Men's Basketball 11/21/2012 5:00:00 PM John Potter, Media Relations Assistant

[PREVIEW] Holiday weekend tourney in Colorado

Red Storm compete in Clarion Inn Thanksgiving Classic at CMU

Dixie State vs. Fort Lewis
Game Details	Friday, Nov. 23 \| Grand Junction, Colo. \| 3:00 p.m. MST Browning Arena
Game Coverage	TV: None \| Radio: ESPN SportsRadio \| 1210AM and 107.3/102.3 FM Colorado Mesa Tournament Page: CMU Dixie State All Access: Video and Audio Twitter: @DixieAthletics #DSCmbb
Dixie State Links	Notes \| Roster \| Schedule
FLC Links	Notes \| Roster \| Schedule

Dixie State at Colorado Mesa
Game Details	Saturday, Nov. 23 \| Grand Junction, Colo. \| 7 p.m. MST Browning Arena
Game Coverage	TV: None \| Radio: ESPN SportsRadio \| 1210AM and 107.3/102.3 FM Colorado Mesa Tournament Page: CMU Dixie State All Access: Video and Audio Twitter: @DixieAthletics #DSCmbb
Dixie State Links	Notes \| Roster \| Schedule
CMU Links	Notes \| Roster \| Schedule

TURKEY DAY WEEKEND IN GRAND JUNCTION: Dixie State College takes to the road for two non-conference games at the Brownson Arena in Colorado during the Clarion Inn Thanksgiving Classic. Friday, DSC looks for its first win against Fort Lewis (3 p.m.) while a rematch with Colorado Mesa looms on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both games can be heard on SportsRadio 1210AM & 107/102 FM with John Potter (@PotterSez).

STORM WATCH: DSC is off to a 3-0 start for first time since 2004. That season, during one of the final campaigns in the junior college ranks, Dixie State won the first nine games on the schedule before a early December loss to the College of Eastern Utah.

LAST TIME OUT: Steven Larson (South Jordan, UT/Copper Hills) (South Jordan, UT/Copper Hills) made all 11 shots he took Friday night en route to a career-high 25 points. Dixie State shot a program-best 70.9 percent from the field in defeating the host Yellowjackets of MSU Billings 90-77 in Alterowitz Gymnasium. Larson was one of four players to have a perfect shooting night for the Red Storm (3-0). Derek Owen (St George, UT/Dixie) (St George, UT/Dixie) was 6-of-6 for 12 points in 13 minutes. Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) had 10 points on five shots while DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (4-4 FG) added nine points. The Red Storm, six days removed from shooting over 60 percent in a home win over Colorado Mesa, dominated the paint all night to the sound of a 50 to eight advantage. Dixie State hit 39 of 55 shots to eclipse the previous high of 64 percent in a 2010 game at Notre Dame de Namur. Hot shooting was needed since the Yellowjackets (1-1) scored their first 12 points from behind the arc. After MSUB closed the lead to four, 27-23, at the 9:51 mark, the Jackets failed to make a basket for over four and a half minutes. The Red Storm used the opposing drought to go on an 8-0 run sparked by four lay-ups. A late three-ball from Cameron Cusworth put the DSC halftime advantage at 47-39. Larson and Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (19 points) went to work in the second half extending the lead to 14 points by scoring the team's first eight points of the half. MSUB would close with nine at the 13:38 mark before the Storm outscored the Jackets 20-10 behind three straight shots by Groskreutz, three-balls from McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) (Payson, UT/Payson) and Thompson and a lay-in from Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak). The final field goal came with 2:28 left on a beautiful extra pass assist from Massey to Groskreutz in the corner for three.

HISTORY REPEATING?: DSC faced the same schedule in the 2007 version of the Clarion Inn Thanksgiving Classic. Five years ago, the squad dropped both games: 99-90 to Fort Lewis and 76-74 to then Mesa State.

• FORT LEWIS SKYHAWKS

> The Skyhawks are 1-0 on the season after defeating Nothern New Mexico, 83-52 on Nov. 15. Nick Tomsick led Fort Lewis with 17 points in his Skyhawk debut. He also added a rebound and three steals.
> FLC was selected to finish fifth in the RMAC preseason poll, just behind Adams State.
> Bob Hofman begins his 17th (and 13th consecutive) season at the helm of the Fort Lewis College men's basketball program. During his tenure in Durango, Hofman's Skyhawks and Raiders have won three RMAC regular season crowns, four RMAC postseason championships, six RMAC West Division trophies and seven NCAA Division II playoff berths.

JUDKINS ON THE HAWKS: They have a great coach and we have not beaten them in four games in Division II. We have to take care of their pressure, they will get into us. We think our inside game will be key, just like the MSUB game.

• COLORADO MESA MAVERICKS

> The Mavericks represent the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and were selected to finish third in the league's preseason predicited order of finish. CMU split games at the DSC Classic to open the year - defeating Fresno Pacific in overtime before falling to the Red Storm 77-65.
> Jim Heaps enters his 17th season as the men's head basketball coach for the Mavericks. In 16 seasons he has compiled a 282-163 overall record and 207-103 conference record. In his 16 years at the helm, CMU has won two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship titles (2010, 1999), seven west division titles and four NCAA tournament berths. Heaps was named RMAC Coach of the Year in 2010 and 1999.

JUDKINS ON THE MAVS: Sometimes it is hard to motivate the guys when they have beaten a team once before. We have to play better than we did last time. It will be physical and we will have to be mentally tougher to play them the second night of the tournament.

FLC ENDED WIN STREAK THE LAST TIME IN THE BURNS, 2008: Trent Bowman took the wind right out of Dixie State's sails - pretty much every time he wanted to. Fort Lewis College's shooting guard made 8-of-9 from beyond the arc - several of them in direct answer to a Dixie State push - as the Skyhawks beat DSC 90-78 at Burns Arena on Tuesday night. Three of his treys in the second half cut right to the heart of DSC (5-6). The home team went on a 12-2 run. capped by a Tom Whitehead (13 points. five rebounds. four blocks) 3-pointer to pull within 65-63 with 9:49 remaining. Then Bowman got loose on the perimeter. Whitehead followed by getting to the line and converting both shots. Bowman found himself all alone on the next possession. After a rim-rattling dunk by FLC's DeAndre Lansdowne (13 points. five assists). Ryan Sanchez (team-high 20 points. three steals) hit a leaner to cut the deficit 76-71 with 5:55 to go. About a minute later. somebody lost track of Bowman. Hartman had 12 points and eight rebounds for DSC as he connected on 5-of-7 from the field. DSC didn't get much from their post players. though. Andy Palmer. Nick Howard. Kevin Lindquist and Christian Wouden combined for 12 points in 56 minutes.

STORM WIN CLASSIC EARLIER IN THE YEAR AGAINST CMU: Senior guard McKay Massey (Payson, UT/Payson) made nine of 12 shots for 22 points to spark the Dixie State College basketball team to a 77-65 win over Colorado Mesa in the championship game of the DSC Classic on Saturday inside the Burns Arena. The career night for Massey continued with eight assists, six coming in the second half when Storm pulled away from the Mavericks after the game was knotted at the half. Dixie State improved to 2-0 on the year while the Mavs fell to 1-1. CMU took an early 9-2 lead behind a hot start from Mike Melillo (18 points, nine rebounds). Over the next 4:49, Dixie State used an 11-4 run to even the game at 13-13. Neither team built a substantial lead and a stickback dunk by Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) kept the game tied at the break, 36-36. Physical and close battles have been the trademark of previous battles between DSC and Colorado Mesa. Saturday's see-saw battle saw eight ties and 11 lead changes until Massey and DSC took over at the 11:43 mark in the second half. Jumpers from DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) and Robbins began a 14-0 defining run that saw Massey get a lay-in and nail a pail of three-pointer. Kimball Payne (Alpine, UT/Lone Peak) knocked in a shot to close the run with a DSC 65-53 lead. Payne had 10 points and joined Massey by posting a career-high with nine dimes.

NABC/Division II Coaches Poll (Nov. 20, 2012 – Regular season poll #1)

1. West Liberty, W.Va. (14 first place votes)
2. Washburn, Kan.
3. Metropolitan State, Colo.
4. Alabama-Huntsville (1 first place vote)
5. Bellarmine, Ky. (1 first place vote)
6. Western Washington
7. Seattle Pacific, Wash.
8. Franklin Pierce, N.H.
9. Southern Indiana
10. Saint Leo, Fla.
11. Winona State, Minn.
12. Christian Brothers, Tenn.
13. Findlay, Ohio
14. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn.
15. Barton, N.C.
16. Chico State, Calif.
17. Stonehill, Mass.
18. Cal Poly Pomona
19. Indiana, Pa.
20. West Texas A&M
21. Montevallo, Ala.
22. Florida Southern
23. Winston-Salem State, N.C.
24. Northwest Missouri State
25. Kentucky Wesleyan

Others receiving votes: Massachusetts-Lowell 33, Indianapolis (Ind.) 31, Midwestern State (Texas) 24, Colorado School of Mines 22, Hillsdale (Mich.) 22, Dixie State (Utah) 19, Benedict (S.C.) 17, Tarleton State (Texas) 17, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 15, South Carolina Aiken 13, Missouri-St. Louis 11, Charleston (W.Va.) 9, Erskine (S.C.) 7, Michigan Tech 7, Minnesota State 7, Alaska-Anchorage 6, Central Washington 4, King (Tenn.) 4, Augusta State (Ga.) 3, Wayne State (Mich.) 2, Central Missouri 1, Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) 1, North Alabama 1.

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