STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — In a tightly contested Western Athletic Conference rematch defined by offensive efficiency and a decisive second-half surge, the Utah Tech Trailblazers secured a regular-season series sweep over the Tarleton State Texans with an 80-72 victory on Saturday night at Wisdom Gym.

The game, played before a crowd of 1,502, saw the Trailblazers improve to 17-12 overall, while the Texans moved to an even 14-14. The outcome flipped the pregame projections, as statistical models had favored Tarleton State at home.

For 20 minutes, the two teams were locked in a stalemate, trading leads and entering halftime knotted at 32-32. The second half, however, belonged to Utah Tech’s backcourt. Guards Jusaun Holt and Chance Trujillo ignited the Trailblazers, combining for 30 of the team’s 48 points after the break to pull away.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded midway through the second half. With Utah Tech clinging to a narrow lead, Tarleton State’s Jordan Mizell scored on consecutive possessions—a layup and a driving layup following a steal—to give the Texans a 52-48 advantage with 11:44 remaining, their largest lead of the half.

Utah Tech coach Jon Judkins called a timeout to halt the Texans’ momentum. The response was immediate and devastating. Out of the stoppage, the Trailblazers executed a 14-2 run over the next three and a half minutes, completely shifting the game’s trajectory. The run was fueled by precision from beyond the arc. Ethan Potter started it with a layup, and then Trujillo, a sophomore from Kaysville, Utah, hit back-to-back three-pointers, both assisted by Holt, to reclaim the lead.

After a Mizell free throw briefly interrupted the surge, Holt found Potter for another layup, and then Holt himself capped the decisive run with a pair of free throws, pushing the Utah Tech lead to 62-54 with 7:34 to play. Tarleton State would never get closer than five points the rest of the way.

The Texans struggled to counterpunch during that pivotal stretch, committing two turnovers and missing two jump shots as the Trailblazers’ defense tightened. Utah Tech’s offensive execution proved superior, as they finished the game with an offensive rating of 128.0 points per 100 possessions, significantly outperforming Tarleton State’s 110.6.

Holt, a 6-foot-7 junior from Tacoma, Washington, was the catalyst, finishing with 19 points and five assists, orchestrating the offense throughout his 36 minutes. Trujillo matched Holt’s 19 points, knocking down five three-pointers. Potter, a forward from Layton, Utah, provided a crucial interior presence with 17 points, two assists and two blocks.

For Tarleton State, Mizell led the way with 14 points, but was hampered by five turnovers. Kaia Isaac added 13 points and Freddy Hicks scored 11. The Texans won the battle in the paint, 34-28, but were ultimately undone by Utah Tech’s superior three-point shooting (11 of 29 compared to 7 of 22) and efficiency at the free-throw line, where the Trailblazers made 17 of 20 attempts.

The win gives Utah Tech a three-game season sweep over Tarleton State, having also won the previous two meetings earlier in the conference schedule. It marks a significant road victory as the Trailblazers position themselves for the upcoming WAC tournament.

Utah Tech continues its conference schedule on Thursday at home against Abilene Christian. Tarleton State looks to rebound on the road Thursday at Utah Valley.