Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | SFA
Live TV: ESPN+
Live Streaming Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: AT SFA
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_WBB | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACwbb | #WAChoops

TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech will make its second of four regular season trips to the Lone Star State on Thursday night to face Stephen F. Austin. 
 
The Trailblazers, who played at Texas A&M Commerce (L, 75-84, 11/20/23) just before Thanksgiving, will also make two more trips to Texas in February for four WAC games. 
 
The Trailblazers are currently 3-4 on the road this season, and have won three of their last five away from the Burns Arena overall, including a 73-59 road victory at Utah Valley in their WAC season opener back on Dec. 2. 
 
Utah Tech closed its 2023-24 non-conference slate with a 6-5 record, and in the process, clinched its second-straight winning season record vs. non-conference foes.
 
Utah Tech is currently one of two teams (Abilene Christian) in the WAC featuring four players averaging double figures in points through the first 15 games of the season.

In addition, Utah Tech is the only team in the WAC with four players listed in the conference's top-20 in scoring (#5 Breaunna Gillen 15.5 ppg/#6 Maddie Warren 15.2/#8 Macie Warren 14.8 ppg/#19 Maggie McCord 11.8 ppg). 

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (8-7/2-2 WAC) returns to action this Thursday night with a quick trip to Texas to square off against Stephen F. Austin (9-6/3-1 WAC). Tip-off inside the William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,203) in Nacogdoches is set for 5:30 p.m. (MST). 
 
UTAH TECH VS. SFA: Utah Tech heads to the Lone Star State looking for its first-ever win vs. the Lady Jacks. 
            The Trailblazers are 0-3 lifetime vs. SFA in three lopsided affairs, including a 99-51 result in last season's visit to Nacogdoches (1/5/23). The two sides have also squared off twice inside the Burns Arena, unfortunately both instances resulted in Blazer losses (UT 54, SFA 81; 2/5/22; UT 56, SFA 72; 2/16/23). 
            
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech could not overcome two decisive first half Grand Canyon scoring runs as the Trailblazers dropped a 73-48 WAC road decision to the Lopes last Saturday afternoon in Phoenix. 
            After the two sides traded perimeter jumpers to open the scoring, GCU rattled off 16-unanswered points en route to a commanding 24-7 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The Trailblazers were doomed by seven first quarter turnovers and a frigid 3-of-10 shooting clip from the floor.
            Utah Tech's offense began to show signs of life in the early minutes of the second period as the Blazers knocked down four of their first seven shots to make it a 31-16 game midway through the quarter. 
            However that would be as close as the Blazers would get as GCU closed the frame with a 9-0 run and took a 40-16 advantage into the intermission. The Lopes would cruise on from there for the home win.  
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin is in his eighth season at the helm of the Utah Tech Women's Basketball program.
            Gustin has seen marked improvements in each season on the Trailblazer sideline, culminating with an 19-12 overall record last season, a nine-win turnaround from the previous season. The 2022-23 campaign also featured a 10-8 mark and a fifth-place finish in Western Athletic Conference play. In addition, the Trailblazers made their WAC Tournament debut in 2022-23, and advanced on to the quarterfinal round by defeating Utah Valley, 72-68, to win their first-ever NCAA Division-I era postseason victory. 
            Utah Tech's 19 wins last season were the most in the program's current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin's seven-year tenure on the Trailblazer bench. 
            In Utah Tech's final Division II season, the Trailblazers played to an 18-12 under Gustin. The team also capped that 2019-20 season by clinching a berth in the 2020 RMAC Tournament, marking the first time the Trailblazers had qualified for a conference tournament since the 2013-14 season. The Trailblazers entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed, and shocked second-seeded Western Colorado in Gunnison, Colo., for a 65-60 win in the RMAC Quarterfinals.
 
THE REST OF THE STAFF: This past April, Gustin announced the promotion off all three members of his coaching staff. 
            Gustin elevated two of his assistants, Matt Thune (second season at Utah Tech) and Nicole Yazzie (eighth season at Utah Tech), to associate head coach designations, while assistant coach Candace Thornton (second season at Utah Tech) and serves as the program's recruiting coordinator. 
            
GILLEN THE ONE TO WATCH IN 2023-24: Coming off a banner senior season in 2022-23, fifth-year guard Breaunna Gillen entered her final collegiate campaign with a pair of well-deserved preseason honors to her credit. 
            In October, Gillen was voted as the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year, and was named to the 25-player preseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year, presented by Her Hoop Stats. 
            Gillen is the lone WAC representative on the Hammon watch list, which includes women's basketball student-athletes from 23 teams and 16 conferences overall. 
            Last season, Gillen was either at or near the top of the WAC scoring list throughout the entire 2022-23 campaign en route to first team all-WAC honors, wound up as the conference's second leading scorer at 17.8 points per game. 
            The fifth-year guard finished last season as the WAC's leader in assists at 6.45 apg, and finished in the top-10 overall in assist/turnover ratio (2nd; 1.77), field goal percentage (5th; .438), and free throw percentage (10th; .744).
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 245-straight games, which included a season-high 21 treys in the Oregon win on Dec. 19, and nine more 3-pointers in the Seattle U win last Thursday night. 
            The 21 made treys vs. Oregon were the second-most in a single game in program history. In addition, the Trailblazers combined to shoot school record-breaking 67.7 percent (21-of-31) from the perimeter on the day, besting the previous record that stood for nearly 12 full seasons (.611, 11-of-18 at BYU-Hawaii; 2/4/2012). 
            In the 2021-22 season, the Trailblazers nailed a school-record 22 3-pointers in its 107-57 blowout win over Life Pacific (11/9/21).
            That record was one of two 3FG school records to fall that night as the Blazers also broke a team record for 3FG attempted (51). 
            Utah Tech has reached double figures in made 3-pointers 91 times during the program's NCAA era, including in eight of its first 13 games this season, and in a school-record 19 games last season. 
            In fact, the Trailblazers broke single season school records for 3FGM (310), 3FGA (898), and 3FG% (.345) last year.
            In all, Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 453 of its 456 games during its NCAA era, which began in the 2006-07 season.
            Two of the three instances when the Blazers did not hit a three happened during the 2013-14 season (vs. Hawai'i-Hilo, 2/13/14; at California Baptist, 1/18/14), and the other came in the program's first NCAA season in 2006-27 (vs. UHH, 1/7/07). 
            Meanwhile, Utah Tech has surrendered at least one made opponent 3-pointer in 455 of 456 games during its NCAA era. 
 
RELEASE - ROTATION - SPLASH: Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are currently ranked SECOND-NATIONALLY, behind only No. 12 Utah (181/12.1 3FGM/g) 3FGM per game (10.4 3FGM/g), and FOURTH in NCAA Division I in 3-pointers made (156). In addition, Utah Tech is t-30th in the Division I ranks in 3FG% (.362).   
 
PERFECT 11: Fifth-year guard Maggie McCord had herself a night last  Thursday night vs. Seattle U as she set a school record by going 11-of-11 from the floor with four 3-pointers on her way to a career-high tying 26 points.
            McCord, who tallied 26 points last year in a road win at, coincidentally, Seattle U (2/26/22), also pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds to notch her second double-double of the season.
            Meanwhile, McCord's 4-of-4 effort from the perimeter also helped vault her to the top of Utah Tech's career 3FG% list (.403; 161-of-400). 
            McCord's shooting night bested the previous perfection record held by former Trailblazer Megan Tidwell, who went 9-of-9 for 21 points in a road win at Chaminade (93-54; 2/4/09) during the 2008-09 season. 
 
DEFENSE DOES TRAVEL: Utah Tech broke a single-game record for fewest points allowed in a quarter when the Trailblazers held New Hampshire to only three third-quarter points in their win back on Nov. 22.
            The Trailblazer defense limited UNH to 1-of-16 shooting in the period, this after the Wildcats missed their final nine shots to close out the second quarter. UNH shot a paltry 26.5 percent (18-of-68) from floor overall, which included a 7-of-35 (.200) clip in the second half. The Wildcats were also just 2-of-25 (.008) from beyond the arc.
            Utah Tech's previous school record for fewest points allowed in a quarter was four points set three times - coincidentally all on the road. In fact, the last occurrence came last season in the Blazers' road win against, again coincidentally, Weber State (3Q; 12/17/22).  
            Meanwhile, the Blazers achieved the feat two other times during their Division II era, both in the fourth quarter of road victories at UT-Tyler (W, 75-41; 11/8/2019) and at Holy Names (61-44; 2/20/16).
 
TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - Fifth-year guard Breaunna Gillen made a little more history in Thursday's win vs. Seattle U as she became Utah Tech's career leader in starts with her 82nd starting nod in game No. 105 ... Gillen moved past former Blazer Chanel Maxey (2009-13), who started in 81 of her 106 career games in four seasons at Utah Tech. 
* - The 2023-24 campaign has been on for the record books for Gillen, who earlier this season became the first Trailblazer to mess around and get her second career triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Oregon win (12/19).
* - Gillen notched her first triple-double just over two years earlier in the 2021-22 season opener vs. Life Pacific (14p/10r/11a – 11/9/21).
* - Gillen, who is already far-and-away Utah Tech's career assists leader (463), also recorded her eighth double digit assist game overall in that Oregon win.
* - Gillen posted her fourth 20-point game of the season with 21 points in the Bethesda win (12/16) ... she connected on 8-of-12 from the floor, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, and tallied eight rebounds and four assists. 
* - For Gillen, it was the 22nd 20-plus point outing of her career, and including her 16 points vs. Seattle U last Thursday night, she has now scored in double figures 71 times in 106 career games overall.
* - Gillen also went for 20 points vs. Weber State (12/9), against which she was just 4-of-12 from the floor, though she did go a perfect 10-of-10 (career best) from the foul line, and tallied seven rebounds, three assists and a season-best four steals.
* - Gillen's 10 made free throws were one off of her career high of 11 that she set twice last season, the first time at Kansas City (11/18/22), and again a month later against, coincidentally, at Weber State (12/17/22).
* - Gillen became Utah Tech's career scoring leader on a straight away 3-pointer midway through the third quarter in Utah Tech's home loss vs. CBU on Dec. 6. 
* - Gillen (1,329) recorded her 1,300th-career point on her first basket of the third quarter at FIU (12/30), against which she finished with a team-high 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting. 
* - Gillen (106 games) became the fifth player in program history to play in 100 career games with her start vs. Weber State (12/9) ... Gillen now stands two games shy of becoming the program's career leader in games played (Kaylah Miller - 107, 2011-15), and is on pace to do so when the Trailblazers host Utah Valley on Saturday, Jan. 20. 
* - Gillen, who is also Utah Tech's career leader in FGM (507), is now within striking distance of one more career record ... in addition to the games played and started records, the fifth-year guard needs 34 steals (115 - 4th) to reach that career plateau ... Gillen bolstered that chase by picking off a career-high tying five steals in the Seattle U win last Thursday night.  
* - Gillen has also joined both Johnna Brown (1,212 pts/232 assts; 2009-11, 12-13) and Miller (1,055 pts/200 assts) as the only three players in program history with 1,000 career points and at least career 200 assists.
* - Redshirt sophomore guard Maddie Warren was named WAC Player of the Week back on Dec. 26 for her efforts in the team's two-game split at their own Trailblazer Classic before the Christmas Break.
* - Warren averaged 19.5 pts on 41.9 percent shooting (16-of-28), including a sizzling 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the perimeter, highlighted by a career-high six 3-pointers on her way to 21 points in the Oregon win (12/19). 
* - Warren's 21 points vs. Oregon tied her season-high she posted at TAMU-Commerce (11/20) ... Warren also became just the 13th Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to hit at least six 3-pointers in one game. 
* - Warren's performance came on the heels of her pouring in 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the Bethesda win (12/23). 
* - She then came back a day later and led Utah Tech with 18 points with four more treys in the Trailblazers' loss to Oklahoma State (12/20).
* - The redshirt-sophomore guard, who leads the team with five 20-plus point games this season, enjoyed a three-game stretch last month that saw her score at least 20 points in each of those starts, including a pair of 20-point outings against Jax State (11/9) and at UNLV (11/14), as well as the 21 at TAMU-Commerce (11/20).
* - Warren also led four Blazers in double figures with 19 points in the win at UVU (12/2) ... Warren went 4-of-8 from the perimeter in that game and pulled down a career-high tying eight rebounds. 
* - Meanwhile, twin sister Macie Warren has scored in double figures in 11 of her 15 starts this season, highlighted by a season-high 27 points in last Thursday's win over Seattle U ... Warren finished two points off of her career high of 29 points she tallied last season in a road win at Air Force (12/10/22).
* - Warren knocked down a season-high 11 field goals (11-of-17) vs the Redhawks, which included three 3-pointers, and collected five rebounds, four assists and two steals. 
* - Warren's previous season-high was 26 points in the loss to CBU (12/6) ... Warren hit on 10-of-17 from the floor, 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.
* - Warren tallied 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers in the Bethesda win (12/16) ... Warren also collected six boards, five assists and two steals. 
* - Warren is currently third in the WAC in FG% at 54.3 percent (55th in the NCAA), which is also good for sixth on Utah Tech's single season FG% list ... in addition, Warren is fourth in career FG% (210-of-440; .477) through her first 50 games as a Trailblazer.
* - Warren posted her third double-double of the season, and career, in the WAC season-opener at Utah Valley (12/2) with 12 points and a career-high tying 10 rebounds.
* - Warren also pulled down 10 boards and led all scorers with 16 points in the New Hampshire win (11/22), 
* - Warren narrowly missed her first collegiate triple double in the La Verne win (11/6), though she did notch her first career double-double with 19 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds.
* - McCord, who DNP'd in the Bethesda win, came back in a big way in Oregon win (12/19) as she tied her own school record with eight made 3-pointers on her way to a then-season high 24 points.
* - McCord's eight treys were the most made by a Trailblazer inside the Burns Arena, and matched her previous record-tying performance (8-of-10) during the 2021-22 season in a road loss at Seattle U (2/26/22). 
* - Former Blazer guard Kaylah Miller was the first Blazer player to hit eight treys in one game nearly 10 full seasons ago on the road at Azusa Pacific (1/20/14). 
* - Meanwhile, McCord's 24 points vs. Oregon eclipsed her previous season high of 20 in the win at Stonehill (11/25) ... McCord went 7-of-10 from the floor with six 3-pointers (6-of-9) and Stonehill, against which she finished with a co-game high eight rebounds, two assists and one steal. 
* - Calyn Dallas replaced McCord in the starting lineup vs. Bethesda (12/16), and the freshman guard responded with her first collegiate double-double with career-highs of 22 points and 15 rebounds.
* - Dallas, who went 10-of-19 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers, flirted with a triple-double as she finished with a career-best six assists along with two blocks and one steal in her second start of the season.
* - Dallas carried that shooting touch into the Oregon win (12/19) as she went 5-of-6 from the floor with a career-high tying four 3-pointers on her way to 14 points off the bench ... the freshman also knocked down four treys as part of a 16-point afternoon off the bench in the Stonehill win (11/25). 
* - Dallas made the most of her Trailblazer debut as she poured in 15 points in 24 minutes in 25 reserve minutes in the La Verne win (11/6) on 5-for-5 shooting with three 3-pointers.
* - Freshman forward Nicole Willardson enjoyed a breakout performance in the Oregon win (12/19), pouring in a career-high 12 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers.
* - Willardson scored eight of her 12 points in a near two-minute stretch with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and recorded a key block with 18 seconds to play that helped protect a slim three-point Blazer lead.
* - Willardson, who had started in each of the last seven games prior to the Bethesda game (12/16), tallied eight points, five rebounds, and a career-high three blocks, off the bench in that Bethesda win. 
* - Sophomore forward Alyson Deaver put together her overall best game as a Trailblazer in Bethesda win (12/16) with a career-high 14 points in 22 minutes ... Deaver went 7-of-8 at the foul line and tallied eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 22 reserve minutes. 
* - Deaver also had a solid outing in the GCU loss last Saturday, finishing with six points on 3-of-6 shooting with one rebound and one block in 19 reserve minutes. 
* - Twin sister Catelyn Deaver enjoyed her best game as a Trailblazer last Saturday at FIU, against which she poured in a career-best 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting with a career-high tying three 3-pointers ... Deaver also pulled down three boards and blocked two shots in a career-long 33 minutes of game action.  
* - Freshman forward Caitlynn Jordan just missed her first collegiate double-double vs. Bethesda (12/16), notching career highs with nine points and 10 boards. 
 
TRAILBLAZER TEAM NOTES
* - For the first time in program history, Utah Tech had five players score in double figures in consecutive games in the home wins over both Bethesda and Oregon ... the Trailblazers have now done it three times overall this season as Utah Tech also had five players score in double figures in the season opener vs. La Verne (11/6). 
* - Utah Tech's 75-point margin of victory over Bethesda (110-35) broke a school record that stood for nearly 15 years ... during the 2008-09 season, the Trailblazers rang in the New Year with a 95-36 (+59) home win over Chaminade (1/3/09).
* - The Trailblazers also set another school record by holding Bethesda to just 16.5 percent (13-of-79) from the floor ... the new shooting percentage standard broke the previous record set during the 2021-22 campaign when Utah Tech limited Antelope Valley to a 19.0 percent shooting effort (11/20/21). 
* - Utah Tech's 110 points vs. Bethesda were the second-most in a game this season and the third-most in the program's four-year era. 
* - Meanwhile, the 35 points allowed vs. Bethesda were the third-fewest surrendered during the Trailblazers' NCAA era.
*- All eight Trailblazers who played vs. Bethesda and recorded at least three rebounds ... in addition, seven of the eight also had at least two assists and one steal in an overall balanced day up-and-down the Utah Tech line-up.
* - Utah Tech shot 54.4 percent from the floor (43-of-79) in the Bethesda win, which included a 10-of-35 (.286) clip from the perimeter ... the 43 made field goals were the third-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era.
* - The Blazers pulled down a season-high 64 rebounds vs. Bethesda (t-third all-time at UT) and recorded a season-high plus-27 rebounding margin (64-37). 
* - Utah Tech also posted season highs in both steals (13) and blocks (10) in the Bethesda win ... in fact, the last time the Trailblazer defense recorded 10 blocks in a game was during the 2010-11 season (10 vs. Academy of Art; 2/12/11). 
* - Bolstered by Gillen's perfection at the foul line, Utah Tech shot a season-best 94.4 percent (17-of-18) at the stripe in the Weber State (12/9) loss ... the Blazers then followed that up by going 14-of-15 (.933) at the line in the Bethesda win (12/16).
* - Utah Tech connected on a season-best 58.4 percent of its field goal attempts (45-of-77) vs. La Verne (11/6), which was the fifth-highest single game field goal percentage in program history.
* - Utah Tech's 45 made field goals tied a program single game record that was set all the way back in the 2015-16 season in a home win vs. Chaminade (1/5/16). 
* - Utah Tech outrebounded La Verne 57-32 (11/6), and finished with 27 assists on its 45 made field goals ... the 27 dimes are the sixth-most in a single game in program history.
* - Utah Tech held Jax State (11/9) to just 27.8 percent shooting (20-of-72), which included an 11-of-40 clip (.275) from the perimeter.
* - The Blazers were just as stingy vs. La Verne (11/6), limiting the Panthers to 25.0 percent (19-of-76) from the floor in that game. 
* - Overall, Utah Tech has held four of its first 14 opponents below 30 percent shooting (all wins) ... for context, Utah Tech only held two total opponents to under 30 percent shooting all of last season. 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO GREECE: In preparation for the 2023-24 season, Utah Tech embarked on its first-ever foreign trip this past August when the Trailblazers traveled to Greece. 
            The trip included tours of the Kallimarmaro Olympic Stadium, which was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the Acropolis of Athens and its museum, and a boat excursion to the Greek islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina. 
            The Trailblazers won a pair of exhibition games while on the trip, the first came against the Amilia Peristeriou Basketball Club in a 119-45 on August 12, followed by an 88-68 victory over the Athens All-Stars on August 14. 
            Per NCAA rules, college teams are allowed to make an international trip once every four years. Additionally, the team is allotted an extra 10 practices in preparation for the trip.
 
ABOUT THE SFA "LADY JACKS": SFA enters Thursday night's game looking to get back on track after seeing its three-game win streak halted by an 81-62 road loss at UT Arlington last Saturday. 
            The Lady Jacks have been tough at home, having gone 6-2 through their first eight home dates, and have won five-straight in their home gym overall. 
            Junior point guard Kurstyn Harden (5-10) leads three Lady Jacks averaging double figures at 15.9 ppg (#4 in the WAC) on a team-best 53.3 percent shooting (#4 in the WAC). Harden is also SFA's leading rebounder (7.4 rpg - #6 in the WAC) and is connecting on a team-high 81.7 percent (#2 in the WAC; 76-of-93) of her attempts at the foul line. 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech opens a four-game homestand next Thursday night, Jan. 18, with a in-state showdown vs. Southern Utah. Tip-off inside the Burns Arena is set for 7 p.m.