Utah Tech women's basketball could not overcome a pair of ill-timed scoring droughts as the Trailblazers were handed a 94-74 road loss at California Baptist on Saturday afternoon in Riverside.
How it happened
The two sides were locked in a back-and-forth tussle in the game's opening five minutes. But the Lancers wrestled away control with nine-straight points as part of a 19-4 run, which turned a 7-7 deadlock into a 26-11 CBU lead after one quarter complete.
Utah Tech (5-22/1-13 WAC) stayed within striking distance, thanks in part to a brilliant second quarter turned in by freshman
Ellie Taylor, who scored 15 of the Blazers' 24 points in the frame.
Taylor went 3-of-5 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers, and went 7-of-8 at the line, as Utah Tech went into the locker room trailing by a 47-35 count.
CBU (12-16/9-5 WAC) looked as if it was going to run away with the game in the early moments of the third quarter, during which the Lancers outscored the Blazers 9-1 to open up a 20-point lead at 56-36 with just 1:19 gone off the clock.
Utah Tech got up off the deck and rattled off a 21-8 rally of its own over a five-plus minute span to pull to within seven points at 64-57 after two
Chardonnay Hartley free throws with 3:21 to play in the period.
Emily Isaacson stopped the Lancer run with a lay-in, while it was another Trailblazer freshman who would play a key role in the rally.
Paige Cofer followed up the Isaacson bucket with a straight away 3-pointer, the first of three perimeter jumpers she would knock down as the freshman accounted for 13 of Utah Tech's 21 points in the run.
However the Lancers quelled the Blazers' momentum, outscoring Utah Tech 10-1 to close the frame and would head into the fourth quarter with a 74-58 cushion in tow.
The Trailblazers would get to within 15 points on a couple of occasions early in the fourth, but a back-breaking 12-2 CBU run proved to be Utah Tech's undoing as the Lancers coasted to the senior day win.
Numbers to know
Cofer scored 22 of her game and career-high 25 points after halftime, and wound up going 9-of-18 from the floor with four 3-pointers on the afternoon. The freshman also posted her first collegiate double-double as she pulled down a game and career-high 11 rebounds.
Taylor finished with 18 points, though she was held scoreless in the second half. Isaacson, who played in her 100th career game, added 11 points along with five boards, while
Brie Crittendon tallied nine points and six caroms, and Hartley had eight points and five assists.
Utah Tech shot 37.5 percent from the floor (21-of-56), which included a 9-of-35 effort (.257) from the perimeter. The Trailblazers did go to the foul line a season-high 32 times, where they went 23-of-32 (.719) overall.
Saturday's game was also Utah Tech's 500th NCAA-era game (257-243; .514).
Five CBU players scored in double figures, led by guard Anaiyah Tu'ua, who flirted with a triple-double as she finished with 21 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
California Baptist hit on 44.3 percent of its field goal attempts (31-of-70), including a 13-of-38 clip (.342) from beyond the arc. The Lancers also went 19-of-22 (.864) at the line and outrebounded Utah Tech by a 43-39 count.
Up Next
Utah Tech will close out the home portion of its 2024-25 regular season schedule this Thursday when the Trailblazers welcome WAC-leading Grand Canyon to the Burns Arena for Senior Night. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (MT).
