LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jason Spurgin led third-seeded Southern Utah with 19 points and sealed the victory with a layup with 53 seconds remaining as the Thunderbirds turned back upset-minded Utah Tech, the tournament's No. 11 seed, 76-75 on Thursday in the Western Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals.
Spurgin also contributed eight rebounds for the Thunderbirds (20-11). Drake Allen scored 13 points while shooting 5 for 10 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 6 from the free throw line, and added seven assists. Maizen Fausett shot 6 for 11, including 0 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points.
The Trailblazers (13-18) were led by Cameron Gooden, who recorded 35 points. Jacob Nicolds added eight points and six rebounds for Utah Tech. Isaiah Pope also had eight points.
Southern Utah went into halftime leading Utah Tech 39-38. Spurgin put up 13 points in the half. Allen put up 11 points in the second half for Southern Utah.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
