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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech will play its final home game in November on Thursday night before embarking on a five-game road swing. 
 
Thursday night's game vs Jacksonville State is part of the new WAC/Conference USA scheduling alliance between the two fastest rising conferences in Division I college basketball. 
 
As part of the new partnership, Utah Tech will travel to South Beach to play at Florida International on Saturday, Dec. 30.
 
Utah Tech improved to 10-8 all-time in season openers during its NCAA era after its 116-59 victory over La Verne this past Monday afternoon. 
 
The 116 points scored on Monday broke the program's previous single-game points record of 112, which coincidentally was set last season in a home win vs. La Verne (Utah Tech 112, LVU 61; 11/26/22).  
 
The Trailblazers are now 5-3 mark in season openers under Head Coach JD Gustin, and have won three of their four openers during its Division I transition.
 
The Trailblazers also moved to 13-5 in home openers overall, 6-2 in home openers in Coach Gustin's tenure, including a perfect 4-0 during the program's D-I transition.
 
Coach Gustin coached in his 400th-career game on Monday afternoon, and after the win he now owns a 226-174 record in 14-plus seasons as a head coach.

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (1-0/0-0 WAC) wraps up its brief two-game, season-opening homestand on Thursday night when the Trailblazers welcome Jacksonville State to the Burns Arena (4,779). Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (MST).
         
UTAH TECH VS. JAX STATE: Thursday's game will mark the second time that the Trailblazers and Gamecocks have squared off on the hardwood. 
            Last season in Las Vegas, Utah Tech and Jacksonville State played in the first game of the annual Holiday Hoops Classic at the South Point Arena.
            The Blazers led 25-9 after the first quarter, but was not able to maintain their shooting touch over the final three frames as the Gamecocks rallied for a 68-50 win.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Five Trailblazers scored in double figures as Utah Tech opened the 2023-24 campaign with a resounding 116-59 victory over La Verne this past Monday afternoon inside the Burns Arena.
            The Trailblazers broke the game open with a first quarter 20-0 run, which turned a 5-2 deficit into a 22-5 lead. Utah Tech led 27-13 after the opening frame, then began the second quarter with a 10-0 spurt en route to a 52-27 halftime advantage.
            The Blazers would go on to outscore the Panthers 64-32 in the second half 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 and Nicole Yazzie, to associate head coach positions, while assistant coach Candace Thornton 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 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.
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 231-straight games, which included 17 made threes in the season opener vs. La Verne on Monday. 
            The 17 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 trifectas 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 treys 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 84 times during the program's NCAA era, including a school-record 19 times last season. In fact, the Trailblazers broke single season school records for 3FGM (310), 3FGA (898), and 3FG% (.345) last season.
            In all, Utah Tech has hit at least one three pointer in 439 of its 442 NCAA-era games, which began in the 2006-07 season.
            Two of the three instances when the Blazers did not hit a three came 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). 
 
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 just missed notching her second career triple-double as she poured in a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, to go with a career-high 11 rebounds and eight assists.
* - Gillen has now scored 10 or more points in 44-straight games dating back to the 2021-22 season. 
* - Gillen has scored in double figures in 60 career games, including 19 20-plus point outings.
* - Gillen also became the ninth player to surpass 400 career rebounds in Monday's win vs. La Verne and now has eight career double-doubles to her credit.
* - Gillen (432) enters Thursday's game needing only two made field goals to move past former Blazer Johnna Brown (433; 2009-11, 12-13) to become the program's all-time leader in FGM.   
* - Gillen (1,133 pts) also stands just 29 points shy of vaulting past Ali Franks (1,161; 2016-20) for second on UT's scoring list, and is 80 points away from passing Brown (1,212) to become the program's all-time leading scorer. 
* - Gillen (401), who is already the program's single season (200; 2022-23) and career assist leader, collected her 400th career dime on a Maddie Warren 3-pointer in the third quarter in Monday's win over La Verne. 
* - 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). 
* - Macie Warren just missed her first collegiate triple double in the La Verne win, but did notch her first career double-double with 19 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds. 
* - Macie Warren hit on 7-of-10 from the floor with three 3-pointers.
* - Meanwhile her twin sister Maddie Warren, who was back in the starting lineup after missing the final 18 games of the 2021-22 season and all of the 2022-23 campaign due to injury, tallied 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting vs. La Verne. 
* - Maddie Warren nailed a pair of 3-pointers and pulled down a career-best eight rebounds in a team-high 30 minutes on the court.
* - 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 on 5-for-5 shooting with three 3-pointers.
* - McCord was solid in her first start of the year vs. La Verne, going for 13 points on 5-of-11 from the floor with three treys along with six boards.
* - Isaacson became the eighth player in program history to reach the 800-point plateau as she tallied nine points on 4-of-8 shooting with a trey vs. La Verne. 
* - Isaacson (178 3FGM) needs only 30 more made 3-pointers to pass Miller (207; 2011-15) atop Utah Tech's career 3FGM list.
* - Isaacson is already the program's all-time leader in 3FG% (.396, 178-of-449), while McCord follows closely in second place (.392; 131-of-334).
* - Catelyn Deaver enjoyed her best game as a Trailblazer on Monday with career highs of nine points, four rebounds and two blocks.
* - Twin sister Alyson Deaver finished with five points and two rebounds ... Deaver had arguably the highlight of the day when she blocked a perimeter jumper, grabbed the loose ball and drove the length of the court to lay in Utah Tech's record-breaking bucket. 
* - Caitlynn Jordan got her collegiate career off to a good start as she tallied four points, seven rebounds and one assist in nearly 10 reserve minutes vs. La Verne.
* - Utah Tech shot 58.4 percent from the floor (45-of-77) in Monday's win vs. La Verne, 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 the Panthers 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.
 
ABOUT THE JAX STATE "GAMECOCKS": Jacksonville State is in the middle of a season opening three game road will see the Gamecocks criss-cross the country over a six-day span. 
            JSU opened the year with a 78-49 road loss at in-state foe Auburn last Monday, then after Thursday's game in St. George, the team will travel  back to the Southeast for a non-conference date at Mississippi State this Sunday afternoon. 
            Senior forward Keiara Griffin (6-0), who scored nine points in the Auburn loss, is the lone returning starter for the Gamecocks,  while sophomore transfer guard Samiya Steele (5-8/Alabama State) led Jax State with 11 points 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will open a five-game road swing next Tuesday night, Nov. 14, with a quick trip to Las Vegas to play at UNLV. Tip-off inside the Cox Pavilion is set for 6:30 p.m. (PST).