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

TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech is 10-8 all-time in season openers during its NCAA era, which includes a 5-3 mark under Head Coach JD Gustin, and had won three of its four season openers during its just completed Division I transition.
 
Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are 13-5 all-time in home openers in their four-year era, and have won six-straight home debuts overall. 
 
Utah Tech is coming off a successful fourth season of NCAA Division I play in 2023-24, during which the Trailblazers played to an 18-14 overall record. 
 
The Trailblazers also finished fourth in the Western Athletic Conference (12-8) and advanced to the WAC Tournament quarterfinal round. 
 
Utah Tech's 18 wins last season were the second-most in the program's NCAA Division-I transition (19-12 in 2022-23), and tied for the second-most during Coach Gustin's tenure (18-12 in 2019-20).
 
Coach Gustin begins his ninth year as Trailblazer head coach in 2024-25. Gustin has led the program to 37 combined wins over the past two years. Along with the 18 wins last season, his 2023-24 Trailblazers broke school records in made 3-pointers (327; #1 WAC/#6 NCAA), points (2,343), single game points (116), field goals made/attempted (853/1942), 3-pointers attempted (945), free throw percentage (.736) and fewest turnovers (420).
 
Utah Tech returns three starters, along with five total letter winners and one redshirt from last year's squad. 
 
OPENING TIP:  Utah Tech (0-0/0-0 WAC) officially opens the 2024-25 season this Monday morning as the Trailblazers play host to Northern New Mexico (0-0).
            Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4.779) is slated for 11 a.m. (MT). Monday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
UTAH TECH VS. NNMC: Monday's matinee will be the second-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Eagles on the hardwood.
            The two sides first met in the Blazers' 2018-19 season opener (11/10/18) inside the Burns Arena in a game that saw Utah Tech lead wire-to-wire en route to a convincing 93-52 victory. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 141-75 (.652) overall record in 216 games inside the Burns Arena, which included an 11-5 mark last season.          
            Under Head Coach JD Gustin, the Trailblazers are 62-42 (.596) on their home floor and have won eight or more home games in six of their last seven seasons overall. In fact, Utah Tech's 11 home wins last season tied for the most during Gustin's tenure (11-4 in 2018-19) on the Trailblazer bench.
 
AWAY FROM THE BURNS: Utah Tech owns an 89-127 (.412) record in 216 road games since the 2006-07 season. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 32-59 (.351) away from home, which included a 7-8 road mark last season. In addition, Utah Tech is 21-18 (.538) on neutral courts, 3-4 under Coach Gustin.
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin begins his ninth season as Utah Tech head women's basketball coach.
            Last season, Coach Gustin guided the Trailblazers to an 18-14 overall record, including a 12-8 mark in Western Athletic Conference play, which was good for fourth place in the conference standings and a first round bye into the 2024 WAC Tournament.
            Gustin has seen marked improvements in each season on the Trailblazer sideline, culminating with an 19-12 overall record in 2022-23, 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. 
            Utah Tech's 19 wins that season were the most in the program's current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin's tenure on the Trailblazer bench. 
 
THE REST OF THE STAFF: Coach Gustin returned the majority of his coaching staff from the previous season, and welcomed back a familiar face as one of two new additions to his staff ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
            Nicole Yazzie returns for her ninth season overall with the program and her second year as the team's associate head coach. Yazzie has played a key role in the program's rise during its NCAA Division I transition, which includes the Trailblazers' 37 total wins over the past two seasons.  
            Candace Thornton begins her third season as an assistant coach and the program's recruiting coordinator. Thornton's hard work helped paved the way for the Trailblazers to establish themselves in the top half of the Western Athletic Conference standings. 
            Coach Gustin added two new key pieces to his coaching staff over the summer, including former Trailblazer guard Taylia Stimpson (2021-23), who begins her first season as an assistant coach. 
            In addition, the Trailblazer program welcomed longtime Division I head coach Jerry Finkbeiner as its new Executive Leadership and Performance Coach. Finkbeiner has nearly 30 years of head coaching experience, including six seasons at Utah State (2012-18) and 16 years at Oral Roberts (1996-2012). 
 
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH THE WAC: Utah Tech was picked to finish seventh in the 2024-25 Western Athletic Conference women's basketball preseason coaches poll, which was released this past October 16.
            Grand Canyon received four of a possible nine first place votes and 59 total points to be tabbed as the WAC preseason favorite, while defending conference regular season and tournament champion California Baptist collected four first place nods to finish second in the poll with 58 points.
            UT Arlington (1 FPV/53 pts) was picked to finish third, followed by Abilene Christian (37 pts) in fourth, Southern Utah (33 pts) in fifth, Tarleton State (28 pts) in sixth, Utah Tech (24 pts) in seventh, Utah Valley (17 pts) in eighth, and Seattle U (15 pts) was picked to finish ninth.  
 
2024-25 SEASON PREVIEW: Utah Tech returns three starters, along with five total letter winners and one redshirt from last year's squad, which concluded its fourth season of NCAA Division I play with a 18-14 overall record. 
            The Trailblazers posted a fourth-place finish in the WAC Conference standings (12-8), which earned them a first-round bye. However the short-handed Blazers were handed a 72-57 quarterfinal loss by UT Arlington in the 2024 WAC tournament. 
            Though Utah Tech returns three starters from last season's club, sophomore guard Calyn Dallas (6-1) will be the lone starter who will suit up this season. 
            Dallas played in all 32 games with 18 starts as a true freshman, and averaged 7.7 points on 43.8 percent shooting (88-of-201) and 3.7 rebounds a game. Dallas, who knocked down hit 55 3-pointers (55-of-154; .357) in her debut season, posted her first collegiate double-double with career highs of 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in the home win over Bethesda (12/16), and led Utah Tech with 21 points in the Trailblazers' WAC tourney loss to UT Arlington (3/14). In all, she scored in double figures in 12 games in her debut season. 
            Meanwhile, redshirt junior guards Macie Warren (5-10) and Maddie Warren (5-10) both return, but the twin sisters are coming off season-ending injuries suffered late last season and will sit out the 2024-25 season as medical redshirts. 
            Utah Tech has only one senior on its roster this season, that being redshirt senior Emily Isaacson (5-11), who returns after suffering a season-ending in the second game of the 2023-24 campaign. 
            A 2022 all-WAC selection, Isaacson enters her final season as the program's all-time career 3FG percentage leader (.396) and is second all-time in career 3-pointers made (178). The senior is also ranked seventh in school history in points (804) and eighth in rebounds (429).
            In addition, Utah Tech welcomes back sophomore post player Nicole Willardson (6-4), who averaged 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 29 games during her collegiate debut season, along with redshirt freshman Kastyn Young (5-11). 
            The Trailblazers brought in 11 newcomers to their program ahead of the 2024-25 season, four of whom were signed off the transfer portal, including junior point guard Chardonnay Hartley (5-3) from Niagara, redshirt junior guard Brie Crittendon (5-10) from Eastern Kentucky, sophomore forward Lauren Crocker (6-4) from Utah State, and redshirt sophomore guard Mattie Olson (5-8) from Montana State.
            Utah Tech also signed College of Southern Nevada junior transfer guard Aaliyah Ibarra (5-8), along with Utah prepster Ellie Taylor (G, 5-10) from Copper Hills HS, and Idaho high school standouts Paige Cofer (F, 6-0) from Eagle HS, and Mylee Graham (G/F, 6-0) from Rigby HS. 
            Additionally, Utah Tech went international by signing Serbian guard Andjela Colic (Fr., 5-7), and added a pair of talented walk-ons in Canadian prep guard Ellie Clawson (Fr., 6-0), and College of Southern Idaho transfer guard Makeili Ika (So., 5-4), who prepped at Lone Peak HS in Utah County.  
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE 2024-25 SCHEDULE: This year's non-conference slate features match-ups against three "Power 4" conference programs, two of which will visit the Burns Arena, along games against one in-state foe, one more vs. the Mountain West Conference, and two games as part of the WAC/Conference USA Alliance. 
            After Utah Tech plays Northern New Mexico on Monday, the Trailblazers will travel to Las Cruces to renew acquaintances with a old WAC foe in New Mexico State this upcoming Thursday night, Nov. 7. That game is part of the WAC/Conference USA Alliance, which was established last season.
            Utah Tech then returns home the following week to host Stonehill College (Nov. 13) and in-state rival Weber State (Nov. 16).
            Following that home date against the Wildcats, Utah Tech starts a stretch that will see the Blazers play four of their next six games away from home. That stretch begins with two road dates at Houston Christian (Nov. 21) and at McNeese State (Nov. 23).
            The Blazers then come home for a two-game Thanksgiving weekend homestand, beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 27, with a marquee match-up against new Big XII Conference member and national power Colorado, which advanced to the 2024 NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Utah Tech will close out the holiday weekend with a Saturday matinee (Nov. 30) against Westcliff.
            Utah Tech will play three of its five December games on the road, starting with the team's second trip to the "Lone Star State" to play at American Athletic Conference member and 2024 NCAA Tournament team Rice (Dec. 4). The Trailblazers then fly back west for a road tilt at Mountain West member Boise State two days later (Dec. 6).
            The team will play two more non-conference games against Texas schools including its WAC/C-USA home match-up vs. UTEP (Dec. 14), and the non-conference road finale in Waco against Big XII power and preseason No. 12-ranked Baylor (Dec. 18), which also advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 
            Utah Tech will wrap up their non-conference schedule at home on Saturday, Dec. 21, when the Trailblazers welcome ACC conference member Pittsburgh to the Burns Arena. 
            Utah Tech then enjoys a near three-week break between games before opening WAC play with its fourth of five total trips to Texas for road games at UT Arlington (1/9) and at Tarleton State (1/11). The Trailblazers open their home WAC slate vs. Seattle U (Jan. 16), and will also host to conference in-state rivals Utah Valley (Jan. 18) and Southern Utah (Feb. 13) in league play.
            The 2025 WAC Women's Basketball Tournament will be held once again at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 12-15. 
            New to the WAC tournament this upcoming season is that the opening round games between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in both the women's and men's brackets will be played inside the Burns Arena on Tuesday, March 11. 
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 262-straight games, and reached double figures in made 3-pointers 18 times in 32 games last season, highlighted by a season-best 21 3-pointers in its home win over Oregon (12/19/23). 
            In fact, the Trailblazers have knocked down at least 10 treys 101 times during its NCAA era overall.
            Last season Utah Tech led the WAC and finished the year ranked sixth-nationally with a school record 327 made 3-pointers, and broke a school records in both 3-point field goal attempts (945) and 3FG percentage (.346). 
            The 21 made treys last year 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 vs. the Ducks, 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). 
            In all, Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 470 of its 473 games during its NCAA era, which began in the 2006-07 season.
            Two of the three instances when the Blazers did not hit a 3-pointer 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 2006-07 (vs. UHH, 1/7/07). 
            Meanwhile, Utah Tech has surrendered at least one made opponent 3-pointer in 472 of 473 games during its NCAA era. 
 
RETURNING TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - Isaacson became the eighth player in program history to reach the 800-point plateau after she tallied nine points on 4-of-8 shooting with a trey in last year's season opener vs. La Verne (11/6/23). 
* - Isaacson (178 3FGM) begins her final season needing only 30 more made 3-pointers to pass former Trailblazer guard Kaylah Miller (207; 2011-15) and become Utah Tech's career 3FGM leader.
* - Isaacson, who is already the program's all-time leader in 3FG% (.396, 178-of-450), also stands 196 points shy of becoming just the sixth player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau ... the senior is currently seventh on Utah Tech's career points list (804). 
* - Isaacson is also eighth all-time in rebounding (429) and needs only 71 more boards to become the fifth player in program history with at least 500 career rebounds.
* - Dallas went for 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five 3-pointers and pulled down a WAC season-high 10 rebounds vs. Stephen F. Austin (3/9), which helped her win conference Newcomer of the Week honors (3/11/24).
* - Willardson poured in a career-high 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with two 3-pointers in the home win over Oregon (12/19).
* - Willardson tallied a WAC season-high seven points in a home victory vs. UTRGV (3/7).
* - Willardson also pulled down a career-best six rebounds in the road win at Stonehill (11/25).
 
ABOUT THE NORTHERN NEW MEXICO "EAGLES": Northern New Mexico, which is an NAIA school located in Espinola, N.M., will have two games under its belt when the Eagles arrive in St. George for Monday's game. The Eagles are scheduled to play weekend games vs. both Kansas Wesleyan (11/1) and Bethel College (11/2) in Salina, Kansas to open their 2024-25 season.  
            NNMC played to a 16-6 record last season, which included a 7-1 mark and a second place finish in the Continental Athletic Conference. 
            The Eagles return three starters and 11 total letter winners from last season. Senior forward Ethena Silva (6-0) was the team's leading scorer (13.2 ppg) and rebounder (6.2 rpg) a season ago. Silva also shot a team-best 48.6 percent from the floor, which included a 38.1 percent clip (16-of-42) from beyond the arc, and was NNMC's leading shot blocker (26; 1.3 bpg). 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech begins the road portion of its 2024-25 schedule this upcoming Thursday night at New Mexico State. The game, which is part of the WAC/Conference USA Alliance, is set to tip-off at 6 p.m. (MT), inside the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M.