Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | UTEP
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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech will play two of its final three non-conference games of the 2024-25 season in the Burns Arena, beginning with a Saturday afternoon home match-up against UTEP. 

Saturday's game vs. UTEP is part of the WAC/Conference USA Alliance, which was established last season as a scheduling partnership between the two of the fastest rising conferences in NCAA Division I college basketball.

The Trailblazers are 1-2 in WAC/C-USA Alliance play, with their lone win coming last season at home vs. Jacksonville State (W, 73-58; 11/9/23). Meanwhile both losses have come on the road at Florida International last season (L, 62-68; 12/30/23) and earlier this season at New Mexico State (L, 63-85; 11/7). 

Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and the Miners on the basketball court. That being said, Saturday's game will be the third time Utah Tech will face an opponent from the "Lone Star State" this season. 

The Blazers enter Saturday's contest looking for their first win against a Texas school this season, this after dropping a pair of road games in Houston at both Houston Christian (L, 51-57; 11/21) and at Rice (L, 71-82; 12/4). 

In all the Trailblazers will play nine of their 29 regular season games against teams from Texas. Along with Saturday's game vs. UTEP and its two road games Houston, Utah Tech will travel to Waco to face Big 12 Conference member No. 21 Baylor next Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, the Blazers will play home-and-home WAC series against UT Arlington, Tarleton State and Abilene Christian in the new year.

OPENING TIP: After an eight-day break for final exams, Utah Tech (4-6/0-0 WAC) returns to action on Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers play host to the UTEP Miners (4-3). Tip-off inside the Burns Arena is set for 1 p.m. (MT). 

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 was done in by a season-high 28 turnovers in a 90-56 road loss at Boise State back on Dec. 6. 
            Despite 11 of their 28 miscues coming in the opening 10 minutes, the Trailblazers only found themselves down 15-11 after one quarter complete. 
            However the Broncos used a pair of decisive scoring runs over the next two periods to extend their lead to as many as 33 points in the third quarter. Boise State did not look back from there in salting away the home win.

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.

GUSTIN FOR 100: Gustin collected his 100th win as Trailblazer head coach with an 81-78 home win over in-state rival Weber State this past Nov. 16. Gustin has now notched at least 100 coaching victories in each of his two head coaching stops (102-112 at Utah Tech; 2016-current / 146-83 at Westminster College; 2004-11).

21-FOR-22: Thanks to its road victory at McNeese State (11/23 in Lake Charles, La.), Utah Tech has now won at least one basketball game in 21 different states during the program's NCAA era.
            In all, the Trailblazers have played games in 22 different states overall. The only state Utah Tech has visited and not won a game is Kansas, where the Blazers were handed a 91-82 loss at Big 12 member Kansas State (11/20/22) early in the 2022-23 season.

DEFENSE (CLAP CLAP) DEFENSE: Utah Tech held Westcliff to opponent season lows in points (40 – t-ninth in Utah Tech's NCAA era) and field goal percentage (.263; 15-of-57) in its 63-40 win last Saturday. In addition, the Trailblazers forced a season-high 25 turnovers, which resulted in a season-best 17 steals.
            Meanwhile, the Warriors' six-point third quarter and 18-point second half were also Utah Tech opponent season lows.
            Utah Tech's defense also held Westcliff without a double-digit scorer – which marked the first time the Trailblazers had achieved that feat in their newly minted NCAA Division I era.
            The last time Utah Tech held an opponent without a double-digit scorer was during the 2018-19 season, and nearly six years ago to the day, in a home win vs. Western Oregon by nearly the same identical score of last Saturday's result (W, 59-40; 11/16/18).

HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 144-77 (.651) overall record in 221 games inside the Burns Arena, which included an 11-5 mark last season.          
            Under Coach Gustin, the Trailblazers are 65-44 (.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 a 90-131 (.407) record in 221 road games since the 2006-07 season. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 33-63 (.343) 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.  

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 272-straight games, including 16 treys in the Weber State win (11/16), and a season-high 17 perimeter jumpers (17-of-47) in the 2024-25 season-opening 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. 
            Utah Tech also managed to drain 11 more 3-pointers at Rice (12/4), and those 11 treys continued a stretch that has seen the Trailblazers reach double figures in made 3-pointers 23 times in their last 42 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 106 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 480 of its 483 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 482 of 483 games during its NCAA era.

RELEASE - ROTATION - SPLASH: Heading into Saturday's game vs. UTEP, the Trailblazers are THIRD-NATIONALLY in made 3-pointers with 104. Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are EIGHTH in the country in 3FGM per game (10.4 3FGM/g) and FIRST overall in 3-point attempts (332 - 33.2 3FGA/g).
            In addition, Utah Tech is t-160th in the Division I ranks in 3FG% (.313).  

HARTLEY'S ON FIRE: Junior guard Chardonnay Hartley began her Trailblazer career on a torrid scoring pace, during which she has scored at least 10 points in seven of her first 10 starts, highlighted by a career-high 28 points in the Weber State home win this past Nov. 16.
            In fact, the junior point guard's start had her join 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 (11/21), which she followed with 17 more points at McNeese State (11/23) on her way to WAC Player of the Week honors (11/25).
            Former Utah Tech 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). 
            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). 

IBARRA STRONG OFF THE BENCH: Junior guard Aaliyah Ibarra has provided a major spark off the Trailblazer bench, having scored at least 14 points six times through her first nine games to open the season.
            Ibarra announced her presence with authority in her home debut vs. Stonehill (11/13), against which she poured in a game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting with five 3-pointers in 24 reserve minutes.
            The junior has led Utah Tech in scoring in each of the last five games, highlighted by a career-high 36 points on 12-of-20 shooting with five more treys in the road win at McNeese State (11/23), which helped her earn WAC Newcomer of the Week honors (11/25). 
            Ibarra, who entered this week fourth in the WAC in FG% (.495), scored 18 of her 36 points in the second quarter at MSU, during which she was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor with four 3-pointers. She has since followed that up with 15 points in the Colorado loss (11/27), a game-high 17 points in the home win over Westcliff (11/30), and a team-high 14 points at Boise State (12/6) last week. 

8 FOR 30: Ibarra's 36-point day at McNeese tied for the fifth-most points scored by a Trailblazer in a single game in the program's NCAA era, and were the second-most points scored by a Trailblazer in a game during the team's current Division I era (38, Breaunna Gillen vs. UT Arlington; 2/24/24).
            Ibarra also became the eighth different Trailblazer to score at least 30 points in one game in the program's four-year era. In addition, her career day marked the 13th-time a Trailblazer had scored at least 30 points in a game overall.
            Holmstead scored 30 or more points a school record six times during the 2013-14 season, during which she wound up setting the school's single season scoring record with 646 points. Holmstead's dominant season was highlighted by a school record 42-point effort in a road win at Fresno Pacific (86-84; 12/7/13). 

ISAACSON EYES CAREER MILESTONES: Redshirt senior forward Emily Isaacson continues her climb up the career charts and heads into the second month of the season with several milestones within immediate reach.
            Isaacson, who is already Utah Tech's career leader in 3FG% (.397, 200-of-504), became just the third Trailblazer in program history with at least 200 made 3-pointers last week at Boise State. 
            The redshirt senior pulled even with former teammate Maggie McCord (200; 2019-24) for second on Utah Tech's career 3-pointers list, and now stands eight 3FGM shy of passing former Trailblazer guard Kaylah Miller (207; 2011-15) to become Utah Tech's all-time 3FGM leader.
            The senior (919 pts) also surpassed the 900-point plateau in the Westcliff win (11/30) last month and needs 81 more to become the sixth player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
            Meanwhile, Isaacson moved to fifth all-time in rebounding (486) at last week at Boise State (12/6) and needs only 14 more boards to become the fifth player in program history with at least 500 career rebounds.
            In addition, Isaacson is fourth in career blocks (54), seventh in career steals (101) and FG made (320), ninth in career games played (83) and fifth in career starts (75). 

TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - Hartley has not only scored the basketball, she has also been a facilitator, having recorded six or more assists seven times through her first 10 games this season, highllighted by three double-digit assist games in November. 
* - Hartley opened the year with 10 assists in the Northern New Mexico win (11/4), then dished out a career-high 12 helpers vs. Weber State (11/16) ... 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 then closed the month by posting her third double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 dimes vs. Colorado (11/27). 
* - Hartley currently stands as one of only three Trailblazers to post multiple 10-plus assist games in a career, and she is just the second player in the program's NCAA era to do it at least three times.
* - Gillen (2019-24) reached double figures in assists a school record nine times in her career overall, while former guard Leslie Tademy (2014-16) achieved the feat twice in her two years at Utah Tech. 
* - Hartley heads into Saturday's game vs. UTEP as the WAC leader and FIFTH-nationally in both total assists (69) and assists/game (6.9 apg) ... in addition, Hartley is SIXTH in all of Division I in free throw attempts (81) and is T-23rd nationally in free throws made (47). 
* - After missing virtually the entire 2023-24 campaign due to a season-ending knee injury, Isaacson has picked up right where she left off, averaging 12.1 points through her first 10 games ... Isaacson has scored in double figures in six of her 10 starts to begin the year, which started with 14 points on 5-of-9 from the floor with three 3-pointers in the NNMC win (11/4). 
* - 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 the win over Weber State (11/16), 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 kept that hot shooting touch going in the Westcliff win (11/30) with 13 points on 5-of-6 from the floor with three treys.  
* - Freshman guard Ellie 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 in the Northern New Mexico win (11/4).
* - 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 (11/16).
* - After missing the NM State game due to illness, redshirt freshman Kastyn 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 482 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.
* - The Trailblazer bench just missed making it 26 games in the Westcliff win (11/30) as six reserves combined for 36 points.
* - Sophomore forward Lauren Crocker was stellar in her Blazer debut vs. NNMC (11/4) with 10 points, eight boards and two blocks ... Crocker drained a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers, both of which came during Utah Tech's big run.
* - Redshirt junior guard Brie Crittendon enjoyed a breakout day vs. Colorado (11/27), against which she poured in a Utah Tech career-high 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. 
* - Crittendon stuffed the stat sheet vs. Westcliff (11/30) with eight points, six boards, two assists and a game and career-high tying five steals ... she then followed that up with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds at Rice (12/4). 
* - Sophomore forward Nicole Willardson poured in a season-high 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and led Utah Tech with eight rebounds at Rice (12/4) ... her 10 points were two shy of her career high of 12 set in last year's win vs. Oregon (12/19/23).
* - Willardson also tied her career high with three blocked shot at Rice, which matched the number of shots she swatted away vs. Westcliff (11/30). 
* - 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 (11/16).
* - Freshman guard Mylee Graham continues to be a solid contributor off the bench in her debut season, especially in the rebounding department as she is fourth on the team in rebounds (43; 4.3 rpg) ... Graham pulled down a 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 in her collegiate debut vs. NNMC (11/4). 
* - Graham hit for a career-high six points on 3-of-5 shooting with three more boards in a season-high 23 minutes vs. Colorado (11/27).
* - After being held scoreless in the opener vs. NNMC, sophomore guard Calyn 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 on her way to eight points, along with four boards and two steals vs. Westcliff, and tallied eight more points with a 3-pointer at Rice (12/4). 
* - Junior reserve guard Makeili Ika saw extended playing time in the Westcliff win and responded with season highs of four points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals in 17 minutes. 

ABOUT THE UTEP "MINERS": UTEP travels to St. George having lost two-straight and three of its last five, which includes a home loss to BYU last week (L, 68-81; 12/5) and an 83-67 road loss at Portland this past Sunday afternoon. 
            Senior guard Ivane Tensaie (5-7) is one of two Miners averaging double figures, scoring at a team-best 17.0 ppg clip on 47.6 percent shooting (39-of-82). Tensaie, who is UTEP's primary 3-point threat (29-of-60; .483), has scored in double figures in all seven games this season, highlighted by a season high 27 points with seven 7-pointers vs UTSA (11/16). 
            Meanwhile, sophomore forward Luisa Vyrova (6-1) averages 11.0 points on a team-best 52.9 percent shooting (37-of-70) and is the Miners' second-leading rebounder (5.1 rpg). 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech wraps up the road portion of its 2024-25 non-conference schedule at No. 21 Baylor next Wednesday, Dec. 18. Tip-off inside the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, is set for 10 a.m. (MT).