Utah Tech could not recover from a sluggish start as the Trailblazers closed out their 2024-25 non-conference slate with a 61-52 home loss to ACC member Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Arena.
How it happened
The Trailblazers (4-9/0-0 WAC) struggled in the early going against the Panthers' pressure defense, which forced six Utah Tech turnovers in the game's first five-plus minutes.
Meanwhile Pitt (8-6) turned that defense into offense as the Panthers hit six of their first 10 shots, including three 3-pointers, en route to a quick 16-4 advantage with 4:30 to go in the opening period.
Pitt took a 21-12 lead into the second quarter, and outscored Utah Tech 13-5 to start the stanza in opening up a commanding 34-18 lead with under two minutes to play until halftime.
Emily Isaacson managed to stop the Panther run with a 3-pointer, and the senior followed that with another bucket just before the horn to trim the Trailblazer deficit to 34-23 at the break.
Trailing by 15 at 40-25 two minutes into second half, the high-powered Utah Tech perimeter game finally caught fire, as the Blazers went 5-of-6 from downtown over three-plus minute stretch to cut the Pitt lead to 46-40 midway through the third quarter.
Ellie Taylor kickstarted a 15-6 Blazer run with consecutive 3-pointers, while
Chardonnay Hartley and
Brie Crittendon both hit from beyond the arc.
Taylor then capped the rally with her third trifecta of the quarter to make it a two-possession game.
Utah Tech would eventually pull to within five points at 53-48 after two Hartley free throws with 7:12 remaining in the game.
However that would be as close as the Trailblazers would get as Pitt scored eight of the final 12 points of the game in handing Utah Tech its fifth-straight loss.
Numbers to know
Crittendon led three Blazers in double figures with a season-high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from the perimeter. The junior also posted team highs of five rebounds and three steals.
Taylor finished with a career-high tying four 3-pointers (4-of-7) on her way to 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting off the bench.
Meanwhile Hartley chipped in 12 points on 4-of-8 from the floor to go with five assists, three boards and two steals.
Isaacson wound up with eight points with a pair of first half 3-pointers, along with four rebounds, two dimes and two steals.
Isaacson's trey (207) late in the second quarter also pulled her into a tie atop Utah Tech's career 3-point list with former Blazer guard Kaylah Miller (207; 2011-15).
Utah Tech shot 36.7 percent (18-of-49) from the floor, which included a 10-of-27 (.370) effort from the perimeter, and went 6-of-10 (.600) at the foul line.
Pittsburgh post player Khadija Faye led all scorers with 19 points, while MaKayla Elmore recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
Pitt, which scored 34 of its 61 points in the paint, hit on 23-of-62 (.371) of its field goal attempts, 5-of-13 (.385) from 3-point country, and wound up 10-of-14 (.714) at the charity stripe. The Panthers also outrebounded Utah Tech 42-29, which included a 16-6 count on the offensive glass.
Up Next
Following a near three-week break between games, Utah Tech will begin its fifth season of Western Athletic Conference play on the road at UT Arlington on Thursday, Jan. 9.
