Utah Tech is off to its first 2-0 start in the program's current NCAA Division I transition after posting a convincing 73-58 home win over Jacksonville State on Thursday night inside the Burns Arena.
 
Breaunna Gillen led all scorers with a season-high 24 points, 12 of which came in the second quarter to spur on a decisive Trailblazer rally. Meanwhile Maddie Warren poured in 20 points, and twin sister Macie Warren added 18 points to lead a potent Blazer offensive attack over the final three quarters.
 
How it happened 
Jacksonville State (0-2) broke an early 6-6 tie with a 14-4 run to bolt out to a 20-10 lead with 1:24 to play in the first quarter. The Gamecocks hit three 3-pointers in the rally, while Utah Tech misfired on eight of its first 13 shot attempts to begin the game.
 
The Trailblazers got up off the deck in the waning moments of the opening frame, scoring the final five points on a Macie Warren 3-pointer and a Gillen lay-in to trim the deficit to 20-15 at the quarter break.
 
Macie Warren and Maddie Warren then opened the second stanza with consecutive buckets to cap a 9-0 spurt to pull Utah Tech to within a point at 20-19. 
 
Jax State would counter with five-straight points to make it a two-possession game at 25-19.
 
However from that point on it was all Trailblazers as Utah Tech outscored the Gamecocks 25-5 over the final 7:50 of the period en route to a commanding 44-30 halftime advantage.
 
Maddie Warren got the run started with a 3-pointer, then after Gillen basket, the sophomore guard laid in two more to give Utah Tech its first lead of the game at 26-25.
 
Jax State managed to quell the rally, albeit briefly, when Shaquice May converted a four-point play, but the Blazers would go on to score 18 of the final 19 points of the half to retreat to the locker room with a 14-point cushion.
 
Gillen scored eight-straight points and had 10 total points over that final stretch, while both Warrens hit perimeter jumpers and Maggie McCord provided the exclamation point just before halftime.
 
After Jax State pared the Blazer lead to 50-43 with just over three minutes to go in the third, Maddie Warren answered with her third trifecta of the game on Utah Tech's next trip down the court. 
 
That trey started a 12-1 run to close the frame, and the Trailblazers maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
 
Numbers to know
Gillen's 24 points were two off of her career high of 26 points she set nearly one year ago to the day in a home win vs. Utah State (11/15/22).
 
Gillen went 11-of-20 from the floor and finished with team-highs of eight rebounds and four assists. 
 
Gillen's second basket of the night, a leaner in the lane at the 6:56 mark of the first quarter, moved her into first place on UTU's career field goals made list (443). 
 
Maddie Warren's 20 points were also just two points shy of her career high of 22, which she set exactly two years ago in a home win over Life Pacific (11/9/21). She went 7-of-19 from the floor with four 3-pointers, and finished with three boards and two steals.
 
Macie Warren had the hot shooting hand, knocking down 7-of-10 of her shots, including a 4-of-5 clip from beyond the arc. The sophomore also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out two assists. 
 
Utah Tech shot 46.9 percent from the floor (30-of-64), which included a 10-of-24 (.417) effort from the perimeter. 
 
Kristol Ayson was the lone Gamecock to score in double figures as she finished with 19 points with five made 3-pointers. Ayson also paced Jax State with nine rebounds as the Gamecocks outrebounded Utah Tech 49-42.  
 
Jax State was held to 27.8 percent shooting (20-of-72), and hit just 11-of-40 of its attempts from 3-point country. 
 
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.
 
Up next
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).