4:23.
After another Utah Tech jumper in response put the squad up 43-21, Barnes drilled a three-pointer with 3:06 on the clock to shave the gap to 43-24. UTU picked up a layup with 2:30 to go to take a 45-24 lead heading into another timeout.
The teams traded shots the rest of the way before Jones drew a foul on a three-point shot to close the half. Jones made two of three free throws to head into halftime, 47-30.
Second Half
Utah Tech started the second stanza like it did in the first half with a 5-0 run to take a 52-30 lead with 18:49. Maizen Fausett took a great Cameron Healy assist to the hole with a layup to cut the gap to 52-32 before converting the old-fashioned three-point play with 18:29 left to move to within 52-33.
Healy kept the run going with a smooth trey at 17:40 to shave the gap to 52-36. Healy went back-to-back with another trifecta at the 17:01 mark as the 'Birds cut the advantage down to 52-39, inducing a Utah Tech timeout to try to cool off the 9-0 SUU run.
Healy then canned a third and fourth straight three-pointer in the next few minutes of play as the SUU run moved to 15-0 as SUU pulled to within 52-45 with 15:01 on the clock. This induced yet another Utah Tech timeout in an attempt to slow down the Healy Express.
The Trailblazers pushed the lead back up to 54-45 with 14:39 to play before Fausett replied with a layup to cut the gap back to 54-47 with 14:29 on the clock. After another play clock issue delay, Fausett took a Jason Spurgin assist into the paint to shave the deficit to 54-49 with 14:01 to play.
After a UTU score, Spurgin hammered home a dunk off a Healy assist to pull to within 56-51 at the 13:15 mark. Utah Tech responded with a 5-0 burst to extend the lead back to 10 points, 61-51, with 12:24 to go.
Coming out of a media timeout, SUU drained another trifecta as Fausett pulled the 'Birds to within 61-54 at the 11:32 mark. Tevian Jones converted a pair from the charity stripe with 10:59 on the clock as the T-Birds moved to within 61-56.
The Trailblazers responded to the SUU threat with a swift 6-0 burst as the lead went back up to 67-56 with 9:30 before Harrison Butler drilled a three-pointer to cut the deficit back to 67-59 at the 9:11 mark. Fausett drove into the lane again with a layup at 8:26 on the clock to pull the T-Birds to within 67-61.
The teams then traded made free throws with SUU within six points, 69-63 with 7:37 on the clock. UTU then picked up another pair of free throws before Allen drove the lane with a layup to move to within 71-65 with 7:12 to go.
Fausett responded to a Utah Tech trey with a pair of made free throws as the 'Birds pulled to within 74-67 with 6:39 to play. Other than a layup from Utah Tech, the teams both went cold the next few minutes with UTU leading, 76-67, at the 4:25 mark.
Allen split a pair of free throws out of the final media timeout with SUU pushing to 76-68 at the 3:58 mark. Spurgin then split two of his own free throws to shave the deficit to 76-69 with 3:52 to go. Spurgin went to the line again, this time sinking both shots to cut the gap to 76-71 with 3:17 on the clock.
Utah Tech countered with a 4-0 to bring the advantage back up to 80-71 with 2:24 to go. Allen kept the 'Birds in the game with a clutch trifecta as SUU cut the lead to 80-74 with 2:16 to play.
The teams battled down the stretch with the Trailblazers having just enough to close out the game for an 86-79 victory.
Notable Plays
Next Up
Southern Utah returns home to face Tarleton State on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. MT. SUU will be looking to avenge a 68-65 loss a month ago in Stephenville, Texas.
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