TIP OFF: Utah Tech (16-9/8-6 WAC) 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 this Thursday night. Tip-off inside the SU Redhawk Center is set for 7 p.m. (MT). 
            The Trailblazers will then head south to Riverside for a Saturday matinee at California Baptist beginning at 2 p.m. (MT), at the CBU Events Center.
             Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ (at SU / at CBU).
 
UTAH TECH VS. SU/CBU: Utah Tech travels to Seattle looking to avenge an earlier 70-66 home loss to the Redhawks this past Jan. 28, in the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers won the first-ever game vs. Seattle U, which came at home last season (75-69; 1/15/22), while the Redhawks have claimed the last two, including a home win of their own near the end of the 2021-22 season (69-61; 2/26/22).
            Meanwhile, Utah Tech trails 14-4 all-time in its series with CBU, though the Blazers did defeat the Lancers in their last meeting nearly one year to the day in Riverside, 81-77 (2/24/22). That UT victory halted an 11-game losing streak vs. CBU, which dated back to when both programs were competing at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Pacific West Conference. 
 
FAST BREAK: The Trailblazers have won three of their last four games, which included a home split of two games last week in the Burns Arena. Utah Tech opened the week on the wrong end of a 72-56 decision to Stephen F. Austin this past Thursday night. 
            UT followed that up with a hard-fought 89-85 come-from-behind win over UTRGV last Saturday afternoon. The Blazers rallied from a 15-point third quarter deficit to take a 74-72 with just under five minutes to play in the fourth. Then with the game tied at 82-82 with less than two minutes to go, UT scored seven-straight points and held on from there for the Senior Day home win. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 130-69 (.653) overall record in the Burns Arena, including a 9-3 mark this season, and is scheduled to play in its 200th 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 51-36 (.586) 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 80-118 (.404) record on the road since joining the NCAA in 2006-07. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 23-50 (.315) away from home, including a 6-5 road mark this year. UT will play in its 200th road game in the program's NCAA era this Saturday at CBU. 
            In addition, UT is 21-17 (.552) on neutral courts, 3-3 under Coach Gustin.
 
KARTCHNER SHOOTS HER WAY TO WAC POW HONORS: Redshirt freshman guard Amber Kartchner was named WAC Player of the Week back on Feb. 14, for her performance in UT'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, who is the WAC's top scorer at 17.9 ppg, 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 REACHES 1K PLATEAU: With her team-high 24 points in the UTRGV win last Saturday, Gillen (1,007 pts) became the fifth member of Utah Tech's 1,000-point club.
            The senior flirted with a possible triple-double as she also led the Blazers with seven rebounds and six assists in the Senior Day victory.
            Gillen, who is already the program's all-time leader in assists with 353, and counting, also became 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 (387), fifth in FT made (189), sixth in starts (63) and games played (86), and ninth in FG percentage (.440). 
            And if that was not enough, the senior also moved into t-10th place in career steals with 86 after picked off one steal vs. SFA last Thursday. 
            Meanwhile, Isaacson is second in program history in career 3-pointers (160) and fifth in blocked shots (49). The senior (391 reb.) also enters this week nine rebounds shy of becoming the eighth player in program history to record 400 career rebounds.
            In addition, McCord stands sixth all-time in 3FGM (115) made and needs seven more to vault into the top-five. 
 
ABOUT THE SEATTLE U "REDHAWKS": Seattle U enters play this week having lost three-straight and four of its last five after dropping a pair of road games at NM State (L, 47-56; 2/16) and at Grand Canyon (L, 43-78; 2/18) last week.
            The Redhawks have only won one home game in 11 tries this year, with that win coming two weeks ago vs. Tarleton (W, 62-49; 2/9). 
            Sophomore guard Taliyah Clark (5-11) is the lone Redhawk averaging double figures at an even 10.0 ppg on 33.6 percent shooting, while junior forward Irena Korolenko (6-0) is Seattle's top rebounder at 4.4 rpg to go with a 7.8 ppg clip.
 
ABOUT THE CBU "LANCERS": On the flip side, CBU rolls into Saturday's game vs. Utah Tech winners of four-straight and eight of its last 10, with three of those four recent victories coming on the road. 
            The Lancers boast has three starters scoring in double figures, highlighted by sophomore guard Trinity San Antonio (5-10) at 15.5 ppg. Meanwhile junior forward Dorcas Wu (6-0) scores at a 10.2 ppg clip and is CBU's leading rebounder at 7.0 rpg.  
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will close out the 2022-23 regular season with two more games next week, starting with its home finale vs. Grand Canyon on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m.
            The Trailblazers will then head to Orem for the regular season finale at in-state rival Utah Valley on Thursday, March 2.