ST. GEORGE, Utah-This weekend, Dixie State men’s basketball (2-0) hosts the 2019 Dixie State Classic by entertaining Providence (Mont.) of the NAIA and Saint Martin’s of Lacey, Wash.
Friday’s game against the Argonauts serves as an exhibition while Saturday’s game against the Saints is a game against a fellow NCAA Division II opponent.
Presently, 15-year Dixie State men’s basketball coach Jon Judkins has amassed a record of 264-126 (.677) at St. George and is 244-114 (.681) at the NCAA Division II level for the Trailblazers.
The Trailblazers are tied for 60th nationally in scoring offense (85.5 points per game) with Tusculum.
Junior forward/center Hunter Schofield averages 21 points and 8 rebounds for Dixie State as the Trailblazers’ statistical leader on the season.
Freshman forward Frank Staine (13.5 points) and senior guard Jack Pagenkopf (13 points, 12 rebounds per game) have also assisted Schofield in carrying the Dixie State scoring load.
Dixie State currently gives up 78.5 points per game, tying them for 189th nationally in scoring defense with Roberts Wesleyan.
Schofield, senior forward Cameron Chatwin and sophomore forward Jacob Nicolds have a block apiece for Dixie State. Pagenkopf and junior guard Dason Youngblood have two steals apiece for the Trailblazers on the season.
The Argonauts, who hail from Great Falls, Mont., are 3-0 on the season. In his second season at the helm, head coach Steve Keller is 21-12 (.636) in leading the program.
They average 103 points per game and are shooting 51.2 percent (110-215) from the field.
The Argonauts are paced by junior guard Zaccheus Darko-Kelly (21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists per game) and senior guard Brandon Cotton (12.3 points, 3 assists per game).
Providence gives up 73 points per game and their opponents currently shoot 40.5 percent from the field.
Darko-Kelly is also the Argonauts’ leading defender as he leads the squad in both blocks (5) and steals (8).
Saint Martin’s comes into the Burns Arena Saturday at 0-1 as they were routed by No. 5/No. 6 UC San Diego 85-55 Monday at Lacey, Wash.
Saints head coach Aaron Landon is seeking his first win at the helm of the program Friday against Westminster as the game against the Tritons was his debut.
The Saints currently rank 283rd out of 286 Division II schools in scoring offense with their 55-point output against UC San Diego.
Junior center Marky Adams leads Saint Martin’s by averaging 11 points and 7 rebounds. Junior guard Demonte Malloy is tied with Adams for the team lead by averaging 7 rebounds as well as 7 points.
In scoring defense, the Saints currently rank 234th nationally with the 85 points they gave up to the Tritons. They are tied with Johnson C. Smith, Dominican (Calif.) and Texas-Permian Basin.
Adams, freshman guard Cole Alton and redshirt junior guard/forward Logan Rooney all have a blocked shot on the season for the Saints. Junior guard CJ Jennings has two steals on the season to pace Saint Martin’s in that category.
The Trailblazers currently lead the Saints 2-1 all-time with Saturday’s game representing the first time these squads have met in St. George.
