ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dixie State women's basketball started the 2020-21 season with an 81-52 victory over Park University (Gilbert).
What head coach JD Gustin said: "It is good to be back out there and seeing the kids doing what they love. They've been working really hard on the court but the things they've dealt with off the court has been extraordinary in my opinion. I don't think the average fan understands exactly what they're going through and it's impressive on how they handle it."
How it happened: Park started the game by jumping out to an 13-7 lead over the Trailblazers early in the first quarter. DSU kept chipping away to trail 20-17 at the end of the first quarter.
The first game jitters finally fell away for Dixie State in the second quarter. The Trailblazers powered up with a 17-4 run taking a 34-24 lead with four minutes left in the first half. DSU held Park to just nine points in the second quarter to end up taking a 39-29 lead at half time.
Dixie State took control coming into the second half with an 11-2 lead. With 4:19 remaining in the third quarter, Breaunna Gillen sunk a jumper that sparked a 12-0 Trailblazers run that ended with a layup from Vegas Camacho. DSU ended the third quarter with a 65-39 lead. The third quarter was big for the Blazers as they dropped 26 points and held Park to just 10.
In the fourth quarter, Dixie State never let up and finished with an 81-52 victory over Park.
Leaders: Dixie State had three Trailblazers score in double figures.
London Pavlica led DSU by flirting with a triple double in her Division I debut, with 24 points (10-24 FG%), nine rebounds and eight assists.
Brooke Vance came away with 12 points going 5-8 from the field and pulled down six boards. Maggie McCord also posted double digits with 10 points. Anabella Muscoreil ended the game with eight rebounds.
Comparison: Dixie State shot 46 percent from the field, 25 percent from the three and 60 percent from the free throw line. DSU pulled down 47 total boards and came away with 18 assists, 10 steals and just 11 turnovers. DSU had 34 points in the paint, 22 off of turnovers, and 17 from second chances. The Blazers bench put up 34 points.
Park shot 34 percent from the field, 23 percent from the three and 69 percent from the free throw line. The Buccaneers pulled down 30 total boards and had eight assists, four steals and 17 turnovers.
The Buccaneers had 16 points in the paint, eight off of turnovers and five on second chances.
Notes to know: Dixie State is now 1-0 on the season. The Blazers will host the Vikings of Portland State University on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at the Burns Arena with a 7:00 p.m. tip off.
