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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
After a well deserved week off, Utah Tech wraps up its five-game road swing, and begins Western Athletic Conference, play this Saturday afternoon when the Blazers head up Interstate 15 for an "Old Hammer Rivalry" showdown at Utah Valley.

The Trailblazers' five-game road odyssey saw them play in five different states, and in four different time zones, over the last three weeks.  

Utah Tech is coming off a two-game sweep of its Thanksgiving Holiday trip to New England last weekend. The Blazers rolled into Turkey Day after a hard-fought 56-46 win at New Hampshire on Nov. 22.

UTU then followed that up with a convincing 81-58 romp at Stonehill College last Saturday afternoon in Easton, Mass. 

In fact, last Saturday's game at Stonehill (2,605 miles) marked the second-farthest distance the Trailblazers traveled to play a game in the contiguous United States - second only to the game earlier that week at New Hampshire (2,654 miles).  

Utah Tech has now played at least one game in 21 different states during its NCAA era, nine of which came during the program's first D-II season in 2006-07.

Utah Tech is 8-7 all-time in conference openers, though the Trailblazers have dropped three of their last four league debuts. The Blazers are 6-9 all-time in road conference openers, and are 3-5 when beginning conference play as the visitors. 

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (4-2/0-0 WAC) kicks off its fourth season of WAC play this Saturday afternoon at in-state rival Utah Valley (3-3/0-0 WAC). Tip-off inside the UCCU Center (7,500) in Orem is set for 2 p.m. (EST).
 
UTAH TECH VS. UTAH VALLEY: Utah Tech is 3-3 all-time in its "Old Hammer Rivalry" series with Utah Valley, with all three victories coming last season, highlighted by a 72-68 triumph in the opening round of the 2023 WAC Tournament in Las Vegas (3/6/23).
            The Trailblazers also claimed both regular season meetings, including a 71-59 road win in the 2022-23 regular season finale (3/2/23). 
            That win came after Utah Tech finally broke through in the series and snapped a three-game losing streak to the Wolverines on New Year's Eve on the strength of a 68-58 home win in the Burns Arena.
            Utah Valley had won the previous two WAC meetings (68-65 in St. George; 1/17/22, 99-59 in Orem; 2/19/22), as well as a 72-63 home victory in the first-ever NCAA game between the two former junior college rivals during Utah Tech's Division II era in the 2017-18 season (72-63; 11/28/17). 
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech picked up its second road win of the season on the strength of an 81-58 romp at Stonehill College last Saturday afternoon. 
            The Blazers led wire-to-wire, thanks in part to a pair of first quarter runs en route to a 26-15 lead after the first 10 minutes. 
            UTU quickly built that lead up to 20 points in the second frame and would maintain a double-digit advantage the rest of the way to coast to the easy win. 
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin is in his eighth season at the helm of the Utah Tech Women's Basketball program.
            Gustin has seen marked improvements in each season on the Trailblazer sideline, culminating with an 19-12 overall record last season, a nine-win turnaround from the previous season. The 2022-23 campaign also featured a 10-8 mark and a fifth-place finish in Western Athletic Conference play. In addition, the Trailblazers made their WAC Tournament debut in 2022-23, and advanced on to the quarterfinal round by defeating Utah Valley, 72-68, to win their first-ever NCAA Division-I era postseason victory. 
            Utah Tech's 19 wins last season were the most in the program's current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin's seven-year tenure on the Trailblazer bench. 
            In Utah Tech's final Division II season, the Trailblazers played to an 18-12 under Gustin. The team also capped that 2019-20 season by clinching a berth in the 2020 RMAC Tournament, marking the first time the Trailblazers have qualified for a conference tournament since the 2013-14 season. The Trailblazers entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed, and shocked second-seeded Western Colorado in Gunnison, Colorado, for a 65-60 win in the RMAC Quarterfinals.
 
THE REST OF THE STAFF: This past April, Gustin announced the promotion off all three members of his coaching staff. 
            Gustin elevated two of his assistants, Matt Thune (second season at Utah Tech) and Nicole Yazzie (eighth season at Utah Tech), to associate head coach designations, while assistant coach Candace Thornton (second season at Utah Tech) will also serve as the program's recruiting coordinator. 
            
GILLEN THE ONE TO WATCH IN 2023-24: Coming off a banner senior season in 2022-23, fifth-year guard Breaunna Gillen entered her final collegiate campaign with a pair of well-deserved preseason honors to her credit. 
            In October, Gillen was voted as the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year, and was named to the 25-player preseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year, presented by Her Hoop Stats. 
            Gillen is the lone WAC representative on the Hammon watch list, which includes women's basketball student-athletes from 23 teams and 16 conferences overall. 
            Last season, Gillen was either at or near the top of the WAC scoring list throughout the entire 2022-23 campaign en route to first team all-WAC honors, wound up as the conference's second leading scorer at 17.8 points per game. 
            The fifth-year guard finished last season as the WAC's leader in assists at 6.45 apg, and finished in the top-10 overall in assist/turnover ratio (2nd; 1.77), field goal percentage (5th; .438), and free throw percentage (10th; .744).
 
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED FOURTH THE WAC: Utah Tech was picked to finish fourth in the 2023-24 WAC women's basketball preseason coaches poll, which was released on Oct. 15. 
            Grand Canyon received six of a possible 11 first place votes and 93 total points to be tabbed as the WAC preseason favorite, while defending regular season and tournament champion Southern Utah collected the other five first place nods to finish second in the poll with 87 points.
            California Baptist (83 pts) was picked to finish third, followed by Utah Tech (71 pts) in fourth, Stephen F. Austin (61 pts) in fifth, Abilene Christian (54 pts) in sixth, UT Arlington (53 pts) in seventh, UTRGV (42 pts) in eighth, Tarleton (22 pts) and Utah Valley (22 pts) tied for ninth, and Seattle U (17 pts) was picked to finish 11th. 
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 236-straight games, which included 17 made threes in the season opener vs. La Verne (11/6), along with 13 more trifectas in the Stonehill win last Saturday afternoon.
            The 17 made treys (17-of-38; .447) vs. La Verne tied for the third-highest single game total in program history, which, coincidentally, was the same number of perimeter jumpers the Blazers hit in last season's win over La Verne (11/26/22).
            In the 2021-22 season, the Trailblazers nailed a school-record 22 3-pointers in its 107-57 blowout win over Life Pacific (11/9/21).
            That record was one of two 3FG school records to fall that night as the Blazers also broke a team record for 3FG attempted (51). 
            Utah Tech has reached double figures in made 3-pointers 87 times during the program's NCAA era, including in four of its six games this season, and in a school-record 19 games last season. 
            In fact, the Trailblazers broke single season school records for 3FGM (310), 3FGA (898), and 3FG% (.345) last year.
            In all, Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 444 of its 447 games during its NCAA era, which began in the 2006-07 season.
            Two of the three instances when the Blazers did not hit a three happened during the 2013-14 season (vs. Hawai'i-Hilo, 2/13/14; at California Baptist, 1/18/14), and the other came in the program's first NCAA season in 2006-27 (vs. UHH, 1/7/07). 
            Meanwhile, Utah Tech has surrendered at least one made opponent 3-pointer in 446 of 447 games during its NCAA era. 
 
DEFENSE DOES TRAVEL: Utah Tech broke a single-game record for fewest points allowed in a quarter when the Trailblazers held New Hampshire to only three third-quarter points in their win back on Nov. 22.
            The Trailblazer defense limited UNH to 1-of-16 shooting in the period, this after the Wildcats missed their final nine shots to close out the second quarter. UNH shot a paltry 26.5 percent (18-of-68) from floor overall, which included a 7-of-35 (.200) clip in the second half. The Wildcats were also just 2-of-25 (.008) from beyond the arc.
            Utah Tech's previous school record for fewest points allowed in a quarter was four points set twice - both in fourth quarters of road victories, with the last occurrence coming in the 2019-20 season opener at UT-Tyler (W, 75-41; 11/8/2019), which was the program's final NCAA Division II season. UTU also held Holy Names to four fourth-quarter points in a road win in the 2015-16 campaign (61-44; 2/20/16).
            
TRAILBLAZERS NOTES
* - After seeing her consecutive starts streak end at 73 last week at New Hampshire, Gillen returned to the starting line-up last Saturday at Stonehill.
* - The fifth-year guard picked up right where she left off, filling the stat sheet with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in 32 minutes of action. 
* - Gillen, who was forced to leave the Texas A&M-Commerce game (11/20) late in the first quarter due to injury, unfortunately saw her double-digit point streak also end at 46-straight games after she left scoring just three points. 
* - Gillen got off to a great start to her final collegiate season as she just missed her second career triple-double in the opener vs. La Verne (11/6), against which she tallied a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, to go with a career-high 11 rebounds and eight assists.
* - Gillen followed that up with a game-high 24 points in the Jax State (11/9) win ... her 24 points were two off of her career high of 26 set nearly one year ago to the day in a home win vs. Utah State (11/15/22).
 * - Gillen's (451) second basket of the night, a leaner in the lane at the 6:56 mark of the first quarter, moved her past former Trailblazer guard Johnna Brown (433; 2009-11, 12-13) to become the program's all-time leader in FGM.
* - Gillen then went for 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the road loss at UNLV (11/14).
* - Gillen (1,188) vaulted into second place on Utah Tech's career points early in the first half at UNLV, and has moved to within 25 points of passing Brown (1,212 pts; 2009-11, 12-13) to become the program's all-time leading scorer.  
* - Gillen has scored in double figures in 63 career games with 20 20-plus point outings.
* - Gillen (430) also moved into sixth place on Utah Tech's career rebounding list at Stonehill, and in the process, became the sixth player in program history to record 100 career steals right on the number. 
* - Gillen, who is already the program's single season (200; 2022-23) and career assist leader (419), collected her 400th career dime on a Maddie Warren 3-pointer in the third quarter vs. La Verne (11/6).
* - Gillen is also the third player in program history with 1,000 points and at least 200 assists (Brown - 1,212 pts/232 assts; Kaylah Miller - 1,055 pts/200 assts). 
* - Speaking of Maddie Warren, the redshirt-sophomore guard led all scorers with a season-high 21 points at TAMU-C (11/20) ... Warren went 8-of-15 from the floor with a career-high tying five 3-pointers, and picked off a career best four steals ... Meanwhile, her eight FGM were also a career high.  
* - Maddie Warren's five treys matched her previous career high she first tied exactly two years earlier in a home win vs. Antelope Valley (5-of-10; 11/20/21) ... she also hit five 3FG in her collegiate debut vs. Life Pacific (5-of-8; 11/9/21) on her way to a career-high 22 points.
* - Meanwhile, twin sister Macie Warren scored in double figures for the fifth time in six games at Stonehill last Saturday with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with a pair of treys ... Warren also collected five assists, two boards and two steals.
* - Macie Warren posted her second double-double of the season, and career, with game-highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds (career high) at New Hampshire (11/22) ... the sophomore guard also dished out four assists and picked off two steals.
* - Macie Warren scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers (4-of-5 3FG), seven boards and two assists in the Jax State (11/9) win. 
* - That effort came three days after the redshirt-sophomore guard narrowly missed her first collegiate triple double in the La Verne win (11/6), though she did notch her first career double-double with 19 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds. 
* - Macie Warren helped pick up the slack at TAMU-C, finishing with 15 points, six boards, a game-high five assists, and a career-best two blocks. 
* - Maggie McCord enjoyed a solid Turkey Week, during which she averaged 15.0 points on 55.6 percent shooting (15-of-27), including 57.1 percent from the perimeter (12-of-21), along with 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals in Utah Tech's three games.
* - McCord began the week by scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-6 3FG), with four rebounds and two assists at TAMU-C (11/20) ... she followed that up with her first double-double of the year in the win at New Hampshire (11/22), going for 11 points with three more three pointers and a co-game high 10 rebounds.
* - Then in Saturday's win at Stonehill, McCord led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with six 3-pointers (6-of-9) ... she also grabbed a co-game high eight rebounds, and had two assists and a steal ... her six treys were two off of her school record-tying eight she drained at Seattle U (2/26/22) during the 2021-22 season.
* - Calyn Dallas replaced Gillen in the starting lineup at UNH (11/22), and the freshman responded with a pair of 3-pointers for six points to go with four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 30 minutes.
* - Dallas kept the hot shooting touch going at Stonehill, against which she knocked down a career-best four 3-pointers on her way to a career-high 16 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting.
* - Dallas made the most of her Trailblazer debut as she poured in 15 points in 24 minutes off the bench in the La Verne win (11/6) on 5-for-5 shooting with three 3-pointers.
* - Catelyn Deaver enjoyed her best game as a Trailblazer in the La Verne win (11/6) with a career high nine points, along with four rebounds and two blocks.
* - Catelyn Deaver would rival that effort at TAMU-C (11/20) with a career-high tying two blocks, a career best seven boards, and six points in 28 reserve minutes ... the sophomore went on to grab seven more caroms at Stonehill last Saturday. 
* - Meanwhile, her twin sister Alyson Deaver poured in a career high seven points and also joined the two-block party on Monday at TAMU-C. 
* - Caitlynn Jordan spurred on the strong Blazer first quarter at Stonehill by scoring all seven of her points consecutively last in the period, and finished with four rebounds in 12-plus reserve minutes.  
* - Nicole Willardson, who has started in each of the last four games, recorded career highs of six rebounds and three assists, and poured in four points at Stonehill last Saturday. 
* - Utah Tech shot 58.4 percent from the floor (45-of-77) vs. La Verne (11/6), which was the fifth-highest single game field goal percentage in program history.
* - Utah Tech's 45 made field goals tied a program single game record that was set all the way back in the 2015-16 season in a home win vs. Chaminade (1/5/16). 
* - Utah Tech outrebounded La Verne 57-32, and finished with 27 assists on its 45 made field goals ... the 27 dimes are the sixth-most in a single game in program history.
* - Utah Tech held Jax State to just 27.8 percent shooting (20-of-72), which included an 11-of-40 clip (.275) from the perimeter.
* - The Blazers were just as stingy vs. La Verne, limiting the Panthers to 25.0 percent (19-of-76) from the floor in that game. 
* - Overall, Utah Tech has held three of its first six opponents below 30 percent shooting (all wins) ... for context, Utah Tech only held two total opponents to under 30 percent shooting all of last season. 
* - Utah Tech surrendered 16 made 3-pointers to UNLV (11/14), which tied for the most by an opponent during the Trailblazers' current NCAA Division I reclassification.
* - WAC foe California Baptist also hit 16 treys against the Blazers during the 2021-22 season (2/24/22), though the home-standing Lancers hoisted up 56 perimeter jumpers in a game Utah Tech wound up winning, 81-77. 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO GREECE: In preparation for the 2023-24 season, Utah Tech embarked on its first-ever foreign trip this past August when the Trailblazers traveled to Greece. 
            The trip included tours of the Kallimarmaro Olympic Stadium, which was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the Acropolis of Athens and its museum, and a boat excursion to the Greek islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina. 
            The Trailblazers won a pair of exhibition games while on the trip, the first came against the Amilia Peristeriou Basketball Club in a 119-45 on August 12, followed by an 88-68 victory over the Athens All-Stars on August 14. 
            Per NCAA rules, college teams are allowed to make an international trip once every four years. Additionally, the team is allotted an extra 10 practices in preparation for the trip.
 
ABOUT THE UTAH VALLEY "WOLVERINES": Utah Valley has played to a 3-3 record in the early going this season and enters Saturday's game looking to rebound from a 58-48 WAC-opening road loss at Seattle U this past Wednesday night.
            The Wolverines do not have a player averaging double figures, though sophomore guard Kaylee Byon (5-7) is their top scorer at 8.8 ppg primarily off the bench. Fellow sophomore guard Kylee Mabry (5-11) led UVU with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the team's loss at Seattle U on Wednesday. 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech finally returns to the Burns Arena next week, where the Blazers will kick-off a five-game homestand with their home WAC opener vs. California Baptist on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (MST).