Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | MCNEESE
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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech will play its first-ever game in the state of Louisiana this Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers head to Lake Charles to face McNeese State.

Saturday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and the Cowgirls on the hardwood.

At the conclusion of Saturday's game at McNeese, Utah Tech will have played at least one game in 22 different states during its NCAA era, nine of which came during the program's first D-II season in 2006-07.

Utah Tech will look to get back on track after the Trailblazers were held to a season-low 51 in their 57-51 road loss at Houston Christian last Thursday night.

Meanwhile, McNeese will be squaring off against its third-straight opponent from the state of Utah on Saturday. The Cowgirls just returned home from a two-game trip to the Wasatch Front earlier this week, where they dropped a pair of games at Utah (50-118) last Monday, and at BYU (64-85) one day later. 

Head coach JD Gustin collected his 100th-career win as Trailblazer head coach in last Saturday's 81-78 home win over in-state rival Weber State. Gustin has now tallied at least 100 coaching victories in each of his two head coaching stops (100-109 at Utah Tech; 2016-current / 146-83 at Westminster; 2004-11).

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (2-3/0-0 WAC) wraps up its quick two-game road trip at McNeese State (3-2) on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 12 noon (MT), inside the Legacy Center (4,242) on the MSU campus in Lake Charles, La.
            Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+. For live streaming and scoring information, visit UtahTechTrailblazers.com.
 
FINALLY ELIGIBLE FOR POSTSEASON PLAY: Not only is the 2024-25 season Utah Tech's fifth Division I season overall, it is also the FIRSTseason that the Trailblazers are eligible for NCAA postseason play. 
        The NCAA Division I Board of Directors officially approved Utah Tech's move to active Division I status this past June 28. With that confirmation, Trailblazer Athletics is now officially eligible to participate in all NCAA postseason championships in its 15 intercollegiate programs.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech could not overcome a frigid start offensively as the Trailblazers were tripped up at Houston Christian, 57-51, last Thursday night at Sharp Gym. 
            Utah Tech struggled to get anything to drop through the hoop all night, opening the game misfiring on 13 of its first 16 shots (3-of-14 3FG).
            Meanwhile HCU could not miss in the early going. The Huskies knocked down six of their first seven from the floor on their way to an 18-10 lead after one quarter complete.
            Down 28-17 to begin the second half, the high-powered Trailblazer offense seemed to get back on track to begin the second half, outscoring HCU 13-4 to trim the deficit to 32-30 with 5:37 to go in the third quarter.
            However the Blazers' newfound momentum disappeared as Utah Tech missed its final nine shot attempts of the stanza. Meanwhile, HCU closed the period with a 14-1 run to extend to a commanding 46-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
            Utah Tech managed to chip away at the Huskies' lead in the fourth quarter, and eventually pared the lead down to single digits late. However the deficit proved to be too much to overcome as HCU held on to post its first victory of the season.
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin is in 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.
            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).
            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 newly minted NCAA Division-I era, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin's tenure on the Trailblazer bench. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 143-76 (.653) overall record in 219 games inside the Burns Arena, which included an 11-5 mark last season.          
            Under Coach Gustin, the Trailblazers are 64-43 (.598) 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 89-129 (.408) record in 218 road games since the 2006-07 season. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 32-61 (.344) away from home, which included a 7-8 road mark last season. In addition, Utah Tech is 22-19 (.538) on neutral courts, 4-5 under Coach Gustin.
 
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 returned 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 12 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 three talented walk-ons in Canadian prep guard Ellie Clawson (Fr., 6-0), College of Southern Idaho transfer guard Makeili Ika (So., 5-4), who prepped at Lone Peak HS in Utah County, and Herriman HS (UT) product Halli Burbidge (G/Fr.; 5-10).   
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 267-straight games, including 16 treys in the Weber State win last Saturday night, and a season-high 17 perimeter jumpers (17-of-47) in the 2024-25 season debut victory vs. Northern New Mexico (11/4). 
            The Trailblazers shot a season-best 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from beyond the arc in the Weber State win.
            Meanwhile, the 16 trey last Saturday night continued a stretch that has seen the Trailblazers reach double figures in made 3-pointers 22 times in their last 37 games dating back to 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 105 times during its NCAA era overall, including 10 trifectas at HCU last Thursday night.
            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 475 of its 478 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 477 of 478 games during its NCAA era.
 
HARTLEY'S ON FIRE: Hartley continued her torrid pace to open the 2024-25 campaign as she posted career highs of 28 points and 12 assists in last Saturday's win over Weber State.
            The junior point guard's start has her joining some pretty elite company as she became just the fifth Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to score at least 20 points in three of the first four games to begin a season. 
            Hartley just missed making it four of her first five games overall after she poured in a co-game high 17 points with a season-high four 3-pointers at HCU last Thursday night.
            Former post player Haley Holmstead was the first to achieve the feat, opening the 2013-14 season with three straight 20-plus point efforts, including a 30-point night at Cal State LA (11/23/13) on her way to setting the school's single season scoring record (646 points). 
            The three other instances have come in the program's new NCAA D-I era, most recently last season when Maddie Warren tallied 20 points against both Jacksonville State (11/9/23) and UNLV (11/14/23), followed by a 21-point day at Texas A&M-Commerce (11/20/23). 
            Meanwhile, twin sister Macie Warren turned the trick one year earlier in the 2022-23 season thanks to consecutive 25-point games vs. Benedictine Mesa (11/10/22) and Utah State (11/15/22), before pouring in 21 points at Kansas City (11/18/22).
            Also that same year, former Blazer guard Breaunna Gillen scored 20 or more points in four of her first five games, starting with a 21-point effort in the opener at Washington (11/7/22). Gillen followed that with 26 points vs. USU, 25 points at Kansas City, and 23 points at Kansas State (11/20/22). 
            
TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - Hartley has not only scored the basketball, she has also been a facilitator, having recorded 10 or more assists twice in her first five games this season.
* - Hartley opened the year with 10 assists in the Northern New Mexico win (11/4), then dished out 12 more dimes last Saturday vs. Weber State ... Hartley's 12 assists tied for the second-most in a single game in program history, and were one helper shy of tying the school record of 13 set by Gillen twice during the 2022-23 season.
* - Hartley now stands as one of only three Trailblazers to post multiple 10-plus assist games in a career, joining Gillen (2019-24) who did it nine times overall, and former guard Leslie Tademy (2014-16) who also did it twice in her two years at Utah Tech. 
* - Hartley heads into Saturday's game at McNeese as the WAC leader and t-THIRD nationally in assists with 41 (8.2 apg).
* - After missing virtually the entire 2023-24 campaign due to a season-ending knee injury, Isaacson picked up right where she left off, averaging 14.4 points through her first five games ... Isaacson opened the season with 14 points on 5-of-9 from the floor with three 3-pointers in the NNMC win (11/4) ... Isaacson also picked off a co-game high three steals and pulled down five rebounds in 22 minutes. 
* - Isaacson followed that up with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting with a pair of treys, four rebounds, three dimes and a game-high five steals at New Mexico State (11/7).
* - Isaacson then enjoyed arguably her finest game in a Trailblazer uniform in Saturday's win over Weber State, against which she poured in 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 6-of-7 from the perimeter, along with six boards, three assists and four steals, highlighted by the game-saving steal on the Wildcats' final possession.
* - Isaacson (190 3FGM), who scored 15 points with three 3-pointers at HCU on Thursday night, enters Saturday's game 15 made 3-pointers shy of passing former Trailblazer guard Kaylah Miller (207; 2011-15) to become Utah Tech's career 3FGM leader.
* - Isaacson, who is already the program's all-time leader in 3FG% (.400, 193-of-482), also needs 124 more points to become just the sixth player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
* - Isaacson is also t-sixth all-time in rebounding (458) and needs only 42 more boards to become the fifth player in program history with at least 500 career rebounds ... in addition, Isaacson moved into solo ninth place on Utah Tech's career steals list with 97, and t-fourth in career blocks (53).
* - Taylor got the starting nod in her collegiate debut, and she proceeded to fill the stat sheet with 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
* - Taylor went off for 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting and seven boards vs. Stonehill (11/13), then followed that up with a career-high 17 points, including 4-of-4 from the perimeter, four caroms, three steals and two blocks in the Weber State win.
* - Ibarra enjoyed a breakout game vs. Stonehill (11/13), against which she poured in a game and season-high 23 points off the bench on 9-of-14 shooting, including a 5-of-8 clip from the perimeter ... Ibarra scored 15 of her points in the first half, 10 of which came in the second quarter that helped stop a Skyhawk run.
* - After missing the NM State game due to illness, Young posted her second straight 17-point outing vs. Stonehill (11/13) ... Young went 6-of-15 from the floor with three 3-pointers and a steal in 23 reserve minutes.
* - Young made her long-awaited Trailblazer debut in the NNMC win (11/4), and she did not disappoint as she knocked down a co-game high four 3-pointers en route to 17 points off the bench in the NNMC win (11/4) ... the redshirt freshman hit three of her four trifectas during Utah Tech's 21-2 first quarter run ... she wound up going 6-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-11 from the perimeter.
* - In all, the Trailblazer bench accounted for 45 of the team's 86 points vs. Stonehill on Nov. 13 ... the 45 bench points scored were a program Division I era high, and were the most bench points scored since the 2021-22 season, when the Blazer reserves tallied 40 points in a home win over Simpson (12/11/21).
* - Utah Tech has scored 40-plus bench points in 25 of its 478 NCAA-era games since the program transitioned from junior college to four-year competition in 2006-07 ... 23 of those occasions came during the Division II era, including five 50-plus point games, highlighted by a school record 59 points from Utah Tech reserves in a 93-54 road win at Chaminade (2/4/09) during the 2008-09 season.
* - Crocker was stellar in her Blazer debut vs. NNMC (11/4) with 10 points, eight boards and two blocks of her own ... Crocker drained a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers, both of which came during Utah Tech's big run.
* - Crittendon enjoyed a solid Trailblazer debut in the NNMC win (11/4), stuffing the stat sheet with eight points with a pair of 3-pointers, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block as an opening day starter.
* - Crittendon tied her season high with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting with five boards, two assists and two steals vs. Stonehill (11/13) ... she followed that up with a team and career-high nine rebounds and four points at HCU last Thursday night.
* - Willardson led the Trailblazers' rebounding effort with a career-high nine caroms and hit on 2-of-7 from the floor for four points vs. NNMC (11/4) ... Willardson also picked off a career-high four steals and had two points, three boards and a block in a season-high 27 minutes vs. Weber State.
* - Graham continued to be a rebounding machine off the bench in the early going as she pulled down a team and season-high nine boards and scored four points at NM State (11/7) ... that effort followed a seven-rebound effort along with two points, two assists and one steal in 16-plus reserve minutes vs. NNMC (11/4) ... the freshman collected four more rebounds vs. Stonehill (11/13), and four caroms at HCU on Thursday night.
* - After being held scoreless in the opener vs. NNMC, Dallas bounced back with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting, along with two boards and two steals at NM State (11/7) ... Dallas knocked down a pair of threes and had four rebounds in the loss at HCU.
 
ABOUT THE MCNEESE STATE "COWGIRLS": McNeese enters Saturday's game with a 3-2 overall record, with all three wins coming at home in blowout fashion. Meanwhile the Cowgirls' two losses were a pair of lopsided affairs earlier this week against a pair of Beehive State opponents in Utah (50-118; 11/18) and BYU (64-85; 11/19).  
            The Cowgirls feature a balanced scoring attack, with senior guard Mireia Yespes (6-2) serving the lone player averaging double figures at 10.6 ppg a solid 55.6 percent shooting. Meanwhile, freshman guard Lyla Kahrimanovic (5-11) is McNeese's leading rebounder (5.0 rpg) and third-leading scorer (9.2 ppg).
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech returns to the Burns Arena for a two-game Thanksgiving weekend homestand, which starts with a match-up against new Big XII member Colorado on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 27. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. (MT).