ST. GEORGE — Five Trailblazers scored in double figures as Utah Tech University opened is five-game holiday homestand with a 99-58 men’s basketball win over Chapman University on Friday night inside the Burns Arena.
The Trailblazers (5-5 overall, 0-0 in Western Athletic Conference), who trailed just twice on the night, used a pair of big runs on their way to a 51-29 halftime lead, according to a news release from Utah Tech Athletics.
UT turned an early 14-12 deficit into a commanding 31-17 advantage midway through the first half on the strength of a 19-3 run.
Noa Gonsalves and Frank Staine each hit a pair of 3-pointers in the rally, while the Blazer defense forced four Panther turnovers as Chapman came up empty in six of its seven possessions over a three-plus minute span.
Chapman managed to end the drought with consecutive Cruz Billings buckets, but Utah Tech outscored the Panthers 20-7 over the final 8:21 of the frame to take that 22-point cushion into the locker room.
Utah Tech never saw its lead dip below 20 points in the second half as the Blazers cruised to their second-straight victory.
Gonsalves finished with a career-high 19 points, with 14 of those coming in the first half to help spark both Blazer runs. The sophomore went 7-of-11 from the floor, including a scorching 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Cameron Gooden also poured in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers to go with season highs of six assists and four steals.
Staine added a season-high 14 points off the bench on 5-of-8 from the floor (3-of-5 on 3-pointers), while Isaiah Pope and Dancell Leter tallied 10 points apiece.
Tanner Christensen just missed his second double-double of the year as he wound up with nine points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Utah Tech shot a season-best 54.1 percent from the floor (40-of-74), and knocked down a season-high 13 3-pointers (13-of-31; .419).
However UT was just 6-of-12 (.500) from the foul line, this after the Blazers shot a season-best 86.4 percent (19-of-22) at the charity stripe in last Saturday’s road win at Weber State.
The Trailblazers outrebounded Chapman 42-28, including a 15-5 edge on the offensive glass. Utah Tech also dished out a season-high 24 assists on its 40 made field goals and turned the ball over just 12 times.
Jake Heberle led three Panthers in double figures with 15 points to go with 11 rebounds. Chapman shot 39.6 percent (21-of-53) from the floor on the night and was 7-of-23 (.304) from 3-point range.
Utah Tech’s 41-point victory is the sixth-largest margin of victory in the program’s NCAA era and is the second-largest during its Division-I transition.
The Trailblazers continue their holiday homestand next Saturday night, Dec. 17, vs. The Master’s University. Tip-off inside the Burns Arena is slated for 7 p.m.