Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Women's Basketball 11/14/2019 6:27:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Trailblazers host La Sierra and Life Pacific to open home schedule

Dixie State Women's Basketball vs. La Sierra / Life Pacific
Date/Time	Friday, Nov. 15 - vs. LSU - 2 p.m. - Burns Arena Saturday, Nov. 16 - vs. LPU - 3 p.m. - Burns Arena
Game Notes	Dixie State (PDF) , La Sierra , Life Pacific
Live Video	Dixie State Live Video (Stretch Internet)
Live Stats	Dixie State Live Stats
DSU Social Media	@DixieAthletics (Twitter score updates) Facebook \| Instagram
Hashtags	#DixieBlazers #RMACwbb

After opening the 2019-20 season on the road in Texas, Dixie State women's basketball is set to play in the comfy confines of the Burns Arena for the first time this weekend, hosting La Sierra and Life Pacific.

The Trailblazers (1-1) will open the weekend with a Friday afternoon matinee against La Sierra at 2 p.m., before closing the week with a 3 p.m. tilt with Life Pacific on Saturday.

Live video coverage is scheduled for both games on the Dixie State Stretch Internet Portal. Live stats will also be provided at DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME IN HOME-OPENERS: Dixie State is 8-5 all-time in home-openers inside the Burns Arena. DSU emerged victorious in its first seven (2006-12) Division II era home-openers, before dropping the next five home-openers. DSU snapped the five-game home-opening skid last season with a 93-52 win over Northern New Mexico.

INSIDE THE BURNS: Since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has recorded a 101-52 (.660) record inside the Burns Arena, and has won 10 or more games at home four times (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2018-19), including perfect home records in 2008-09 (11-0) and 2010-11 (12-0).

ALL-TIME VS. LA SIERRA: Friday's matchup marks the third meeting between Dixie State and La Sierra. The teams met twice during DSU's first season as an NCAA Division II member. The Trailblazers earned an 84-53 win in the first meeting on Feb. 3, 2007, inside the Burns Arena, before claiming a 73-49 victory a week later in Riverside, California. The Trailblazers hold a 2-0 lead in the all-time series.

ALL-TIME VS. LIFE PACIFIC: Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Dixie State and Life Pacific.

KNOW YOUR FOE: La Sierra, an NAIA Division II member, enters the week with a 4-2 overall record. The Golden Eagles have won four of their last five games after a season-opening loss to Arizona Christian. La Sierra averages 66.5 points per game, led by junior guard Kayla De Leon (16.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and junior forward De'Brianna Hampton (15.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg).

Life Pacific, an NAIA Division I member, enters the week with an 0-5 overall record. The Warriors average 51.4 points per game, led by junior forward Kyannie Brown (15.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and sophomore guard Rachel Capinia (10.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg).

DSU PICKED NINTH IN PRESEASON POLL: After finishing in 10th place during the 2018-19 season, the Trailblazers were tabbed to finish in ninth place in the 2019-20 RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

2019-20 TRAILBLAZERS: Dixie State is fresh off its first overall winning season since the 2012-13 season and the first season of .500 or better in conference play since 2013-14. Additionally, the Trailblazers posted an 11-4 mark inside the Burns Arena during the 2018-19 campaign, marking the most home wins since the 2010-11 season.

DSU will look to add to last year's success during the 2019-20 season, and returns six players from last year's squad, including two starters and two redshirts.

Senior guard Ali Franks (12.6 ppg/4.5 apg) and junior guard Keslee Stevenson (9.8 ppg) represent the Trailblazers' returning starters, while two reserves also return, including sophomore guard London Pavlica (6.3 ppg/4.7 rpg) and senior guard Madi Loftus (5.9 ppg). Additionally, Deshka Olson and Kelsea Barker return after redshirting during the 2018-19 season.

The Trailblazers added four transfer players for the 2019-20 season, including redshirt sophomore guard Ashley Greenwood, junior guard Breana Moea'i, senior forward Chesney Stevens, and junior center Makayla Johnson.

Greenwood averaged 19.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 3.5 assists per game as a senior at Desert Hills High School before playing one season at BYU. Greenwood holds the DHHS single-game scoring record and led the Thunder to two region titles and one state championship.

Moea'i played two seasons at Miles Community College after prepping at Pine View and Highland High School. Moea'i averaged 10.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore at Miles CC, earning first team All-Region honors.

Stevens played two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho before spending her junior season at Division II Florida Southern. Stevens averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds during the 2018-19 season, helping the Mocs to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen.

Johnson played her freshman season at Division I Louisiana Tech before transferring to Hutchinson Community College last season for her sophomore campaign. Johnson averaged 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

Four new freshmen join the ranks this year in guards Breaunna Gillen, Maggie McCord, and Payton Miller, along with forward Emily Isaacson.

Gillen averaged 18.0 points and 6.2 rebounds as a senior at Copper Hills High School. McCord averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Bingham High School. Miller led Millard High School to its first-ever state championship as a senior. Isaacson averaged 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as a senior at Box Elder High School.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach JD Gustin begins his fourth season at Dixie State in the 2019-20 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 again joined by fourth-year assistant Nicole Yazzie (Westminster, 2013), while Matt Legerski (Utah, 2001) and Kailie Quinn (Weber State, 2018) join the staff for the 2019-20 season.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will welcome three other teams to the Burns Arena next week, and will take on Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saint Martin's on Saturday.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Ali Franks: Guard; 5' 10"; Junior

#22 Deshka Olson: Guard; 5' 8"; Junior

#12 Madi Loftus: Guard; 5' 9"; Junior

#11 Keslee Stevenson: Guard; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#1 London Pavlica: Guard; 5' 7"; Freshman

#24 Kelsea Barker: Guard; 5' 7"; Freshman

#14 Payton Miller: GUARD; 5' 7"; Freshman

#24 Ashley Greenwood: GUARD; 5' 7"; Redshirt Sophomore

#20 Breaunna Gillen: GUARD; 5' 9"; Freshman

#21 Emily Isaacson: FORWARD; 5' 11"; Freshman

#15 Maggie McCord: GUARD; 5' 8"; Freshman

#5 Breana Moea'i: FORWARD; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#23 Ali Franks
: 5' 10"; Junior
: Guard

#22 Deshka Olson
: 5' 8"; Junior
: Guard

#12 Madi Loftus
: 5' 9"; Junior
: Guard

#11 Keslee Stevenson
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: Guard

#1 London Pavlica
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: Guard

#24 Kelsea Barker
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: Guard

#14 Payton Miller
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: GUARD

#24 Ashley Greenwood
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Sophomore
: GUARD

#20 Breaunna Gillen
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: GUARD

#21 Emily Isaacson
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: FORWARD

#15 Maggie McCord
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: GUARD

#5 Breana Moea'i
: 5' 10"; Junior
: FORWARD