Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | TARLETON STATE - PDF
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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech suits up for its penultimate home game of the 2025-26 season on Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers welcome Tarleton State back to the Burns Arena.
 
Utah Tech is 3-5 all-time against the Texans and had won three-straight to begin the series, with two of those wins coming at home. However Tarleton State has won the last five meetings, including the first two games this season, the last of which happened three weeks ago in the Burns Arena (63-45; 1/31). 
 
A Trailblazer win on Saturday would be Utah Tech's eighth home win of the season. A win would also stop a five-game slide vs. Tarleton State, and will mark just the second time this season that Utah Tech will have won consecutive games. 
 
Saturday's game will also mark the final time both Utah Tech and Tarleton State will square off in Western Athletic Conference play.  

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (7-17/2-12 WAC) wraps up its brief two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon by playing host to Tarleton State (12-13/6-8 WAC). Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4,779) is set for 1 p.m. (MT).
 
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: Behind a career-high 29 points from Kaylee Borden, Utah Tech snapped its season long nine-game losing streak with a dramatic 60-58 home win over UT Arlington on Wednesday night inside the Burns Arena.
      The Trailblazers methodically erased a 16-point first quarter deficit and led by four points after the third quarter. After a see-saw battle in the final 10 minutes, it was two Borden free throws with 1.5 seconds remaining that proved to be the difference. 
 
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 153-94 (.619) overall record in 247 games inside the Burns Arena, including a 7-8 mark this season.
      The Trailblazers are slated to host an NCAA-era program record 17 home games, while 22 of the Trailblazers' 28 contests this season overall will be played in "The Beehive State."
      Under Coach Gustin, the Trailblazers are 73-61 (.545) on their home floor, and his charges 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 90-149 (.376) record in 239 road games since the 2006-07 season, which includes a disappointing 0-9 start this season. 
      Under Coach Gustin, the Blazers are 33-80 (.292) 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 317-straight games, including a season-high tying 11 treys (11-of-33) at Utah Valley (2/12), and eight more treys (8-of-22) in Wednesday's win over UT Arlington. 
      Coincidentally, the Trailblazers also drained 11 trifectas in their victory vs. UVU last month inside the Burns Arena (11-of-25; 1/10). 
      The Blazers have knocked down at least 10 3-pointers seven times this season, with five of those instances coming in WAC play, including 10 treys vs. CBU (10-of-31; .323) back on Jan. 22.
      The Trailblazers have reached double figures in made 3-pointers 36 times in their last 87 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).
      Meanwhile, Utah Tech has knocked down at least 10 treys in 121 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 525 of its 528 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 527 of 528 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.
      The senior sharpshooter has led, or co-led, the team in scoring 11 times, and has scored in double figures in 19 of her 25 starts at Utah Tech with eight 20-point outings, highlighted by a career-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting with four 3-pointers in Wednesday's win over UT Arlington. 
      In fact, Borden has averaged 23.6 points in her three starts vs. UTA, including games of 23 (1/15) and 19 points (2/5) in two road games in Arlington.  
      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. Tarleton as the WAC's third-leading scorer (15.5 ppg) and 17th-leading rebounder (4.46 rpg). In addition, she is ranked fourth in the conference in FG% (.412), fifth in FT% (.755), ninth in 3FG/game (1.54), and 10th assists (2.42 apg).  
      Borden's current run, which includes 15 points at CBU last Saturday, 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 then 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). 
      In fact, 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 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 (12/6), 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 81 total steals in just 55 career games as a Trailblazer.
      Hartley, who heads into Saturday's game vs. Tarleton as the WAC leader in assists (5.00 apg - t-35th nationally), dished out eight dimes at Utah Valley back on Feb. 12.
      The senior point guard is averaging an even 6.0 assists in her last six starts, which helped push her Utah Tech career assist total to 318, which good for second on the program's career list. Hartley also stands t-fifth in career free throws attempted (300) and eighth in free throws made (172).  
 
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 Jan. 8.
      Warren was in the midst of a brilliant comeback season as she was ranked in the WAC's top-10 in scoring (14th, 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 (1/8).
      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 a night against Abilene Christian (1/29) as she tied a season-high with 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting.
      Thanks to that effort, Cofer became just the fifth Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to shoot at least 90 percent from the floor in a single game, and is the third player to do it since the program transitioned to Division I status. 
      In fact, the sophomore is the first to do it since former Blazer guard Maggie McCord went a perfect 11-of-11 from the floor at Seattle U during the 2023-24 season. 
      Cofer also poured in 18 points in the team's WAC opener at SUU (12/29), highlighted by a season-best three 3-pointers. 
Cofer has scored in double figures in eight of her last 16 starts, and nine times overall this season, which includes 13 points with seven boards at CBU last Saturday. 
      Earlier this season, the sophomore 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 15 times in 42 career games, and has pulled down 10 or more rebounds four times, including a career-high 13 boards at UT Arlington back on Feb. 5. 
 
CRITT SHOWING TRUE GRIT: Senior guard Brie Crittendon is averaging 11.2 ppg in her last 17 starts, including a 16.4 ppg clip over her last five games with a pair of 20-point outings. 
Crittendon has reached double figures in points nine times this season, highlighted by a game and career-high 23 points at UT Arlington (2/5). 
      The redshirt senior guard followed that up with a game high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and season-high tying four 3-pointers at Utah Valley (2/12). She then poured in a co-game high 20 points, thanks to a 10-of-11 effort at the foul line, and pulled down nine rebounds at CBU last Saturday.  
      Crittendon's 23 points at UTA eclipsed her previous career high of 19 points she recorded during her sophomore year at Eastern Kentucky (12/6/23). 
      Crittendon notched her second career double-double with game highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds in the McNeese loss (12/2), against which she knocked down 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 16th in the WAC in scoring (10.0 ppg) and ninth in rebounding (6.7 rpg), has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in four of her 23 starts this season, including a career-high 13 boards to go with six points and three assists in Utah Tech's home win over Westminster (11/29).
      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. 
 
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 24 of her 55 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.
* - Crocker was inserted into the starting line-up for the first time as a Trailblazer 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 34 minutes of game action. 
* - Crocker made her second start in win over Utah Valley (1/10), against which she went off for a career-high 13 points on 4-of-5 (career-best) from beyond the arc ... the junior also just missed her first collegiate double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds vs. ACU (1/31).
* - Crocker is averaging 7.3 points and 9.6 rebounds in her 12 starts this season, including a career high 15 boards at Utah Valley (2/12), and nine more caroms along with a career-high four steals and six points vs. UT Arlington on Wednesday night. 
* - Crocker logged a career-high 36 minutes at UT Arlington (2/5), against which she tallied four points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots ... that effort came a week after she pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds and tied a career high with four blocks vs. Tarleton State (1/31). 
* - In fact, Crocker has posted four blocks six times this season, doing so again at UVU back on Feb. 12.
* - Crocker has 43 blocks in 24 games to this point of the season, which is good for t-fourth place on Utah Tech's single season list ... she also has 57 career blocks at Utah Tech overall, which is good for fifth on the program's career blocks list. 
* - Junior guard Calyn Dallas has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 11 of her first 24 games to start the season, including a season-high three trifectas at UT Arlington (2/5) en route to a WAC season high nine points ... Dallas' nine points were two off of her season-high of 10 points off the bench in the Omaha win (11/12).
* - Dallas also drained a pair of clutch treys in Wednesday night's home victory over UT Arlington.
* - 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 (1/8) ... Colic, who drained another trey in the Utah Valley (1/10), 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 logged a season-long 22-plus minutes off the bench vs. Tarleton State (1/31), and stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, two boards, one assist, one block and a career-high three steals. 
* - Freshman guard Merceius Mili enjoyed a breakout performance at CBU last Saturday with a career-high 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 22-plus minutes off the bench.  
* - 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 knocked down her first collegiate bucket and pulled down one rebound in six minutes at UT Arlington (1/15).
 
ABOUT THE TARLETON STATE "TEXANS": Tarleton State travels south to St. George for Saturday's game having lost four of its last five after the Texans' road win at Utah Tech (63-45) back on Jan. 31. Tarleton's lone win over this current stretch was a home victory vs. Southern Utah (59-57; 2/7), though the Thunderbirds avenged that loss by dispatching the Texans by a 76-69 count this past Wednesday night in Cedar City. 
      The Texans boast three starters averaging double figures, led by senior guard Gia Adams (5-7) at 11.9 ppg on 35.9 percent shooting. Adams also leads Tarleton in assists (4.0 apg), 
      Meanwhile freshman center Elodie Lutbert (6-6) is third on the team in scoring (10.3 ppg) and is the Texans' leading rebounder at 7.5 rpg. 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will embark on its final trip to "The Lone Star State" as a member of the Western Athletic Conference for a road date at Abilene Christian next Thursday, Feb. 26.