Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | LA VERNE
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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech is 9-8 all-time in season openers during its NCAA era, which includes a 4-3 mark under Head Coach JD Gustin, and has won two of its three openers during its Division I transition.
 
Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are 12-5 in home openers overall, though they are 5-5 in their last 10 home debuts. Utah Tech is 5-2 in home openers in Coach Gustin's tenure, including a perfect 3-0 during the program's D-I transition.
 
Utah Tech is coming off a successful third season of NCAA Division I play in 2022-23, which saw the Blazers play to a 19-12 overall record, a nine-win turnaround from the 2021-22 campaign. 
 
The Trailblazers posted a fifth-place finish in the WAC Conference standings (10-8), and recorded the program's first D-I postseason win with an opening round victory over Utah Valley (72-68; 3/6/23) at the 2023 WAC Tournament. 
 
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 tenure on the Trailblazer bench.
 
Utah Tech returns four starters, along with seven total letter winners and one redshirt from last year's squad. Those seven returnees made up 78.2 percent of the Trailblazers scoring a season ago, which is the highest percentage in the Western Athletic Conference and one of the best in Division I coming into the 2023-24 campaign. 

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (0-0/0-0 WAC) begins the fourth year of its NCAA Division I era this Monday morning as the Trailblazers play host to La Verne University (0-0).
            Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4.779) is slated for 11 a.m. (MST).
            Monday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and for live streaming and scoring information, visit UtahTechTrailblazers.com.
 
UTAH TECH VS. LA VERNE: Monday's matinee will be the second-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Leopards on the hardwood.
            Last season Utah Tech rolled to a 112-61 post-Thanksgiving romp inside the Burns Arena (11/26/22).
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin begins 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 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 and Nicole Yazzie, to associate head coach positions, while assistant coach Candace Thornton will also serve as the program's recruiting coordinator. 
            Thune, who enters his second season with the Trailblazer program, helped lead Utah Tech to a nine-win turnaround from a season ago. He came to UT after three seasons at Eastern Kentucky, the last two of which he also served as associate head coach 
            Yazzie made the move to associate head coach after seven years as an assistant with the Trailblazer program. She has played an integral part in the program's rise during its NCAA Division I transition, which was highlighted by a 19-12 overall record last season and a first round victory at the 2023 WAC tournament. 
            Thornton, who also begins her second season at Utah Tech, played a vital role in the Trailblazers' fifth-place finish in the WAC standings and the program's first-ever D-I postseason victory. Thornton joined the Trailblazer program after serving as an assistant coach at the College of Idaho. 
            
GILLEN THE ONE TO WATCH IN 2023-24: Coming off a banner senior season in 2022-23, fifth-year guard Breaunna Gillen enters 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. 
 
2023-24 SEASON PREVIEW: Utah Tech returns four starters, along with seven total letter winners and one redshirt from last year's squad, which concluded its third season of NCAA Division I play with a 19-12 overall record. 
            The Trailblazers posted a fifth-place finish in the WAC Conference standings (10-8), and recorded the program's first D-I postseason win with an opening round victory at the 2023 WAC tournament. 
            Along with Gillen, UT welcomes back redshirt senior forward Emily Isaacson, who started in all 31 games last year and was the WAC leader in made 3-pointers (80). Isaacson was the Blazers' third-leading scorer (11.7 ppg) and fifth-leading rebounder (4.9 rpg). She scored in double figures in 18 starts, and hit at least one 3-pointer in 26 games, including six starts with six or more made treys.
            Utah Tech also returns two more guards who started in all 31 games last year, including fifth-year senior Maggie McCord, who finished the year as the team's leading rebounder (7.3 rpg) and averaged 10.9 ppg. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Amber Kartchner averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, and recorded at least one steal in 27 of her 31 starts in her Trailblazer debut season.
            In addition, the Trailblazers will have both sets of twin sisters back in uniform this season, including redshirt sophomore guards Macie Warren and Maddie Warren. Macie Warren got off to a hot start last season, averaging 18.9 points on 50.9 percent shooting, and 5.4 rebounds over her first eight starts before suffering a season-ending injury.
            Maddie Warren was off to an equally impressive start to her UT career in 2021-22 before a season-ending injury. She then was forced to miss the entire 2022-23 campaign after another injury prior to the start of that season.
            UT also returns twin sophomore forwards Alyson Deaver (18 games - 2.8 ppg/2.1 rpg) and Catelyn Deaver (11 games – 0.5 ppg/0.8 rpg).
            Four talented freshmen joined the Trailblazer program over the summer, all of whom are expected to push for playing time this season. Three of the four hail from Texas, including guards Kastyn Young (5-11; Mico, Texas/Harlan HS) and Calyn Dallas (6-1; Lubbock, Texas/Cooper HS), along with forward Caitlynn Jordan (6-2; Fate, Texas/Dallas Christian HS). Utah Tech also welcomed in 6-4 post player Nicole Willardson from Richfield (UT) HS.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE 2022-23 SCHEDULE: Home games against a pair of "Power 5" conference schools, along with road trips to the Northeast and South Beach, and a full 20-game WAC slate highlights Utah Tech's basketball 2023-24 schedule.
            After Utah Tech plays La Verne on Monday, November 6, the Trailblazers will play host to Jacksonville State this Thursday night as part of the newly formed WAC/Conference USA Alliance.
            The Blazers then embark on a five-game road swing, which starts with a quick trip down Interstate-15 to Las Vegas to face two-time defending Mountain West Conference champion UNLV on Nov. 14. Utah Tech follows that up with the first of four trips to the "Lone Star State" for a Monday matinee at Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 20.
            From there Utah Tech will travels to New England over the Thanksgiving Holiday for games at New Hampshire (Nov. 22) and at Stonehill College (Nov. 25).
            Utah Tech heads back to the Beehive State to tip off its fourth season of WAC play on Saturday, Dec. 2, with an "Old Hammer Rivalry" match-up at in-state foe Utah Valley in Orem. The Trailblazers will then return home for a date against California Baptist inside the Burns Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 6.  
            That CBU game serves as the start of a five-game pre-Christmas homestand that features match-ups against in-state rival Weber State (Dec. 9) and Bethesda University (Dec. 9).
            Utah Tech will close out that homestand by hosting its first in-season tournament as a newly minted D-I program – the Utah Tech Trailblazer Classic, which will be played on Dec. 19-21.
            The host Trailblazers will welcome two of the top programs in all of Division I women's basketball to the Burns Arena, starting with a date against PAC-12 power Oregon on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. The Blazers will then take on Big XII power and 2023 NCAA Tournament team Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
            In addition, Oregon and Oklahoma State will square off to close out the Classic inside the Burns Arena on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.
            Utah Tech will then wrap up its 2023-24 non-conference slate with a trip to Miami to play at Florida International as part of the WAC/C-USA Alliance on Saturday, Dec. 30.
            The Trailblazers will return to WAC play in the New Year with a home date vs. Seattle U on Thursday, Jan. 4. The 2024 WAC Tournament returns the Las Vegas on March 13-16, at the Orleans Arena. 
 
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.
 
TRAILBLAZERS NOTES
* - Gillen has scored 10 or more points in 43-straight games dating back to the 2021-22 season. 
* - Gillen (1,112) became just the third player in program history to surpass 1,100 career points in the Utah Tech's WAC tourney loss to California Baptist.
* - Gillen needs only 50 more points to pass Ali Franks (1,161; 2016-20) for second on UT's scoring list, and is 101 points away from moving past Johnna Brown (1,212) 2009-11, 12-13) to become the program's all-time leading scorer. 
* - Gillen, who is already the program's single season (200; 2022-23) and career (393) assists leader, is also the third player in program history with 1,000 points and at least 200 assists (Johnna Brown - 1,212 pts/232 assts; Kaylah Miller - 1,055 pts/200 assts). 
* - In addition, Gillen (423) needs only 11 more made field goals to pass Brown (433) on that career list. 
* - Gillen led Utah Tech with six double-doubles last season, five of which came on points and assists. 
* - McCord was second on the team with four last season, including a 16-point, 15-rebound effort in the win over La Verne. 
* - McCord led all scorers with 19 points in the UVU WAC tourney win and tied season highs in FGM (7-of-11) and 3FGM (5-of-9). * - McCord's 19 points also tied a season high (vs. Lindenwood - 12/21), while she finished the year with 18 double-digit point games overall.
* - Utah Tech collected five WAC Player of the Week awards last season ... Gillen earned the award on consecutive weeks (11/14 and 11/21), while Macie Warren (12/12), Kartchner (2/13), and Isaacson (3/4) each collected accolades later in the year. 
* - Isaacson (177 3FGM) begins her final season needing only 31 more made 3-pointers to pass Miller (207; 2011-15) and become Utah Tech's career 3FGM leader.
* - Isaacson is already the program's all-time leader in 3FG% (.398, 177-of-455), while McCord follows closely in second place (.393; 128-of-326).
* - Utah Tech put up some prolific scoring numbers last season, breaking program single-season records for points (2,327), FGM (842), FG% (.454), 3FGM (310), 3FGA (898), 3FG% (.345), and FT%  (.727). 
 
ABOUT THE LA VERNE "PANTHERS": La Verne, which is an NCAA Division III school located in La Verne, Calif., began the 2023-24 season with a 96-43 exhibition loss at Fresno State back on Oct. 27. 
            The Panthers played to a 24-3 record last season and won the SCIAC regular season title with a 15-1 mark. However they were knocked off by the University of the Redlands in the SCIAC tournament finale to close out their campaign. 
            Senior forward Chiara Brown (5-10) was the Panthers' leading scorer (13.8 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (7.2 rpg) a season ago. 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will play host to Jacksonville State inside the Burns Arena this Thursday night at 7 p.m. The game is part of the newly formed WAC/Conference USA Alliance.