Utah Tech closed out the home portion of its 2023-24 non-conference slate on the wrong end of an 87-61 loss to Oklahoma State in the second game of the 2023 Trailblazer Classic on Wednesday afternoon inside the Burns Arena.
 
The Trailblazers (7-5/0-2 WAC) managed to split the two games as hosts of their first in-season tournament as a newly minted Division I program. Meanwhile the Cowgirls (7-3) will face Oregon in the Classic's final game on Thursday afternoon in the Burns Arena at 2 p.m.

How it happened 
After knocking down 21 3-pointers in Tuesday's win over Oregon, the Trailblazers looked as though they were picking up right where they left off after jumping out to a quick 12-8 lead just four minutes into play.
 
Maddie Warren, who accounted for six of Utah Tech's 21 treys on Tuesday, hit consecutive perimeter jumpers, and scored eight of the Blazers' first 12 points.
 
However Utah Tech made only one more field goal in the quarter as Oklahoma State closed the frame with a 17-2 run en route to a 25-14 advantage.
 
Utah Tech misfired on five of its six shots over the final five-plus minutes of the quarter and committed five costly turnovers. 
 
The two sides traded scores in the early going in the second quarter, but the Cowgirls methodically pulled away over those next 10 minutes, outscoring the Trailblazers 20-10 in the stanza to take a commanding 45-24 lead into the halftime break.  
 
OSU managed to maintain at least a 20-point cushion throughout the second half to come away with its first road victory of the year.
 
Numbers to know
Warren paced three Trailblazers in double figures with 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with four 3-pointers. 
 
Breaunna Gillen added 16 points on 8-of-16 from the floor, and finished with a team-high six rebounds along with two assists.
 
Macie Warren chipped 13 points, including going 7-of-8 at the foul line, to go with three boards and two dimes.
 
Utah Tech shot 37.3 percent (22-of-59) from the floor, which included an 8-of-24 clip (.333) from beyond the arc.  
 
Oklahoma State scored 44 of its 87 points in the paint, led by center Hannah Gusters, who poured in a game-high 27 points on 12-of-17 from the floor to lead four Cowgirls in double figures. 
 
OSU wound up shooting 53.1 percent (34-of-64) overall, and was 10-of-24 (.417) from the perimeter. The Cowgirls also outrebounded the Blazers by a 43-28 count. 
 
After a 10-day break for the Christmas holiday, Utah Tech will wrap up its 2023-24 non-conference slate with a cross-country trip to Miami for a road date at Florida International. 
           
The game, which is part of the newly formed WAC/Conference USA Alliance, will be played on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. (ET), at the FIU Ocean Bank Convocation Center.