The Dixie State women's basketball team is set to open a four-game homestand on Saturday and will host Point Loma in the final game of 2017 inside the Burns Arena. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. as the Trailblazers (6-5, 2-2 PacWest) and Sea Lions (7-4, 2-2 PacWest) clash in a late December Pacific West Conference battle.

Live coverage is scheduled on television (CEC-TV – TDS Channel 22), radio (Radio Dixie 91.3), and internet (YouTube.com/DixieStateAthletics), with Keric Seegmiller providing play-by-play. Live stats will also be available at www.sidearmstats.com/dixie/wbball.

ALL-TIME VS. POINT LOMA: Saturday's game marks the 11th meeting between Dixie State and Point Loma. DSU won the inaugural matchup, 80-63, on Dec. 15, 2012, in St. George, and went on to win four of the first five meetings between the teams. PLNU has turned the table in the series, winning four of the last five matchups, including an 80-47 victory in San Diego on January 14. The overall series is tied at 5-5, while the Sea Lions hold a 4-1 advantage inside the Burns Arena.

KNOW YOUR FOE: The PacWest preseason favorite, Point Loma enters the weekend with a 7-4 overall record and a 2-2 mark in PacWest play. The Sea Lions fell to PacWest leaders Azusa Pacific and Dominican, while earning victories over California Baptist and Academy of Art. PLNU ranks third in the PacWest in scoring (81.2 ppg) and boasts three players in the Top-15 in scoring. Three forwards lead the Sea Lion scoring attack, including Tayla Hepburn (19.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Alex Brunk (17.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and Roya Rustamzada (15.0 ppg, 11.4 rpg).  

INSIDE THE BURNS: Since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has recorded an 87-44 (.664) record inside the Burns Arena, and has won 10 or more games at home three times (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11) including perfect home records in 2008-09 (11-0) and 2010-11 (12-0).

PACWEST WEEKLY AWARDS: Dixie State earned PacWest weekly awards in three consecutive weeks in late November and early December. Taylor Moeaki (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) snagged the first conference honor and was named PacWest Freshman of the Week on November 27. Mariah Martin (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) earned conference Freshman of the Week honors a week later on December 4, while Kristin Baldwin (Thatcher, Ariz./Thatcher HS) landed DSU's first conference Player of the Week award since the 2015-16 season on December 11.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Dixie State's 66-62 win over No. 13 Azusa Pacific on December 11 marked DSU's first-ever victory over the Cougars and the team's first win over a ranked opponent since Jan. 8, 2011. Additionally, Dixie State's 6-3 start was the program's best start since the 2012-13 season when the Trailblazers also recorded a 6-3 start.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State fell at Concordia-Irvine on Monday, Dec. 16, 77-69, in the final game of a two-game road trip inside CU Arena in Irvine, California.

Kristin Baldwin (Thatcher, Ariz./Thatcher HS) scored a career-high 18 points to go with nine rebounds, but the Trailblazers (6-5, 2-2 PacWest) couldn't overcome a steady Concordia-Irvine 3-point attack. The loss to the Eagles marked the first time this season DSU has dropped consecutive games.

Dixie State shot 39 percent (26-of-66) from the field, 37 percent (6-of-16) from 3-point range, and 84 percent (11-of-13) from the free throw line. Baldwin led three DSU players in double-figures with a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds. Martin added 13 points and six assists, while Stevenson finished with a career-high 12 points and four rebounds.

2017-18 ROSTER: Dixie State returns five starters from the 2016-17 squad, including redshirt junior guard Tramina Jordan (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS) (11.0 ppg, 3.7 apg), senior center Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman HS) (9.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg), senior guard Matti Ventling (Las Vegas, Nev./Las Vegas HS) (9.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), and sophomore guard Ali Franks (Redding, Calif./Enterprise HS) (8.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Senior forward Lisa VanCampen (Morgan, Utah/Morgan HS) (7.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg) will redshirt during the 2017-18 season. Senior guard Gabrielle Cabanero (Las Vegas, Nev./Valley HS) (4.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg) also returns for her final season in a DSU uniform.

The Trailblazers added two transfer players for the 2017-18 season, including senior center Kristin Baldwin (Thatcher, Ariz./Thatcher HS) and junior forward Maile Richardson (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS).

Baldwin averaged a double-double as a junior at BYU-Hawaii during the 2016-17 season, scoring 12.0 points per game to go with 10.9 rebounds per game to land All-PacWest honorable mention honors. Prior to BYU-Hawaii, Baldwin played two seasons at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona.

Richardson played two seasons at Utah State-Eastern in Price, Utah. Richardson averaged 8.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in two seasons for the Eagles, earning All-Scenic West Athletic Conference honorable mention honors.

Five new freshmen join the ranks this year in guards Mariah Martin (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS), Tayor Moeaki, Keslee Stevenson (Willard, Utah/Box Elder HS), and Morgan Myers (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS), and forward Shandi Bastian (Sigurd, Utah/Richfield HS).

Martin averaged 16.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 steals as a senior at Alta High School. Moeaki averaged 18.6 points, 3.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as a senior at American Fork High School. Stevenson averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 steals, and 2.0 assists per game as a senior at Box Elder High School. Myers averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 steals per game as a senior at Desert Hills High School. Bastian averaged 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a senior at Richfield High School.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach JD Gustin begins his second season at Dixie State in the 2017-18 campaign. Prior to Dixie State, Gustin served 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 second-year assistant Nicole Yazzie (Westminster, 2013), while Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation inductee Deb Bennett (BYU, 1977) joins the staff as an assistant coach.

UP NEXT: The Trailblazers continue their four-game homestand next week, hosting Biola on Wednesday and Dominican on Friday.