CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah forced 20 turnovers, turned them into 30 points and pulled away from Grace (Calif.) for a 97-53 win on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at the America First Event Center.
The Thunderbirds (2-0) are 2-0 for the fifth time since at least 2000-01 and the first time since 2024-25, when they beat Western New Mexico (96-68) and FIU (80-75). Their 231 points through two games are the most in a season's first two games since at least 2000-01, topping the 198 scored in 2022-23 (an 89-81 loss to New Mexico and a 117-55 win against La Verne).
Jajuan Nicholls led four double-figure scorers with 17 points, his most as a Thunderbird, on 7-of-9 shooting in 15 minutes. Anthony Breland scored 15 off the bench, Jaiden Feroah added 11 points and six rebounds, and freshman DeZhon Hall had 10 points for his second straight double-figure game to start his college career.
SUU never trailed. The only tie came at 2-2, the Thunderbirds led for 39:31, and they held a 50-point lead at 85-35 with 8:19 left.
Record Watch
- 231 points through two games: The most in a season's first two games since at least 2000-01, topping 198 in 2022-23 (81 against New Mexico and 117 against La Verne).
- Back-to-back 95-point games: SUU scored 134 against West Coast Baptist and 97 against Grace for its first pair of 95-point games in a row since Feb. 6 and 9, 2021 (110-58 against Benedictine Mesa and 109-50 against San Diego Christian).
- 2-0 start: The fifth since at least 2000-01, joining 2006-07, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2024-25.
- 20 forced turnovers: The first time SUU has forced 20 or more since Dec. 6, 2022, when West Coast Baptist committed 22 in a 120-49 Thunderbirds win.
- 13 steals: SUU's most since it also had 13 against Antelope Valley in a 95-78 win on Dec. 30, 2023.
- 30 points off turnovers: The most since 33 against Antelope Valley on Dec. 30, 2023.
- 23 first-half points allowed: The fewest by an SUU opponent in a half since CSU Bakersfield also scored 23 in the first half of a 74-64 Thunderbirds win on Nov. 30, 2024.
- Home under Jeter: Rob Jeter's Thunderbirds are 15-2 in home nonconference games and 10-2 at home in November since 2023-24.
Game Flow
Nicholls opens the scoring. Jajuan Nicholls hit a jumper 17 seconds in. Caleb Palmer's layup tied it 2-2 at 19:16, the only tie of the night.
An 8-0 answer. Dylan Sanders scored on a layup from Cale Barclay, Nicholls added a free throw and a layup, Barclay tipped one in and Feroah made a free throw to make it 10-2 at 16:40.
Takeaways turn into points. After a Nehemiah Johnson jumper, Feroah scored inside and Nicholls finished a fast-break layup off a Sanders steal. Breland came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer at 14:55 for a 17-4 lead.
Protsenko's pick-pocket. Mikhail Protsenko stole the ball at 13:32 and dunked at 13:03 to make it 19-6, and Grace called timeout. Breland's layup made it 21-6.
Pushing it back out. Thibault Merino's 3-pointer pulled the Talons within 25-15 at 9:52. SUU answered with a 7-0 run: a Barclay free throw, a Nicholls tip-in, a Sanders 3-pointer and a Hall free throw for a 32-15 lead at 8:10. Chase Degraffenried hit a 3-pointer at 5:38, and Feroah's layup made it 37-17.
Closing the half. Breland's steal at 1:33 led to a Barclay putback for a 41-21 lead. Breland made two free throws at 0:26, and Barclay scored a layup off a Breland assist with three seconds left for a 45-23 halftime lead.
The 15-0 run. Barclay's basket started SUU's biggest run of the night. The Thunderbirds scored the first 13 points of the second half. Nicholls made two free throws, Degraffenried hit a 3-pointer off a Barclay steal, and Sanders had steals 26 seconds apart, setting up a Nicholls dunk on the first and scoring a fast-break layup himself on the second. Feroah blocked a shot at 16:46 to set up another Nicholls dunk, and Nicholls' layup at 16:00 made it 58-23. Nicholls scored eight points in the run. Grace went 4:35 without a point, from Johnson's jumper at 0:14 of the first half until Hannes Bregmann's layup at 15:39.
Feroah from deep. Feroah hit 3-pointers at 15:26 and 14:09, with a Protsenko layup between them, to push the lead to 66-27.
Breland's 24 seconds. Breland hit a 3-pointer at 12:18 on a DJ Smith assist, made a free throw a second later and hit another 3-pointer at 11:54. The seven points stretched the lead to 74-31.
Hall's flurry. Rashaad Davis' steal at 10:28 led to a Hall fast-break layup. Hall added a jumper and two free throws for six points in 1:48. Jordan Brown's 3-pointer at 8:19, off Smith's third assist, made it 85-35, the game's largest lead.
Bench finish. Zeplin Kidd's steal at 2:51 set up a Jalik Nicholls layup, his second basket in 1:24. Smith dunked on a Brayden Johnson assist at 2:12, and Smith's layup at 1:03 set the final SUU total. Kidd blocked a shot with 11 seconds left.
Thunderbirds Notes
- Turnovers decided it: Grace committed 10 turnovers in each half, and SUU outscored the Talons 30-4 in points off turnovers. Nine Thunderbirds had at least one steal, led by Sanders with four, his most as a Thunderbird. SUU committed seven turnovers.
- Nicholls rolling: Jajuan Nicholls has 31 points through two games and is 13 of 16 (81.3 percent) from the field. His 17 points, seven field goals, three free throws and six rebounds against Grace are all his highs as a Thunderbird.
- Breland's spark: Breland scored 15 points in 12 minutes, going 4 of 8 from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 4 of 6 at the line. The points, 3-pointers and free throws are all his highs as a Thunderbird. He has 27 points in two games.
- Feroah: The graduate forward went 4 of 5 from the field, 2 of 3 from 3-point range, with six rebounds and a block in 17 minutes. He has 55 career blocks at SUU and needs 13 more to pass Cal Hanks (67) for 10th on the school's career list.
- Hall: The freshman scored 10 points on 2-of-4 shooting and 6 of 8 at the line, with four rebounds. His six free throws are a college career high, and he has 21 points in his first two games.
- Still perfect: Barclay went 3 of 3 and Protsenko 2 of 2 from the field. Barclay is 8 of 8 this season, and Protsenko is 9 of 9. Barclay added seven points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in 13 minutes.
- Smith: The freshman had six points, three rebounds and three assists, a college career high, in 13 minutes.
- Degraffenried: He hit two 3-pointers, his most as a Thunderbird, and added two steals.
- Glass and depth: SUU outrebounded Grace 45-35, with Nicholls, Feroah and Juok Riak grabbing six apiece. The Thunderbirds held edges of 50-30 in the paint, 19-9 in second-chance points, 19-6 in fast-break points and 47-15 in bench points.
- Shooting: SUU shot 49.3 percent (35 of 71) from the field and 51.4 percent (19 of 37) in the second half, when it made 6 of 13 from 3-point range. The Thunderbirds had 19 assists.
- Defense: Grace shot 37.0 percent (20 of 54) from the field and 15.4 percent (2 of 13) from 3-point range. SUU has allowed 122 points in two games.
- Everyone played: All 15 Thunderbirds played, and 11 scored.
- Series: SUU is 1-0 against Grace, which is in its first season of competition.
Postgame Interview
Next Up
Southern Utah wraps up its three-game homestand against Bethesda on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. MT at the America First Event Center. The Thunderbirds are 8-0 against Bethesda since at least 2000-01, most recently a 118-60 win on Nov. 11, 2025.
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