Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | CBU
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OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (1-0/0-0 Big Sky) continues its three-game, season-opening homestand on Friday night when the Trailblazers welcome long-time rival California Baptist (1-0) to the Burns Arena (4,779). 
      Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. (MT). 
      Friday'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.
 
UTAH TECH VS. CBU: Friday's game will be the 28th meeting between the two former conference rivals in a series that dates all the way back to both programs' Division II days as members of the Pacific West Conference.
      Prior to this season, both sides were also competing members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).  
      That said, the rivalry has gone the way of CBU, which owns a 23-4 series lead, and have won 20 of the last 21 meetings overall, including a three-game sweep of the Blazers last season (75-67, 1/8/26; 67-61, 1/22/26; 82-70, 2/14/26).
      Two of Utah Tech's four wins in the series have come at home, though the last Trailblazer home win came back in the 2012-13 season (73-69, 1/19/13). 
      Meanwhile Utah Tech's lone Division I-era victory in the series was recorded late in the 2021-22 season on the road in Riverside (81-77, 2/24/22).
 
LAST TIME OUT: Five Trailblazers scored in double figures as Utah Tech opened the Adam Wardenburg-era with a decisive 107-39 home triumph over visiting Life Pacific last Monday afternoon in the Burns Arena.
 
FIRST WIN FOR WARDENBURG: Not only did head coach Adam Wardenburg collect his first victory on the Trailblazer bench, Monday's win was his first NCAA Division I win, and the 50th of his head coaching career.
      Wardenburg previously served as head coach for both the men's and women's basketball programs at Southern Virginia. He headed up the Knights' men's program from 2019-2023, and spent one season at the helm of the women's program in 2018-19.
      Wardenburg, who is the fourth head coach in Utah Tech four-year era, also joined former coach Angela Kristensen (2006-13) as the only head coaches to win in their Trailblazer debut.
 
NEW FACES IN 2026-27: In addition to the new coaching staff at the helm of the Trailblazer program, for the first time in the its four-year era, Utah Tech's 2026-27 roster features no players who logged any minutes for the Trailblazers in the previous season.
      Thirteen of the 14 players on the this year's roster are newcomers, with the lone returnee being junior guard Ellie Taylor, who missed the entire 2025-26 season due to injury.
      To date, Utah Tech is one of three NCAA Division I programs which underwent virtually a complete roster overhaul from the previous season. Along with the Trailblazers, Louisiana-Monroe and Tennessee are the two other known D-I programs that will feature brand new rosters from top-to-bottom to begin the year.
 
NEW CONFERENCE IN 2026-27: Utah Tech has begun its third decade of NCAA play with a new conference home.
      This past July 1, Utah Tech officially became members of the Big Sky Conference, this after spending its first six seasons of NCAA Division I play as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (2020-26). 
 
IN SEASON OPENERS: Thanks to its lopsided victory over Life Pacific last Monday, Utah Tech improved to 13-8 all-time in season openers during its NCAA era. Monday's triumph was also Utah Tech's six win in its last seven season openers during its brief NCAA Division I era.
      Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are now 16-5 all-time in home openers in their four-year era, and have won nine-straight home debuts overall. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Utah Tech celebrated its 250th NCAA-era home game in style with its victory over Life Pacific last Monday.
      Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Utah Tech has played to a 156-94 (.624) overall record inside the Burns Arena in 20-plus seasons of four-year competition.
      The Trailblazers ended their 2025-26 home slate with a 9-8 overall home record, which was the program's 13th winning home record in 20 seasons since transitioning to NCAA status ahead of the 2006-07 campaign.
      Utah Tech has won eight or more home games in seven of their last nine seasons overall. In fact, Utah Tech has won 11 home games twice over that stretch (11-5 in 2023-24; 11-4 in 2018-19).
 
AWAY FROM THE BURNS: Utah Tech owns a 90-151 (.373) record in 241 road games since the 2006-07 season, which included a winless 0-11 result last season. In addition, Utah Tech is 22-21 (.511) all-time on neutral courts.   
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 322-straight games, including 12 3-pointers in Monday's win over Life Pacific, which matched the team's season-high from last year. 
      The Trailblazers have reached double figures in made 3-pointers 41 times in their last 93 games dating back to the 2023-24 campaign. That number includes 11 instances in 29 games last season, highlighted by a season-high 12 treys at Abilene Christian (2/26/26). 
      In fact, the Trailblazers have reached double figures in made 3-pointers 41 times in their last 93 games dating back to the 2023-24 campaign. Meanwhile, Utah Tech has knocked down at least 10 treys in 125 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 531 of its 534 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 533 of 534 games during its NCAA era.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE 2026-27 SCHEDULE: A school-record 18 home games, along with match-ups against three NCAA Tournament participants, highlight Utah Tech's 2026-27 women's basketball schedule.
      The Trailblazers will play eight of their 12 non-conference games inside the Burns Arena, including last Monday's win over Life Pacific and Friday's match-up vs. CBU. Utah Tech will wrap up its season-opening homestand vs. Nelson (AZ) University next Wednesday, Nov. 11.
      From there the Trailblazers begin the road portion of their season slate on Sunday, Nov. 13, with a date at new PAC-12 member Boise State. In fact, Utah Tech will play three-straight away from home, including a pair of SoCal road games at CSU Bakersfield (11/18) and UC Santa Barbara (11/20).
      Utah Tech returns home for a Thanksgiving Eve match-up vs. San Diego (11/25), and will wrap up the first month of the season by hosting Park University (11/30). 
      The Blazers will make their Big Sky debut the following week when the team heads to Ogden to square off against in-state foe Weber State on Thursday, Dec. 3. Utah Tech then ventures further north on Interstate 15 to Pocatello for a Saturday conference tilt at Idaho State on Dec. 5.
      Utah Tech will play five of its next six games in the Burns Arena, starting with a non-conference match-up vs. Houston Christian (12/12). Then after a quick road trip to Boulder to play at Big 12 power and 2026 NCAA tourney participant Colorado (12/15), the Blazers return home to host Cal Poly (12/19) and La Sierra (12/21) before the Christmas holiday break.
      The Trailblazers begin the home portion of their Big Sky debut schedule against defending conference tournament champion Idaho on New Year's Eve, followed by a Saturday showdown vs. Eastern Washington (1/2).
      Following road games at Portland State (1/7) and Northern Colorado (1/9), Utah Tech returns home to play host to Northern Arizona (1/14). Utah Tech will then renew its rivalry with Southern Utah in Cedar City (1/16) before making its first-ever trip to Missoula to face Montana (1/18).
      Utah Tech puts a bow on January with a three-game homestand, during which the Blazers will host Montana State (1/25), Idaho State (1/28) and Weber State (1/30).
      Utah Tech will kick off February with its final long road swing of the season, which begins at Eastern Washington on Feb. 4, followed by return games at both Idaho (2/6) and NAU (2/11). 
      Utah Tech returns home for a four-game homestand, starting with an in-state showdown vs. SUU on Saturday, Feb. 13. The Trailblazers will also play host to Northern Colorado (2/18) and Portland State (2/20), before wrapping up their 2026-27 home slate with a Senior Day match-up vs. Montana (2/22).  
      After their home finale, the Blazers will enjoy a rare seven-day break before closing the regular season at Montana State on Monday, March 1. 
      The 2027 "Starch Madness" Big Sky Women's Basketball Tournament will be held March 5-10 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, with all 11 full-time conference members participating. 
 
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED 11TH THE BIG SKY: Utah Tech was voted to finish 11th in both the 2026-27 Big Sky Conference women's basketball preseason coaches and media polls, which were released on October 21.
      Montana State was the consensus top pick in both polls, receiving nine of a possible 11 first place votes and 99 points in the coaches poll, and 23 first place nods and 283 points in the media poll. Meanwhile defending Big Sky tourney champion Idaho garnered the other two coaches first place votes and 90 points, and three first place votes and 254 points to finish second in both polls.
 
FROM A....: Junior guard Ava Smith made the most of her Trailblazer debut as she tallied 19 points, a game-high seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in the LPU win last Monday.
      Smith knocked down seven of her 14 shots, including 2-of-6 from the perimeter, and in the process, extended her personal career high 3-point streak to 17-straight games. Her current 3-point streak dates back to her final 16 games last season at Bellarmine.
 
....TO Z: Junior guard Sophia Zufelt was on fire in Monday's win over LPU, against which she poured in a collegiate career-high 25 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting with three 3-pointers. Zufelt also pulled down five rebounds and picked off a game and career-high four steals in 23 minutes of action.
      Zufelt, whose previous career high was nine points recorded in her collegiate debut game while at UTRGV (at Houston - 11/5/24) in 2024-25, became the eighth different Trailblazer to score at least 20 points in a season opening game.
      The junior's feat also marked the fourth-straight year overall that a Trailblazer had scored 21 or more points in a season debut.  
      Zufelt's 25 points tied the most points scored by a Trailblazer in a season-opening game in Utah Tech's brief Division I era, and also tied for the most points scored in a season debut game in the program's NCAA era overall. 
      Former Trailblazer post player Haley Holmstead poured in 25 points in then-Dixie State's season opener at Cal State Monterey Bay (11/9/13) to begin the 2013-14 campaign, while former Blazer guard London Pavlica tallied 25 points, coincidentally, against Life Pacific to open the 2020-21 (12/20/20) season.
 
AND THE OTHER THREE STARTERS IN BETWEEN: In all, four of the five Trailblazer starters scored in double figures in Monday's opener vs. Life Pacific.
      Sophomore guard Kendall Dykstra scored 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting with a pair of treys. Dykstra also pulled down eight rebounds to go with three steals and two assists.
      Meanwhile, junior guard Savannah Stoker stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, and co-game highs of four steals and two blocked shots. Stoker went 6-of-9 from the floor with one 3-pointer, and recorded Utah Tech's first points of the season on an offensive put back. 
      Freshman Alyssa Bowen got the starting nod in her first collegiate game and responded with six points on 2-of-4 shooting from the perimeter along with two boards, one assist and one steal.
 
DOUBLING UP ON OPENING DAY: Freshman center Eva Woodward made a little history in Monday's win over Life Pacific when she became the FIRST freshman in Utah Tech's NCAA era to record a double-double in her first collegiate game.
      Woodward came off the bench and scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. The freshman also dished out three assists, blocked two shots and picked off one steal in 22 minutes of game action. 
      Woodward also became just the sixth different player in Utah Tech's NCAA era to record a double-double in a season-opening game, and she is the fourth player to achieve that feat in the program's brief time at the Division-I level.  
      Former Trailblazer guard Chardonnay Hartley was the last to post a double-double in a season-opener two years ago with 21 points and 10 assists in a home win over Northern New Mexico (11/4/24).
      Meanwhile former Blazer guard Breaunna Gillen achieved the feat a program record three times in three-consecutive seasons, the first came as part of the first of her three career triple-doubles (14p/10r/11a), coincidentally vs. Life Pacific (11/9/21) in the 2021-22 opener. Gillen did it again a year later in the 2022-23 opener at Washington (21p/11a; 11/7/22), then followed that up a year later with another double-double at home vs. La Verne (21p/11r; 11/6/23). 
 
THE BEST OF THE REST: All nine Trailblazers who saw time in Monday's opener found the scoring column as the Utah Tech bench outscored LPU by a 26-2 count.
      Freshman guard Gabby Gomez tallied seven points with two steals and two rebounds, while senior guard Calyn Wood chipped in five points, and sophomore forward Maci Hess finished with four points. 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Utah Tech shot 48.8 percent from the floor (41-of-84) in Monday's win over LPU, which included a 12-of-37 clip (.324) from the perimeter, and connected on 65.0 percent (13-of-20) at the foul line.
* - Utah Tech combined for 19 assists to just four total turnovers, which tied an NCAA era SCHOOL RECORD for the least number of turnovers in a single game.
* - Utah Tech's 107 points tied for the fourth-most scored in a game in the program's NCAA era, while the Blazers' 68-point victory with the second-largest margin of victory in team's four-year era. 
* - Utah Tech's 41 made field goals and 84 attempts were also the fifth and sixth-most, respectively, in the program's NCAA era.  
* - Utah Tech's pressure defense limited LPU to just 17.4 percent (8-of-46) shooting for the game, which was the SECOND-LOWEST opponent FG% allowed in the program's NCAA era (vs. Bethesda - .165/17-of-79; 12/16/23). 
* - Utah Tech forced 31 turnovers, 17 of which came on steals ... the Trailblazers scored 41 points off those Warrior miscues.
* - Utah Tech outrebounded LPU by a 50-38 count, including a 19-14 edge on the offensive glass. 
 
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BAPTIST "LANCERS": Like Utah Tech, California Baptist started its 2026-27 season in new conference home as the Lancers are now members of the Big West Conference.
      CBU enters Friday night's game riding high after posting dramatic 79-77 road victory at Oregon State this past Wednesday night in Corvallis. 
      The Lancers return four players off of their WAC championship winning team from a season ago, led by sophomore guard Lauren Olsen 5-8, who earned WAC Freshman of the Year and first team all-conference honors in 2025-26.
      Olsen, who averaged 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season, scored a game-high 24 points in Wednesday's road win, including the eventual game-winning bucket with just under two seconds remaining in regulation.
      In all, three Lancers scored in double figure against the Beavers, including 17 points from Virginia Tech transfer forward Spela Brecelj (6-1), and 15 points off the bench from BYU transfer forward McKinnley Willardson (6-1). 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech wraps up its season opening three-game homestand next Wednesday night, Nov. 11, when the Trailblazers play host to Nelson (AZ) University. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (MT).