Trailblazers head back to Colorado for RMAC matchups at Western and No. 21 Colorado Mesa

2019-20 DIXIE STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
(14-7, 9-6 RMAC)

GAME 22 - at Western Colorado (13-6, 11-4 RMAC)
Friday, Feb. 7 - 5:30 p.m.
Paul Wright Gymnasium; Gunnison, Colo.

GAME 23 - at #21 Colorado Mesa (18-3, 14-1 RMAC)
Saturday, Feb. 8 - 5:30 p.m.
Brownson Arena; Grand Junction, Colo.

Dixie State women's basketball travels back to Colorado this week to close a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road swing.

The Trailblazers (14-7, 9-6 RMAC) will travel first to Gunnison for a matchup with Western Colorado on Friday. DSU will close the trip on Saturday against No. 21 Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction. Both games are scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.

Live video and live stats will be provided for both games. Links for both can be found at www.DixieStateAthletics.com.

ALL-TIME VS. WESTERN COLORADO: Friday's game marks the eighth meeting between Dixie State and Western Colorado. Dixie State won the first three matchups (2006, 2009, 2013) between the teams, before WCU claimed a 68-59 triumph on Nov. 27, 2015, for its first win of the series. Since then, DSU has won the last three matchups, including a 68-54 triumph inside the Burns Arena on January 25. The Trailblazers hold a 6-1 series lead.

ALL-TIME VS. COLORADO MESA: Saturday's game marks the 13th meeting between Dixie State and Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks earned a 66-59 victory in the inaugural matchup between the teams on Nov. 25, 2006, in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Trailblazers answered with a four-game win streak (2006-10) vs. CMU. Colorado Mesa countered with its own win streak and has won the last seven matchups in the series, including a 59-51 victory in St. George on January 24. CMU holds an 8-4 series lead.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Western Colorado enters the weekend with a 13-6 overall record and an 11-4 mark in RMAC play. The third-place Mountaineers have won seven of their last eight games. Offensively, WCU averages 61.1 points per game.
Senior guard Gabie Doud leads the WCU attack, averaging 10.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while junior guard Samantha Coleman adds 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest. Defensively, the Mountaineers rank second in the RMAC, allowing just 53.7
points per game.

Colorado Mesa enters the weekend with an 18-3 overall record and a 14-1 mark in RMAC play. The Mavericks currently sit atop the RMAC standings and earlier this week, moved up in the WBCA Division II Top-25 to No. 21. Offensively, CMU averages 62.6 points per game. Three CMU players average double-figure scoring, including junior guard Daniella Turner (15.5 pgg), junior forward Kelsey Siemons (10.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg), and junior guard Kylyn Rigsby (10.3 ppg). Defensively, the Mavericks lead all of NCAA Division II, allowing just 47.0 points per game.

ON THE ROAD: Since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has recorded a 70-94 (.427) record in true-road games and has logged a winning record on the road three times (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13). Additionally, the Trailblazers have posted a 51-52 (.495) conference road record and a 20-16 (.555) record in neutral-site games.

FROM DOWNTOWN: The Trailblazers have connected on at least eight 3-pointers in 12 different games during the 2019-20 season, including five games of at least 10 triples. Through 21 games, DSU has converted an RMAC-best 166 attempts from downtown.

Additionally, Dixie State has converted at least one 3-pointer in each of its last 156 outings, dating back to the 2013-14 season. In all, it's been nearly six full years since the Trailblazers have not connected on at least one 3-point shot in a single game.

1,000-POINT CLUB: Senior guard Ali Franks became the fourth DSU women's basketball player in program history to join the 1,000-point club after scoring 26 points on January 18 against Regis. Currently, Franks sits in fourth on the all-time scoring list with 1,045 career points.

MAKING THE GRADE: Dixie State placed five student-athletes on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Academic Honor Roll, as announced by the league office on Monday. Representing the Trailblazers on the league's honor roll were senior guards Ali Franks (3.52 GPA, Communication Studies), Madi Loftus (3.69 GPA, Individualized Studies), and Deshka Olson (3.40 GPA, Individualized Studies), junior guard Keslee Stevenson (3.76 GPA, Exercise Science), and redshirt freshman guard Kelsea Barker (3.71 GPA, Business Administration).

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 return to the Burns Arena next week to host Adams State and Fort Lewis in its final regular season home games of the season.

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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

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