Despite a career-high 27 points from senior Emily Isaacson, Utah Tech was felled by a tough third quarter in dropping an 81-75 home WAC decision to California Baptist on Saturday afternoon in the Burns Arena. 

How it happened 
The Trailblazers (5-18/1-9 WAC) found themselves in an early 18-7 hole six minutes into the action. 
 
However thanks to consecutive 3-pointers from Calyn Dallas and Ellie Taylor, and an Aaliyah Ibarra conventional three-point play, Utah Tech managed to make a two-possession game at 22-17 after the opening 10 minutes. 
 
Utah Tech kept chipping away at the Lancers lead and eventually tied the game at 29-29 following a Brie Crittendon lay-in with just over three minutes to go in the first half.
 
CeCe Legaspi put CBU back on top with a bucket on the Lancers' ensuing possession, but Paige Cofer answered with a the first of her two 3-pointers on the day to give the Blazers a one-point lead.
 
The two sides then traded baskets to close the period as Utah Tech went into the halftime break trailing by a slim 37-36 margin.
 
Whatever momentum the Trailblazers had generated offensively in their first half rally unfortunately did not carry over into the third quarter as Utah Tech misfired on 17 of its 18 shot attempts in the frame.
 
Meanwhile CBU (10-15/7-4 WAC) managed to hit 9-of-14 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers as the Lancers outscored the Blazers 23-9 in period to extend to a commanding 60-45 advantage with one quarter to play. 
 
Trailing 65-47 with 8:05 remaining, Utah Tech mounted a furious rally, outscoring CBU 20-5 over the next six minutes to pull to within three at 70-67 after two Isaacson free throws with 2:16 on the clock.
 
Isaacson and Taylor combined for 14 of the Trailblazers' 20 points in the run, while the Utah Tech defense limited CBU to just 2-of-9 from the floor and one turnover.
 
On CBU's next trip down the court, the Blazers were called for an intentional foul at the 1:50 mark. Lancer guard Chloe Lemon hit both free throws, then drilled a dagger 3-pointer after her team was awarded ball back, which pushed the CBU lead back to eight at 75-67 with 1:24 left.
 
Utah Tech made it a three-point game late after an Ibarra corner trifecta, but the Lancers went on to go 3-of-4 at the in the closing seconds to send the Blazers to their ninth WAC loss.  
 
Numbers to know
Isaacson's 27 points eclipsed her previous career high of 26 points she set nearly two years ago vs. Utah Valley (3/2/23). The senior, who pulled down seven rebounds, went 7-of-15 from the floor, including a 5-of-8 clip from the perimeter, and was 8-of-9 at the foul line. 
 
Isaacson (1,105 pts) also became the fourth Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to eclipse the 1,100-point plateau. In addition, the senior (559 reb.) now stands just 41 rebounds shy of becoming just the third player in Utah Tech history with at least 1,100 career points and 600 career rebounds. 
 
Meanwhile Taylor scored 10 of her 15 points after halftime to go with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. 
 
Ibarra also reached double figures as she poured in 10 points off the bench. 
 
Utah Tech shot 30.3 percent (20-of-66) from the floor, which included an 11-of-40 (.275) effort from the perimeter. The Trailblazers also went 24-of-30 (.800) at the foul line and tallied 14 assists on their 20 made field goals with only 12 turnovers.
 
Lemon led three Lancers in double figures with 24 points, while Legaspi finished with nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds. 
 
CBU hit on 48.2 percent (27-of-56) of its shots with seven 3-pointers (7-of-23) and outrebounded Utah Tech by a 47-32 count. 
 
Up Next
Utah Tech travels north on Interstate 15 for a rare Wednesday night WAC tilt at in-state foe Utah Valley, in the latest installment of the "Old Hammer Rivalry." Tip-off inside the UCCU Center in Orem is set for 6 p.m. (MT).