The Hive Sports

Featured Image Courtesy of Southern Utah Athletics

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Facing a four-point deficit at halftime and playing from behind nearly all game, Southern Utah never backed down. The Thunderbirds and Vaqueros traded punches through the first half of the extra period. Ultimately, SUU prevailed for a 94-88 OT win. With that, the Thunderbirds are 2-0 in WAC play and have hit double-digit wins before the calendar even turned to 2023. The win was also SUU’s fifth straight overtime win dating back to last season.

Keys to the Win

The main key to an SUU win was to stop the strong scoring duo from UTRGV of Will Johnston and Justin Johnson. However, the Thunderbirds had no answers for the two as they combined for 56 points. SUU had to respond with an offensive clinic of its own and it did just that. All five starters scored in double figures led by Tevian Jones’s 21 points. The Thunderbirds went 5 for 15 on three-point attempts. Jones had all five makes going five for seven from distance on his own. SUU got some help off the bench too with 17 points.

On the Rise

Picked to finish last in the WAC, UTRGV showed how far they have come in a strong showing. The Vaqueros showed that they will be capable of playing with the top teams in the conference. This was the teams’ only meeting of the season, but it is possible the teams could see each other again in the WAC Tournament. SUU has seen firsthand through two games the quality of teams they will be facing in their new conference. Being battle-tested in games like this where they were expected to win easily will benefit the Thunderbirds greatly.

Up Next

A road trip to Texas awaits. SUU first faces Tarleton State on Thursday then Abilene Christian on Saturday. It will be the first of two trips to the Lone Star State for the Thunderbirds on the season.