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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech wraps up its WAC homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers play host to in-state opponent Utah Valley in an "Old Hammer Rivalry" match-up.
 
Utah Tech is 4-8 vs. UVU in the NCAA portion of this in-state rivalry, which dates back to when both programs were junior college foes. All four Trailblazer wins in the series came in a near 12-month span, including three wins during the 2022-23 season.  
 
However UVU has posted win streaks of its own vs. Utah Tech, which bookend that Blazer four-game streak, including five-straight in the rivalry's renewal. The Wolverines have also won each of the last three meetings in the series overall, including a season sweep last year.  
 
A Trailblazer win on Saturday would be Utah Tech's first WAC win of the season and the team's sixth home win of the year. A win would also stop a three-game skid vs. UVU, and would be just the second time Utah Tech has beaten the Wolverines in the Burns Arena (1-3) during its NCAA era. 
 
Meanwhile, Utah Tech is a combined 13-25 all-time against its fellow Beehive State opponents in the program's NCAA era, which includes a 10-16 mark in in-state rivalry games as a Division-I program (1-2 in 2025-26). 

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (5-8/0-3 WAC) wraps up its WAC homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers play host to in-state foe Utah Valley (9-6/2-2 WAC) in the latest installment of the "Old Hammer Rivalry." Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4,779) is scheduled for 2 p.m. (MT). 
        Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and will air live on the radio on Utah Tech's campus radio station KUTU 91.3 FM.
 
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, will compete under the Big Sky Conference banner.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech gave WAC-leading California Baptist all it could handle, but a late Lancer run proved to be the Trailblazers' undoing in a hard-fought 75-67 home loss on Thursday night.
        In a game that featured 14 ties and 10 lead changes, it was an 11-3 CBU run over the final 4:43 of the fourth quarter that clinched the victory for the visiting Lancers. 
 
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.
 
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SIXTH 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. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 151-91 (.624) overall record in 242 games inside the Burns Arena, including a 5-5 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 71-58 (.550) on their home floor, and have won eight or more home games in six of their last eight seasons overall. In fact, Utah Tech has won 11 home wins twice during Gustin's tenure on the Trailblazer bench (11-5 in 2023-24; 11-4 in 2018-19).
 
AWAY FROM THE BURNS: Utah Tech owns a 90-143 (.386) record in 233 road games since the 2006-07 season, which includes an 0-3 start this season. 
        Two of the Trailblazers three road games this season have been played in the state of Utah. In fact, Utah Tech will not leave the state of Utah again until mid-January when the team makes the first of three trips to Texas during WAC play. 
        Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 33-74 (.308) 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.  
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 306-straight games, including a WAC season-high nine treys (9-of-23) vs. CBU last Thursday, and a season-high tying 10 trifectas (10-of-44) in the Chicago State win back on Dec. 17. 
        The Trailblazers also made 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 31 times in their last 76 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 116 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 514 of its 517 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 516 of 517 games during its NCAA era.

BORDEN BEARING DOWN: Redshirt senior guard Kaylee Borden has put together quite the start to her debut season as a Trailblazer.
        Borden, who averaged just 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds over her first four collegiate seasons at Nevada (2021-25), heads into Saturday's game vs. UVU as the conference's fourth-leading scorer (15.1 ppg) and 17th-leading rebounder (4.7 rpg). In addition, she is ranked fourth in the WAC in FG% (.431), fifth FT% (.745), and 12th in assists (2.46 apg).  
        The senior sharpshooter has scored in double figures in 10 of her first 13 starts at Utah Tech with five 20-point outings, including a game-high 22 points in the home loss vs. NM State back on Dec. 6. 
        Borden's current run, which includes 15 points and four boards vs. ACU on New Year's Day, also features a pair of 25-point outings, the last of which came in the Westminster win on Nov. 29. 
        Borden, who scored 19 of her career-high tying 25 points after halftime, went 8-of-12 from the floor with five rebounds and two assists in nearly 33 minutes of action in that victory. 
        "Keke" announced her presence with authority with a then-collegiate career high 21 points in the season opener vs. Northern Arizona (11/8). 
        Borden became just the seventh different Trailblazer to score 20 or more points in a season opener in the program's four-year era. Meanwhile, the NAU win marked the fourth-straight opener that a Trailblazer had tallied at least 20 points.
        Borden, who drained a career-high four 3-pointers as part of a 14-point day in the Chicago State win (12/17), followed that up with a team-high 13 points in the Omaha victory (11/12). She chased that effort with her first collegiate double-double with 21 points and a career-best 11 rebounds at Weber State (11/15).
        She then went off for 25 points in the Portland State win (11/22), which helped earn her WAC Newcomer of the Week honors (11/24). 
 
BORDEN JOINED ELITE COMPANY: Thanks to her 22-point day vs. NM State, Borden joined some pretty elite company as she became just the third Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to score at least 20 points in five of the first eight games to begin a season. 
        Former post player Haley Holmstead was the first player to achieve that feat, scoring at least 20 points in five of her first eight games to open the 2013-14 season, highlighted by a school record 42-point night at Fresno Pacific (12/7/13), on her way to setting the school's single season scoring record (646 points). 
        Meanwhile, current Utah Tech assistant coach Breaunna Gillen also scored 20 or more points in five of her first eight games to begin the 2022-23 season, starting with a 21-point effort in the opener at Washington (11/7/22). Gillen followed that with 26 points vs. Utah State (11/15/22), 25 points at Kansas City (11/18/22), and 23 points at Kansas State (11/20/22). 
 
PICKED UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF IN 2024-25: Senior point guard Chardonnay Hartley 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 (11/8).
        Hartley knocked down seven of her 13 shot attempts with a pair of 3-pointers, and collected her third-career blocked shot in that win. Additionally, 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 67 total steals in just 43 career games as a Trailblazer.
        Hartley, who poured in 14 points with three assists at SUU (12/29), heads into Thursday's match-up vs. CBU second in the conference in assists at 4.83 apg. 
        Hartley currently stands in third (261) all-time on Utah Tech's career assists list, and she is 14 dimes away from vaulting past former Blazer guard Leslie Tademy (274; 2014-16) for second place on the all-time list.
 
MADD COMEBACK: Redshirt senior guard Maddie Warren will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign after suffering a season-ending injury late in the fourth quarter of the Blazers' home win vs. California Baptist on Thursday night.
        Warren was in the midst of a brilliant comeback season as she was ranked in the WAC's top-10 in scoring (15th, 10.6) and 3FG made per game (4th, 1.77; 23-of-69).
        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. She 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.
        Warren had scored in double figures in seven of her first 13 starts this season, including a season-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting with two 3-pointers at Weber State (11/15).
        The senior guard matched her season high with 17 points, all in the first half, in the ACU home loss on New Year's Day. That effort helped vault her into ninth place on Utah Tech's career scoring list (743 points). 
 
START OF A NEW STREAK: Warren saw her career long 3-point streak halted at 16 games after she was held without a made perimeter jumper in the Chicago State victory back on December 17. 
        The redshirt senior guard wasted little time starting a new streak as she hit Utah Tech's first perimeter jumper just seven seconds into play at SUU (12/29), and drained a season high-tying three treys vs. CBU last Thursday night.
        Warren, who has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 48 of her 55 career games, has 121 trifectas to her credit overall, which ties her for sixth place on Utah Tech's career 3FGM list with former Blazer guard Ali Franks (121; 2016-20). Warren is also now tied with Franks for sixth place all-time in both 3FGA (361) and 3FG% (.335).  
 
TURNING TO PAIGE: Sophomore forward Paige Cofer had herself quite the WAC season debut at SUU (12/29), against which she paced three Blazers in double figures with a season-high 18 points, highlighted by a season-best three 3-pointers. 
        Cofer, who was 0-of-23 from beyond the arc heading into the SUU game, scored 11 of those 18 points in the first half on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from downtown. She also ripped down five rebounds in a career-high 37 minutes of game action. 
        Cofer has scored in double figures in four of her last five starts, and five times overall this season, which includes a 13-point effort with a pair of 3-pointers vs. CBU last Thursday night. 
        The sophomore also posted her second career double-double with 10 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds in the Portland State win (11/22). Nine of Cofer's 11 boards came on the defensive end, while she hit on 5-of-7 of her shot attempts, and tied a career high with two blocked shots.
        In all, Cofer has scored in double figures 11 times in 31 career games, six of which came in 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-best 11 rebounds at California Baptist (3/1/25).
 
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 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 six more shots vs. Westminster (11/29), with four of those rejections coming from Crocker.
        Prior to the Omaha win, 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.
 
 
TRAILBLAZER PLAYER NOTES
* - Hartley has scored in double figures in 20 of her 44 career starts at Utah Tech with three 20-plus point outings, highlighted by her 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 WSU victory was one of four she recorded in her first year as a Trailblazer.
* - Senior guard Brie Crittendon is averaging 11.2 ppg in her last five starts, which includes game highs of 16 points and eight rebounds in the Chicago State win back on Dec. 17. 
* - That effort chased a Utah Tech career-high 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting and a game-high nine boards vs. UCSB (12/13). 
* - Crittendon notched her second career double-double with game highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds in the McNeese loss (12/2) ... the senior knocked down a career-best four 3-pointers (4-of-8 3FG) in the loss, and scored 12 of her 15 points in the first half.
* - Crittendon, who is currently sixth in the WAC in rebounding (8.0 rpg), has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in four of her 12 starts this season, highlighted by a career-high 13 rebounds to go with six points and three assists in Utah Tech's home win over Westminster (11/29).
* - Crittendon just missed recording her first double-double of the year in the Omaha win (11/12), going for nine points and 10 rebounds.
* - Crittendon flirted with another double-double at Arizona State (11/25), finishing with seven points and 10 more caroms ... Crittendon's 10 boards were one off of her then-career high of 11 set last year vs. Seattle U (1/16/25), in a game in which she posted her first career double-double with 13 points. 
* - Crocker was inserted into the starting line-up for the first time as a Trailblazers at Southern Utah (12/29) and responded with six points on 2-of-6 from 3-point country along with a team and season-high tying nine rebounds, and two blocked shots in a career-high 34 minutes of game action. 
* - Crocker put together her best overall game as a Trailblazer off the bench at Arizona State (11/25), pouring in a career-high 11 points with eight rebounds in 23 minutes.
* - Crocker was equally as effective in the CBU loss last Thursday night, during which she poured in 10 points with five boards, two assists and two blocks in only 20 minutes on action.
* - Crocker logged a career-high 27 minutes off the bench at Weber State (11/15), where she finished with eight points (2-of-7 3FG) and three caroms to go with her career high-tying four blocks. 
* - In fact, Crocker has posted four blocks three times this season, including her four blocks in the Westminster win (11/29), against which she scored six points and pulled down a Utah Tech career-high nine rebounds.
* - Crocker has 22 blocks in 13 games to this point of the season, and 36 career blocks at Utah Tech overall, which is good for t-eighth place on the program's career blocks list.
* - Junior guard Calyn Dallas has knocked down two at least 3-pointers in three of her first 3 games to start the season ... Dallas scored a season-high 10 points off the bench in the Omaha win (11/12) ... Dallas (38 pts) and Crocker (52 pts) have accounted for 90 of Utah Tech's 179 bench points through 13 games this season. 
* - Redshirt freshman guard Andjela Colic enjoyed the best outing of her brief Blazer career, hitting for a career-high nine points on 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in 11 minutes off the bench vs. CBU last Thursday night ... Colic dished out a career-best three assists and recorded her first two collegiate points in the second quarter vs. Omaha (11/12). 
* - Freshman forward Rose Boisnel made her long-awaited season debut in the Westminster win (11/29), against which she tallied 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers ... Boisnel also collected four rebounds, two steals and one assist in 21 reserve minutes.
* - Boisnel was solid off the bench vs. UCSB (12/13), going for 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting with one 3-pointer, along with five rebounds and one block in 19 minutes. 
* - 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 knocked down her second collegiate 3-pointer to go along with three boards and a blocked shot in the ACU loss (1/1). 
* - Freshman forward Annalyse Shimada scored her first collegiate point and corralled her first two collegiate rebounds in the Portland State win (11/22) ... Shimada also picked off her second collegiate steal in the ACU loss (1/1). 
 
ABOUT THE UTAH VALLEY "WOLVERINES": Utah Valley continues its two-game WAC in-state road trip looking to rebound from a tough 76-68 loss at Southern Utah this past Thursday night in Cedar City. 
        The Wolverines have played to a 2-2 mark to begin conference play, and are 4-5 their last nine games overall after getting off to a 5-1 start to the 2025-26 campaign. 
        Redshirt senior wing Amanda Barcello (5-11) is one of two Wolverines averaging double figures at 14.5 ppg on 44.3 percent shooting. Barcello is also hitting on a WAC-best 45.1 percent of her 3-point attempts (37-of-82).
        UVU's calling card is its pressure defense, which is ranked third in the NCAA Division I ranks in opponent turnovers (27.6 tpg) and is the D-I leader in steals per game (17.2). 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will head out-of-state for just the second time this season next week when the Trailblazers travel to Texas for a pair of WAC games. 
        The Trailblazers open the trip at UT Arlington on Thursday night, Jan. 15, followed by a Saturday matinee at Tarleton State on Jan. 17.