By Canadian Press on March 11, 2025.
SAINT GEORGE, Utah (AP) — Hakim Byrd had 19 points in Utah Tech’s 72-65 victory against Southern Utah on Tuesday in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament to snap a 13-game losing streak. Byrd added three steals for the Trailblazers (7-25). Noa Gonsalves scored 14 points, shooting 5 for 11, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc. Samuel Ariyibi shot 4 of 11 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points, while adding six rebounds and five assists. Dominique Ford led the way for the Thunderbirds (12-19) with 16 points and two steals. Jamir Simpson added 13 points and seven rebounds. Utah Tech took the lead with 10:37 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. Byrd led his team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them ahead 38-27 at the break. Gonsalves led the way with a team-high eight second-half points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press 9