Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Women's Basketball 11/29/2019 12:15:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Trailblazers open RMAC play Saturday at home vs. Westminster

Dixie State Women's Basketball vs. Westminster
Date/Time	Saturday, Nov. 30 - vs. WC - 5:30 p.m. - Burns Arena
Game Notes	Dixie State (PDF) , Westminster
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

Dixie State women's basketball opens its final season of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action on Saturday with a showdown against in-state rival Westminster inside the Burns Arena.

Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m., as the Trailblazers (5-1) look to extend their longest win streak since the 2013-14 season. Live video coverage is scheduled on the Dixie State Stretch Internet Portal. Live stats will also be provided at DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME IN CONFERENCE OPENERS: Dixie State currently holds a 7-5 record in conference openers, including a 6-1 mark at home and a 1-4 record on the road. DSU recorded its only road conference-opener win in a 71-67 victory over Point Loma on Dec. 4, 2014. The Trailblazers defeated Academy of Art, 77-73, inside the Burns Arena on Dec. 2, 2017, in their most recent conference-opening victory.

ALL-TIME VS. WESTMINSTER: Saturday's game marks the ninth overall meeting, and the third matchup as conference foes, between Dixie State and Westminster. The Griffins won the inaugural matchup in St. George on Dec. 1, 2006. The next two matchups were played in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Westminster earning two more victories in northern Utah, before taking a 61-55 victory in St. George during the 2015-16 season and a 69-58 triumph in Salt Lake City during the 2016-17 season. The Trailblazers claimed their first win in the series on Nov. 24, 2017, in a 64-62 thriller that saw Taylor Moeaki bury the game-winner with less than five seconds to play. The teams split two matchups during the 2018-19 season, with the home team winning each contest. The Griffins hold a 6-2 lead in the all-time series, while the series is tied at 2-2 inside the Burns Arena.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Westminster enters Saturday's contest with a 5-1 overall record. The Griffins rattled off five consecutive victories to open the 2019-20 season before dropping a 69-56 decision to No. 11 Alaska Anchorage last week. The Griffins rank third in the RMAC, averaging 70.2 points per game, while allowing 63.8 points per game. Westminster is led by RMAC-school transfers Sarah McGinley (Colorado Christian; 16.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and Mariah Martin (Dixie State; 15.7 ppg, 4.8 apg). Two others average double-figure scoring, including Hunter Krebs (14.5 ppg) and Kaitlin Toluono (10.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg).

INSIDE THE BURNS: Since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has recorded a 105-52 (.668) 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).

SPEEDY START: With its 5-1 start to the 2019-20 season, Dixie State is off to its best start since the 2010-11 season, when the Trailblazers won their first eight games of the season.

RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Madi Loftus led the Trailblazers in scoring over the two-game Dixie State Classic last week, averaging 17.5 points to go with six rebounds per game to be named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week. Loftus connected on 41 percent (7-of-17) of her 3-point attempts, including four triples in DSU's 74-71 win over Saint Martin's. Additionally, she shot 86 percent (12-of-14) from the free throw line, including a perfect 6-of-6 on Friday against Northwest Nazarene. The senior guard opened the weekend with a team-high 15 points to lead DSU to a 79-70 win over NNU. The next night, Loftus poured in a season-high 20 points, including 11 points and three 3-pointers in the third quarter, to help Dixie State defeat the Saints.

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 is in 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 play three games next week, beginning with an exhibition contest on Monday at Utah State. The Trailblazers will close the week at home against South Dakota Mines on Friday and Black Hills State on Saturday.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Taylor Moeaki: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

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

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

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

#3 Mariah Martin: Guard; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#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

Players Mentioned

#4 Taylor Moeaki
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G

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

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

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

#3 Mariah Martin
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: 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