Women's Basketball | 11/20/2025 4:06:00 PM

  Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | PORTLAND STATE - PDF
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Live Stats: vs. PORTLAND STATE
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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech will play six of its next seven non-conference games inside the friendly confines of the Burns Arena, starting this Saturday night with a match-up against future Big Sky Conference opponent Portland State. 
 
Saturday's game is the third and final non-conference game the Trailblazers will play against a Big Sky foe. Utah Tech is 3-5 all-time against Big Sky opponents, including a 1-1 mark this season, including a 78-73 season-opening win over Northern Arizona back on Nov. 8
 
However the Blazers fell victim to a late fourth-quarter rally in their road opener at in-state rival and Big Sky member Weber State, 82-76, last Saturday in Ogden. That loss dropped Utah Tech to 2-18 all-time record (0-5 in D-I era) in road season openers.
 
Portland State is one of three teams Utah Tech has faced from the state of Oregon. The Trailblazers are 5-5 all-time against teams from "The Beaver State" - 0-2 vs. PSU, 1-1 vs. Oregon, and 4-2 vs. Western Oregon (all played in D-II era).

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (2-1/0-0 WAC) returns home to face its third Big Sky foe of the 2025-26 non-conference season this Saturday night when the Trailblazers play host to Portland State (1-3). 
      Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4.779) is slated for 7 p.m. (MT).
      Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and broadcast live on the radio on Utah Tech's campus radio station KUTU 91.3 FM.
      For live streaming and live scoring information, visit UtahTechTrailblazers.com.
 
WAC FOR ONE MORE SEASON: The 2025-26 campaign will mark an end of an (brief) era as Utah Tech will compete as a member of the Western Athletic Conference for the sixth, and final, season. The Trailblazers joined the WAC in 2020-21 during the first year of the program's NCAA Division I transition. 
 
GOING "BIG" IN 2026: This past June 25, Utah Tech announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference beginning on July 1, 2026. 
      Starting in the 2026-27 season, 14 of the Trailblazers' 17 sports, including women's basketball.
 
UTAH TECH VS. PORTLAND STATE: Utah Tech enters Saturday night's contest looking for its first-ever win in its brief series vs. Portland State.
Of note, Portland State was Utah Tech's first Division I opponent during the Trailblazers' first D-I transition season back in 2020-21. In that game, which was played in the Burns Arena, the Blazers led 31-28 at the half, only to see the Vikings outscore Utah by 13 points over the final 20 minutes to come away with a 63-53 road win (12/16/20).
The two sides met up one year later in Portland (11/12/21), where the Vikings posted an 80-52 home win. 
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin is in his 10th season as Utah Tech head women's basketball coach. 
      In 2023-24, 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 148-86 (.632) overall record in 234 games inside the Burns Arena, including a quick 2-0 start this season.
      The Trailblazers hope the home-cooking trend continues throughout the 2025-26 campaign as Utah Tech's season slate features an NCAA-era program record 17 home games, while 22 of the Trailblazers' 28 contests this upcoming season overall will be played in "The Beehive State."
      Under Coach Gustin, the Trailblazers are 68-53 (.562) on their home floor and have won eight or more home games in six of their last eight seasons overall. In fact, Utah Tech's 11 home wins in 2023-24 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 90-141 (.389) record in 231 road games since the 2006-07 season. Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 33-72 (.314) away from home, which included a 1-13 mark last year, and a 7-8 road record during the 2023-24 campaign. In addition, Utah Tech is 22-20 (.524) all-time on neutral courts, 5-7 under Coach Gustin.  
 
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH THE WAC: Utah Tech was picked to finish sixth in the 2025-26 Western Athletic Conference women's basketball preseason coaches poll, which was released on October 29.
      Abilene Christian received two of a possible seven first place votes and 32 total points to be tabbed as the WAC preseason favorite, while California Baptist collected four first place nods to finish second in the poll with 31 points.
      UT Arlington (1 FPV/25 pts) was picked to finish third, followed by Utah Valley (23 pts) in fourth, Tarleton State (18 pts) in fifth, Utah Tech (12 pts) in sixth, and Southern Utah (6 pts) was picked to finish seventh. 
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 296-straight games, including six treys last Saturday at Weber State, and a season-high 10 perimeter jumpers (10-of-28) in the season-opening victory over Northern Arizona (11/8). 
      The Trailblazers have reached double figures in made 3-pointers 30 times in their last 66 games dating back to the 2023-24 campaign. That number includes 11 instances in 31 games last season, highlighted by a season-high 17 perimeter jumpers (17-of-47) in last year's season-opening victory vs. Northern New Mexico (11/4/24).
      In addition, Utah Tech has knocked down at least 10 treys in 115 games during its NCAA era overall. 
      In 2023-24, 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). 
      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 504 of its 507 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 506 of 507 games during its NCAA era.
 
THROWING A BLOCK PARTY: Utah Tech tied a Division I era high with 10 blocked shots in its home win over Omaha back on Nov. 12.
      Junior forward Lauren Crocker led the defensive effort with a career-high four blocks, while sophomore forward Paige Cofer collected two blocks of her own, which was also her career high. In all, six of the nine Trailblazers who played saw time in the victory had at least one block. 
      Utah Tech went on to block five more shots at Weber State last Saturday, with four of those rejections coming from Crocker.
      Prior to Wednesday night, the last time the Trailblazers swatted away 10 shots came in a home win vs. Bethesda (12/16/23) during the 2023-24 season. The 10 blocked shots also tied for the second-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era, and marked the sixth time the Trailblazers reached double figures in blocks overall. 
      Utah Tech posted a school record 12 blocks in a neutral site win vs. Alaska Fairbanks (12/10/10) during the 2010-11 season.

QUITE THE DEBUT: Fifth-year senior guard Kaylee Borden continued her torrid start to the season by recording her first collegiate double-double with career highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds at Weber State last Saturday.
      "Keke" had quite the debut in her first game as a Trailblazer in the win over NAU back on Nov. 8. Borden, who transferred to Utah Tech from Nevada, got the start and responded with a collegiate career-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. She then followed that up with a team-high 13 points in the Omaha victory (11/12).
      Borden, who currently stands as the WAC's top scorer at 18.3 ppg, poured in 10 of her 21 points in the NAU win in the fourth quarter, with seven of those points coming in the final 4:41 to help the Blazers erase an eight-point deficit en route to the five-point home win.
      Borden became just the seventh different Trailblazer to score 20 or more points in a season opener in the program's four-year era. In fact, the NAU win marked the fourth-straight opener that a Trailblazer had tallied at least 20 points.
      Senior guard Chardonnay Hartley also poured in 21 points in last year's opener vs. Northern New Mexico (11/4/24), while former Blazer guard and current assistant coach Breaunna Gillen hit for 21 points in consecutive season openers in 2023 vs. La Verne (11/6/23), and in 2022 on the road at Washington (11/7/22). 
 
PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF IN 2024-25: Speaking of Hartley, the senior point guard wasted little time returning to form as she filled the stat sheet with 19 points, three rebounds, four assists and five steals in the NAU victory.
      Hartley, who also collected her third-career blocked shot in that win, knocked down seven of her 13 shots with a pair of 3-pointers. Meanwhile, her five steals were two off of her career high of seven set last season at Abilene Christian (2/6/25). In fact, Hartley has 56 total steals in just 32 career games as a Trailblazer.
      Hartley, who poured in 10 points and dished out two assists at Weber State last Saturday, also became the sixth Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to reach the 200-assist plateau in the NAU win, and she currently stands in fifth place (208) overall on Utah Tech's career assists list. 
 
WELCOME BACK: Redshirt senior guard Maddie Warren got the starting nod in her first game back in the season opener vs. NAU (11/8), this after she missed the entire 2024-25 campaign due to injury.
      Warren marked her return with 11 points, five rebounds and two steals in 17-plus minutes. 
      Warren also made a little history as she became the eighth player in program history with 100 career 3-pointers when she knocked down a perimeter jumper to open the second half scoring.
      The senior guard followed that up with another 11-point night in the Omaha win (11/12), and a season-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting with two 3-pointers at Weber State last Saturday. 
 
TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - Hartley has scored in double figures in 17 of her 34 career starts at Utah Tech with three 20-plus point outings, highlighted by a collegiate career high of 28 points along with 12 assists last season in a home win over Weber State (11/16/24) ... that double-double in the that victory was one of four she recorded in her first year as a Trailblazer.
* - Cofer just missed scoring in double figures in her first non-conference start as a Trailblazer in the NAU opener (11/8), finishing with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting along with one board, two assists and one steal ... Cofer went on to stuff the stat sheet with four points, five rebounds and one assist in last Saturday's loss at Weber State.
* - Cofer scored in double figures in six games during her debut season in 2024-25, highlighted by a career-high 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting with four 3-pointers and a career-high 11 rebounds at California Baptist (3/1/25).
* - Senior guard Brie Crittendon just missed recording her first collegiate double-double in the Omaha win (11/12), going for nine points and a season high 10 rebounds ... Crittendon's 10 boards were one off of her career high of 11 set last year vs. Seattle U (1/16/25).
* - Crittendon, who leads the WAC in free throw percentage (.889) in the early going, went 5-of-5 at the line as part of a seven-point, six-rebound effort at Weber State last Saturday.
* - Dallas knocked down a pair of clutch 3-pointers on her way to a season-high 10 points off the bench in the Omaha win (11/12) ... through three games this season, the junior guard has accounted for 21 of Utah Tech's 48 bench points overall. 
* - Freshman guard Merceius Mili played 12 minutes in her collegiate debut game vs. NAU (11/8) and scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting with three rebounds, one assist and one steal ... Mili also chipped in three points, all at the foul line, along with two rebounds and her first collegiate blocked shot in the Omaha win (11/12). 
* - Crocker logged a career-high 27 minutes off the bench at Weber State last Saturday, where she finished with eight points (2-of-7 3FG) and three caroms to go with her career high-tying four blocks. 
* - Redshirt freshman guard Andjela Colic enjoyed her best outing of her brief Blazer career, hitting for a seven points on 3-of-4 shooting with a 3-pointer at Weber State last Saturday ... Colic dished out a career-best three assists and recorded her first two collegiate points in the second quarter vs. Omaha (11/12). 
 
ABOUT THE PORTLAND STATE "VIKINGS": Portland State is off to a 1-3 start and travels to St. George to close out an opening stretch that has seen the Vikings play four of their first five on the road. PSU began the year with a 74-63 road loss at Hawai'i (11/4), and after an 89-52 home win over non-Division I Willamette (11/11), the team dropped consecutive road games at Colorado (45-77; 11/16) and at Air Force (55-65; 11/18) earlier this week. 
      The Vikings feature two players averaging double figures, led by sophomore guard Kyleigh  Brown (5-8) at 15.5 ppg on 43.4 percent shooting (9-of-18 3FG; .500). Brown has scored in double figures in 10-straight games dating back to last season, including a team-high 16 points in the Colorado loss, along with 10 more points at AFA this past Tuesday night.
      Meanwhile, junior guard Laynee Torres-Kahapea (5-6) is averaging 10.0 points in her four starts and is second on the club in rebounding (5.8 rpg). 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will cross state lines for the first time this season on Tuesday night, Nov. 25, when the Trailblazers travel to the desert to square off against Big 12 member Arizona State.
      Tip-off inside Desert Financial Arena in Tempe is set for 6:30 p.m. (MT).