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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech wraps up its brief homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers welcome in-state rival Utah Valley to the Burns Arena for the latest installment of the "Old Hammer Rivalry."

A Trailblazer win on Saturday will even Utah Tech's WAC record, and mark the first time this season that the Blazers will have won back-to-back games.

Though the overall series is tied at 4-4, Utah Tech has won four of its last five match-ups vs. UVU in the "Old Hammer Rivalry" series. However the Trailblazers are 1-2 against the Wolverines at home, which includes a 55-52 home loss (1/20/24) last season, which snapped their four-game win streak against their in-state foes.

Utah Tech improved to 10-7 record in conference home openers thanks to Thursday night's 80-70 victory over Seattle U. That mark includes a 4-4 record under Head Coach JD Gustin, and a 2-2 record in WAC home openers.

Saturday's game is also Coach Gustin's 450-career game as a collegiate head coach.

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (5-11/1-2 WAC) wraps up its brief homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers welcome in-state rival Utah Valley (10-6/2-2 WAC) to the Burns Arena for the latest installment of the "Old Hammer Rivalry." Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4,779) is set for 2 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 FIRST season 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.

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 (103-117 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 on Nov. 30. 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 145-79 (.647) overall record in 224 games inside the Burns Arena, which includes a 4-4 mark this season, and an 11-5 record last season. 
        Under Coach Gustin, the Trailblazers are 66-46 (.589) 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 90-134 (.402) record in 223 road games since the 2006-07 season. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 33-65 (.337) away from home, which includes a 1-7 mark this year, and a 7-8 road record 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 278-straight games, including 11 treys in Thursday's win over Seattle U, and a season-high 17 perimeter jumpers (17-of-47) in the 2024-25 season-opening victory vs. Northern New Mexico (11/4). 
        Utah Tech's 11 trifectas on Thursday night continued a stretch that has seen the Trailblazers reach double figures in made 3-pointers 27 times in their last 48 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 111 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 486 of its 489 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 488 of 489 games during its NCAA era.

RELEASE - ROTATION - SPLASH: Utah Tech heads into Saturday's game vs. Utah Valley ranked 18th-NATIONALLY in made 3-pointers with 158. Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are NINTH in the country in 3FGM per game (9.9 3FGM/g), t-FIFTH overall in 3-point attempts (506), and t-SECOND (with Arkansas State) behind only Tennessee in 3FGA per game (31.6 3FGA/g).

HARTLEY'S ON FIRE: Junior guard Chardonnay Hartley posted her team-leading fourth double-double of the year with 13 points and a school-record tying 13 assists, and picked off a season-high four steals, in Thursday's win over Seattle U.
        Hartley's 13 points continued a stretch that has seen her score at least 10 points in 10 of her first 16 starts as a Trailblazer, highlighted by a career-high 28 points in the Weber State home win this past Nov. 16.
        In fact, the junior point guard got off to a pretty hot start as she became just the fifth player in the program's NCAA era to score at least 20 points in three of the first four games to begin a season, this after she opened the year with 21 points vs. Northern New Mexico (11/4), and 23 points three nights later at New Mexico State (11/07). 
        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 Houston Christian (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).
        Hartley has also got the foul line, where she is currently 19th in all of Division I in free throw attempts (117) and is t-66th nationally in free throws made (67). 
        Not only can she score the basketball, Hartley has also been a facilitator, as she enters Saturday's game vs. UVU as the WAC leader and EIGHTH nationally in total assists (109) and FIFTH in the NCAA D-I ranks in assists/game (6.8 apg; 9.0 apg in WAC play).
        The junior has dished out six or more assists 10 times through her first 15 games this season with four double-digit assist outings, including her record-tying performance on Thursday night. Her 13 helpers tied the record held by former Blazer guard Breaunna Gillen (2019-24), who dished out 13 assists twice during the 2022-23 season.
        Hartley's three other double-doubles came in November in home games against NNMC (21p/10a; 11/4), Weber State (28p/12a; 11/16) and Colorado (14p/10a; 11/27).
        Hartley's career night also vaulted her into a tie for eighth place on Utah Tech's single season assists list (109). 
        In addition, 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 four times.
        Gillen 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. 

IBARRA OFF TO STRONG START: Junior guard Aaliyah Ibarra announced her presence with authority by providing a major spark off the Trailblazer bench in the early going. The junior began the year scoring at least 14 points in six of her first nine games in reserve duty to open the season.
        That strong start led to the junior starting in each of the last five games, during which she poured in 14 points in her first start of the year vs. UTEP (12/14), and tallied 12 points at UT Arlington last Thursday. 
        Ibarra went off 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.
        In fact, the junior has led Utah Tech in scoring in five of her last eight outings, 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 t-13th in the WAC in scoring (11.0 ppg), registered 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). 

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.
        Former Trailblazer post player Haley 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). 

20/20 SCORING: Freshman Ellie Taylor and redshirt season Emily Isaacson both "had a day" in last Saturday's loss Tarleton State. Taylor led all scorers with a career-high 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting with three 3-pointers, and posted career highs of four steals and two blocked shots - all off the bench.
        Meanwhile, Isaacson poured in a season-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a 5-of-6 clip from the perimeter, to go with two boards, one assist and one block.
        Saturday's feat marked the second time this season, and the 12th time in the last two seasons overall, that Utah Tech had at least two players score 20 points in a game. 
        Isaacson and Hartley both went for 20 points in the Blazers' home win over Weber State (11/16). Meanwhile last year's team achieved the feat 10 times, highlighted by a record three 20-point scorers in a home blowout vs. Bethesda (12/16/23 - Calyn Dallas 23/Gillen 21/Maddie Warren 20). 

ISAACSON #1 IN THREES ... EYES MORE CAREER MILESTONES: It's been quite the start to the 2025 calendar year for Isaacson, who has systematically been crossing items off of her career milestone list over her last three games.
        Isaacson (216 3FGM), who has hit at least one 3-pointer in a career best 15-straight games, became Utah Tech's all-time leader in made 3-pointers with her 208th trifecta late in the second quarter last at UT Arlington (1/9). That bucket moved her past former Trailblazer guard Kaylah Miller (2011-15), who knocked down 207 treys during her stellar four-year career.  
        Isaacson (515 rbs), who is already Utah Tech's career leader in 3FG% (.393, 216-of-550), also became the fifth player in program history with at least 500 career rebounds in the UT Arlington game with the third of her four first-quarter caroms.
        Isaacson then entered some rarefied air in Thursday's win over Seattle U when she became the sixth player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau with a 10-foot jumper with 4:04 to play in the third quarter.
        That shot also propelled Isaacson (1,001 pts) into even more rarefied air as she joined Gillen (1,608 pts/607 rbs), and former Trailblazers Johnna Brown (2009-11, 12-13; 1,212 pts/726 rbs) and Taylor Mann (2013-16; 1,062 pts/841 rbs) as the only players in program history with 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.  
        In addition, Isaacson is fourth in career blocks (57), fifth in steals (109) and FG made (348), eighth in career games played (89) and t-second in career starts (81).

TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - 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 12.3 points through her first 16 games, including a 15.7 clip in WAC play ... Isaacson has scored in double figures in 10 of her 16 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).
* - Prior to her day at Tarleton State last Saturday, Isaacson 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, and tallied 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting at UT Arlington (1/9).
* - Redshirt junior guard Brie Crittendon has caught fire of late, having scored in double figures in five of her last 10 starts, including a Utah Tech career high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting with three 3-pointers vs. Pittsburgh (12/21) ... Crittendon also led the Blazers with five rebounds and three steals in a season-high 38 minutes of action. 
* - After just missing her first collegiate double-double at UT Arlington (8p/9r; 1/9), Crittendon finally picked one up in Thursday's win over Seattle U, against which she poured in 13 points and grabbed a game and career-high 11 rebounds.
* - Including Hartley's double-double on Thursday night, the last time two Trailblazers posted double-doubles in the same game was in last season's regular season finale vs. Stephen F. Austin (3/9/24), against which Calyn Dallas (19p/10r) and Gillen (16p/13r) turned the trick to lead the Blazers to the home victory.
* - 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 then-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).
* - Taylor returned to the starting line-up in Thursday's win over Seattle U and responded by scoring 12 of her team-high 18 points in the first quarter ... the freshman went 6-of-12 from the floor with a career-high tying four 3-pointers and a career-best six steals, which tied her for 10th on Utah Tech's single game steals list. 
* - Taylor has scored in double figures seven times overall this season, including 14 points with four 3-pointers in 26 minutes off the bench vs. Pitt (12/21).
* - After missing the first 13 games of the year, freshman forward Paige Cofer made her long-awaited collegiate debut last at UT Arlington (1/9), where she was penciled into the starting line-up and flirted with a double-double, finishing with seven points and a co-game high nine rebounds.
* - Cofer followed that up with six points, three assists, two blocks and two boards in a start at Tarleton State last Saturday, and six points and five rebounds in Thursday's win over Seattle U.  
* - Redshirt freshman Kastyn Young shot out right out of the gate with a pair of 17-point games off the bench against both Northern New Mexico (11/4) and Stonehill (11/13).
* - 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 489 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.
* - 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 in the Weber State win (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 sixth on the team among active players in rebounds (51; 3.2 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, 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 four points at UT Arlington (1/9). 

ABOUT THE UTAH VALLEY "WOLVERINES": Utah Valley makes the drive south on Interstate 15 at the tail end of a stretch that has seen the Wolverines play five of their last six games on the road. 
        UVU has split its first four WAC games, with a road victory at Abilene Christian (64-63 2OT; 1/4) and an 86-75 home win over UT Arlington on Thursday night, which bookend road losses at Grand Canyon (59-71; 1/9) and California Baptist (50-77; 1/11).   
        Junior guard Kylee Mabry (5-11) is the Wolverines' top scorer at 9.3 ppg on 36.7 percent shooting, while graduate forward Danja Stafford (6-1) is the WAC's top rebounder at 9.6 rpg to go with a 7.5 ppg average.  
        That said, Utah Valley's calling card is defense as the Wolverines head into the weekend fourth in the country in steals (14.0 spg), 11th in turnovers forced (24.6 tfpg), and t-58th in blocked shots (4.1 bpg). 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will make quick trip to the desert for a WAC showdown at conference co-leader Grand Canyon next Saturday afternoon in Phoenix. Tip-off inside the GCU Arena is slated for 2 p.m. (MT).