The Dixie State women's basketball team opens the 2016-17 season at home this weekend with two games inside the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers will first host Colorado Mesa on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a matchup with Simon Fraser on Sunday at 3 p.m. Colorado Mesa and Simon Fraser will meet up on Saturday evening at 6 p.m.

Live coverage is scheduled for all three games on television (CEC-TV – TDS Channel 22), and internet (SouthernUtahLive.com).

ALL-TIME VS. COLORADO MESA: Friday's game marks the eight meeting between Dixie State and Colorado Mesa. Four of the previous seven matchups (twice in 2006, 2008, twice in 2010, 2013, 2015) have been played at the CMU Thanksgiving Tournament in Grand Junction, Colorado, with the Mavericks winning three of the four games. DSU holds a 4-3 series lead vs. the Mavericks, including a 3-0 mark in St. George.

ALL-TIME VS. SIMON FRASER: Saturday's game marks the second meeting between Dixie State and Simon Fraser. SFU claimed a 74-52 victory in the inaugural matchup at the DSU Tipoff Classic on Nov. 7, 2012, in St. George.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Colorado Mesa finished the 2015-16 season with a 17-10 overall record and a 14-8 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Mavericks return the 2015-16 RMAC Preseason Player of the Year in guard Erin Reichle, who missed last season due to injury. Reichle averaged 17.4 points per game during the 2014-15 season. CMU used the same starting lineup in all 27 games last year and bring back two of those starters in All-RMAC selections Bryanna Adams and Sydney Small.

Simon Fraser finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 16-11 overall record and a 13-7 record in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Clan were picked second in the 2016-17 GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll and had three players (Meg Wilson, Ellen Kett, Elisa Homer) selected to the All-GNAC Preseason team. SFU opened the 2016-17 campaign last week at the CCA Division II Tipoff Classic in Anaheim, California, falling to California Baptist and earning wins over Augustana and Colorado Mines. Through three games, Wilson leads the Clan scoring attack with 20.3 points per game, while Rachel Fradgley(11.3 ppg) and Tia Tsang (10.3 ppg) also average double-digit scoring.

"Both of these teams are really good," head coach JD Gustin said. "We're excited about the challenge. We're going to try to keep it simple. We expect to compete no matter who we play. We're going to try to get better each day."

2016-17 ROSTER: Dixie State returns two starters from the 2015-16 squad, led by junior center Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman HS), who averaged 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and recorded two double-doubles last year. Sophomore guard Tramina Jordan (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS), who started 17 games last year, also returns in 2016-17. Jordan averaged 5.0 points and 1.6 assists as a freshman last season. The Trailblazers return three reserve players from last year's squad, including junior guards Sandria Bolden (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS) (3.8 ppg) and Gabrielle Cabanero (Las Vegas, Nev./Valley HS) (1.8 ppg), and senior guard Cassidy Carrillo (La Mirada, Calif./St. Paul HS) (0.9 ppg).

Four junior college transfers join the Trailblazers for the 2016-17 season, including junior forwards Shelby Kassuba (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS) and Lisa VanCampen (Morgan, Utah/Morgan HS), junior guard Matti Ventling (Las Vegas, Nev./Las Vegas HS), and junior guard Monique Washington (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS).

Kassuba played two seasons at Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington, where she averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game as a sophomore. VanCampen spent two seasons at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, and averaged 7.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Ventling played two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho, where she averaged 8.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a sophomore. Washington played her freshman year at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, averaging 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

Dixie State also adds one NCAA Division I transfer in senior center Hannah Roberts (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley HS), who joins the Trailblazers after one season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Roberts appeared in 15 games at UAPB and made two starts as a junior in 2015-16. Prior to her time at UAPB, Roberts averaged 2.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in two seasons at Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska.

Three new freshman join the ranks this year in twin-sister guards Ali and Kili Franks (Redding, Calif./Enterprise HS) and guard Jaden Gonzales (Plainview, Texas/Plainview HS). The Franks sisters prepped at Enterprise High School in Redding, California. Ali averaged 10 points, four rebounds, and three steals per game, while Kili averaged 15 points, six rebounds, and two steals per game for the Hornets. Gonzales prepped at Plainview High School in Plainview, Texas, where she averaged 16.0 points per game and connected on 66 3-pointers as a senior for the Bulldogs.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach JD Gustin begins his first season at Dixie State in the 2016-17 campaign. Gustin was announced as the new DSU women's basketball head coach in May 2016, following the departure of former coach Jenny Thigpin. Gustin recently concluded his first season as an assistant coach at Weber State, where he helped lead the Wildcats to a 23-12 record and a runner-up finish in the 2016 Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament.

Prior to Weber State, Gustin spent four years at the University of Utah, serving as director of women's basketball operations from 2011-13 and women's basketball assistant coach from 2013-15. He helped guide the Utes to a runner-up finish in the 2013 Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT)

Before his time at Utah, he served as head women's basketball coach at Westminster College for seven seasons from 2004-11, where he compiled a 146-83 record and led the Griffins to five consecutive NAIA National Championship tournament appearances. He led Westminster to its first-ever NAIA tournament berth in 2006-07, and guided the Griffins to the quarterfinals of the NAIA championships for the first time in school history with a school-record 28 wins in 2010-11. Gustin won three Frontier Conference championships, including a perfect 14-0 conference mark in 2008-09.

Gustin is joined by new assistant coaches Nicole Yazzie (Westminster, 2013) and Brennon Schweikart (BYU-Hawaii, 2013).

NEXT UP: Dixie State travels to Chico, California, for matchups with Sonoma State (Nov. 18) and Chico State (Nov. 19) at the Chico State tournament.