Utah Tech the most of its Division I postseason debut on Monday afternoon as the No. 5-seeded Trailblazers defeated No. 12 seed Utah Valley, 72-68, in the first round of the Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.
 
Thanks to their first-ever D-I postseason victory, the Trailblazers (19-11) will now advance on the face No. 4 seed California Baptist in the WAC quarterfinal round on Wednesday afternoon at the Orleans Arena at 2 p.m. (PT). 
 
How it happened 
If the Trailblazers were nervous in making their WAC tourney debut, they certainly did not show it in the early going as they bolted out to an 11-0 advantage just two minutes into the game.
 
Maggie McCord got the run started with a 3-pointer, which was followed by a Breaunna Gillen three, an Averi Papa jumper and an Emily Isaacson corner trey as Utah Tech hit its first four shots and forced UVU to call a timeout.
 
Unfortunately for the Blazers, the timeout worked as the Wolverines wrestled away the momentum and answered with eight-straight points as part of a 17-5 run to erase the deficit and take a 17-16 lead.
 
Gillen would finally stop the run with a leaner in the lane to put UT back on top, and the Trailblazers would hold a 23-19 advantage after a Brooke Vance 3-pointer just seconds before the first quarter horn sounded.
 
Utah Valley (6-24) would flip the script to start the second quarter, beginning the frame with eight-unanswered points in outscoring the Trailblazers 16-5 to open up a 35-28 lead midway through the period.
 
Vance snapped the run with her second 3-pointer, which was followed by an Isaacson putback and a McCord long-range jumper as Utah Tech pulled ahead by one at 36-35 with 2:27 to go in the half.
 
However the Blazers would not score again the in half as Utah Valley scored the final six points to take a 41-36 lead at the intermission.
 
UVU would up its lead to seven to begin the second half, but Utah Tech came storming back with a 14-2 run to go back in front 50-45 with 5:14 left in the third. 
 
Isaacson kickstarted the run with a three, while the Trailblazers did most of their damage in the low block, scoring eight-straight from point-blank range before a McCord trey gave Utah Tech its biggest lead since that first quarter run.
 
Clinging to a 58-57 advantage entering the fourth quarter, Papa got UT off on the right foot with a bucket down low.
 
That basket would be the last one Utah Tech would hit over the next four minutes as UVU rattled off a 9-0 spurt to jump back on top at 66-60 with 5:28 remaining.
 
McCord ended the Blazer drought with her fifth 3-pointer of the game, which was followed one minute later by an Amber Kartchner perimeter jumper that tied the game at 66 all with 4:15 to go.
 
UVU forward Shay Fano gave the Wolverines the lead back on their ensuing possession, albeit briefly as the Trailblazers kept their in-state rivals off the scoreboard over the final 3:54 of the game.
 
McCord, who led all scorers with 19 points, tied the game on a back door feed from Isaacson, while Gillen put Utah Tech up for good with a spinning base line drive and bucket with 2:04 to go.
 
Then after both teams traded multiple empty possessions, Isaacson iced the game with two free throws with 3.4 seconds left to send Utah Tech on to the next round.
 
Numbers to know
McCord's 19 points tied her season high which she posted in a home win vs. Lindenwood back on Dec. 21. Meanwhile her five 3-pointers (5-of-9) also matched a season high set in UT's home win over Utah State (11/15).
 
McCord finished the game 7-of-11 from the floor and collected four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
 
Gillen filled the stat sheet with 16 points, seven assists and six boards, while Isaacson chipped in 12 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Utah Tech shot 45.8 percent (25-of-55) from the floor, which included a 12-of-33 effort (.364) from 3-point country. The 12 made threes marked the 18^th time this season that the Trailblazers had hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game.  
 
The Blazers also connected on 10-of-13 (.769) from the foul line and recorded 19 assists to just nine turnovers, though UT was outrebounded 37-27, including an 11-5 count on the offensive glass. 

Utah Tech's 19 wins this season are the most during the program's current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Head Coach JD Gustin's tenure (18-12 in 2019-20) on the Trailblazer bench. The Trailblazers went 18-12 under Gustin in their final D-II season in 2019-20, a year that also featured a conference tournament victory (65-60 vs. Western State - RMAC quarterfinal; 3/3/20). 
 
Fano led the Wolverines with 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. UVU went 25-of-58 (.431) from the field overall, 8-of-22 (.333) from the perimeter.