TIP OFF: Utah Tech (15-8/7-5 WAC) continues its final long homestand of the 2022-23 season this weekend with a pair of games inside the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers begin the week by hosting Stephen F. Austin (21-4/11-2 WAC) on Thursday night at 7 p.m., before closing the stand with a Saturday matinee vs. UTRGV (9-14/3-9 WAC) starting at  2 p.m.
            Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ (vs. SFA / vs. UTRGV).
 
UTAH TECH VS. SFA/UTRGV: Utah Tech heads the weekend looking for its wins against both SFA and UTRGV. UT is 0-2 vs. the Lumberjacks in two lopsided affairs, including a 99-51 result in Nacogdoches last month (1/5/23). The Trailblazers and 'Jacks faced off for the first time last year in the Burns Arena, in a game that saw SFA claim by an 81-54 count (2/5/22).
            Meanwhile, the two previous games between the Trailblazers and UTRGV have been a bit closer, though Utah Tech has come up on the short end of both match-ups by a combined 11 points, including a hard-fought 69-65 road loss in Edinburg this past Feb. 2. 
            However this will be UTRGV's first-ever trip to St. George as the previous two meetings have come in the Vaqueros' home gym, the first took place last season, with UTRGV prevailing, 75-68 (1/22/22). 
 
FAST BREAK: The Trailblazers have won two-straight and three of their last five overall, and are coming off 90-57 rout of New Mexico State last Saturday in the Burns Arena. Utah Tech led wire-to-wire, using a 14-2 run to turn a 10-8 first quarter advantage into a 24-10 cushion with less than two minutes gone in the second quarter. 
            UT led 43-24 at the half and never looked back as the Blazers improved to 8-2 at home on the season. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 131-66 (.665) overall record in the Burns Arena, and is scheduled to play in its 300th game as a four-year school in the 2022-23 home finale vs. Grand Canyon on February 28. Under Head Coach JD Gustin, the Trailblazers are 52-35 (.597) on their home floor and have won eight or more home games in five of their last six seasons overall. 
 
AWAY FROM THE BURNS: Utah Tech owns a 79-115 (.407) record on the road since joining the NCAA in 2006-07. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 27-48 (.360) away from home, including a 6-5 road mark this year.
 
KARTCHNER SHOOTS HER WAY TO WAC POW HONORS: Redshirt freshman guard Amber Kartchner was named WAC Player of the Week on Monday for her performance in last Saturday's 90-57 home victory over New Mexico State. 
                Kartchner led four Trailblazers in double figures with a career-high 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers. The freshman also went 5-of-6 at the foul line, and finished with four rebounds, four assists and one steal in 30 minutes of game action.
 
MAKE IT FOUR WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: With the addition of Kartchner, Utah Tech has had three different players earn WAC Player of the Week honors this season.
            Senior guard Breaunna Gillen leads the way with two weekly awards, both of which came in the opening two weeks of the season. The senior earned her first honor when she recorded consecutive double-doubles, starting in the season opener at Washington (11/7) with 21 points and 11 assists
            Gillen did it again three days later in the home opener vs. Benedictine Mesa (11/10) with 17 points and 10 assists. Her second award came after she poured in a career high 26 points vs. Utah State (11/15), which was followed by a 23-point effort later that week at Kansas State (11/20). 
            Meanwhile, sophomore guard Macie Warren collected Player of the Week honors after she tallied a career-high 29 points at Air Force (12/16) on 12-of-16 shooting with three 3-pointers. Warren also grabbed eight rebounds to go with two assists and two steals in the road win over the Falcons.
 
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Gillen leads the Trailblazers with five double-doubles on the season. In addition to her consecutive double-doubles at Washington and vs. Benedictine Mesa, she posted her third in the home win vs. La Verne (11/26) with 16 points and a career high 13 assists. 
            The senior also recorded double-doubles vs. Lindenwood (15 pts/13 asts; 12/21) and at home vs. Abilene Christian (21 pts/11 asts; 1/11).
            Senior Maggie McCord is second on the team with three double-doubles, including one of her own vs. La Verne (16 pts/15 rbs; 11/26). Her other two also came at home in victories over Texas A&M Commerce (17 pts/13 rbs; 12/3) and in WAC play vs. Utah Valley (10 pts/10 rbs; 12/31). 
            In addition, junior Emily Isaacson went for 12 points and 12 boards vs. Benedictine Mesa, and junior Brooke Vance racked up her first collegiate double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Tarleton State (1/26).
 
GILLEN ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY: With her 21 points against NM State last Saturday, Gillen needs just 36 more points to become the fifth member of Utah Tech's 1,000-point club.
            When that happens the senior, who is already the program's all-time leader in assists with 343, and counting, will also become just the third player in program history with 1,000 points and at least 200 assists (Johnna Brown - 1,212 pts/232 asts; Kaylah Miller - 1,055 pts/200 asts). 
 
RECORD BREAKING WIN: Utah Tech set a new standard for greatness against La Verne on Nov. 26 with 112 points scored. This is the new school record for most points scored
in a game.
            The 112 points broke the previous record of 107 which was set twice, the first instance came during the 2018-19 season in a triple-OT win over Saint Martin's (107-103; 11/17/18). UT then waited nearly four years before doing it again in a home win vs. Life Pacific (107-57; 11/9/22). 
            In all, the Trailblazers have scored 100 or more points eight times during their NCAA era, including twice this season. 
 
IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Several Trailblazers have made their way into the career record books with their performances so far this season.
            In addition to her points and dimes, Gillen stands fourth all-time in FG made (371), fifth in FT made (181), sixth in starts (61), seventh in games played (84) and ninth in FG percentage (.436). 
            And if that was not enough, the senior also needs two more steals to move into solo 10th place in career steals. 
            Meanwhile, Isaacson is second in program history in career 3-pointers (154), fifth in blocked shots (49) and eighth in rebounds (384), while McCord is sixth in 3FGM (111). 
 
ABOUT THE SFA "LUMBERJACKS": Stephen F. Austin makes the trip to St. George carrying the WAC's best overall record at 21-4.
            The Lumberjacks, who have won four-straight and eight of their last nine overall, are currently second in the conference with an 11-2 mark, one-half game behind WAC-leading Southern Utah. 
            The 'Jacks have four players in double figures, led by graduate F/C Aiyana Johnson (6-3) who is averaging 14.0 ppg on 53.4 percent shooting, while junior forward Avery Brittingham (6-0) is averaging nearly a double-double at 10.2 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. 
 
ABOUT THE UTRGV "VAQUEROS": UTRGV, which plays at SUU on Thursday night, begins the week with a 9-14 mark (3-9 WAC) and has lost seven of its last nine overall. However the Vaqueros did pick up a win in their last outing at home vs. Abilene Christian this past Saturday night (75-71).
            UTRGV has three starters who are averaging, or nearly averaging, double figures, highlighted by sophomore guard Iyana Dorsey (5-6) at 15.0 ppg. Meanwhile sophomore forward Deborah Ogayemi (5-11) scores at a 9.9 ppg clip and is the Vaqueros leading rebounder at 7.5 rpg.  
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will play three of its final four regular season games on the road, beginning with a two-game West Coast trip that starts at Seattle U next Thursday, Feb. 23. 
            The Trailblazers will follow that up with a road date at California Baptist on Saturday, Feb. 25.