Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | ABILENE CHRISTIAN
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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
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 this Thursday night inside Moody Coliseum. 
 
Utah Tech is 3-6 all-time against the Texans and had won three-straight to begin the series, with two of those wins coming at home. However the Trailblazers have dropped the last six games vs. the Wildcats, including both meetings last month inside the Burns Arena (L, 51-81; 1/1; L, 46-54; 1/29). 
 
A Trailblazer win on Thursday would be Utah Tech's first road win of the season. A Utah Tech victory would also be the Blazers' sixth win in Texas, where they have played to a 5-18 (5-14 in WAC play) overall record during its time as a Division I program. 
 
Thursday's game will also mark the final time that both Utah Tech and Abilene Christian will square off in WAC play.  

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (8-17/3-12 WAC) heads to Texas for the final time as a member of the WAC for a Thursday night match-up at Abilene Christian (19-8/10-4 WAC). Tip-off inside Moody Coliseum (3,600) is set for 5 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: Brie Crittendon tied a career high with 23 points to lead four Trailblazer starters in double figures as Utah Tech ran past visiting Tarleton State, 76-55, last Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Arena. 
      The Trailblazers used a 15-3 second-quarter run, and a decisive 13-2 fourth-quarter rally, to come away with their most lopsided victory of the season.
 
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 154-94 (.621) overall record in 248 games inside the Burns Arena, including a 8-8 mark this season.
      Under Coach Gustin, the Trailblazers are 74-61 (.548) on their home floor, and his charges have won eight or more home games in seven of their last nine seasons overall. In fact, Utah Tech has won 11 home games 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 318-straight games, including a season-high tying 11 treys (11-of-30) in last Saturday's win over Tarleton State, and 11 trifectas in two games vs. Utah Valley  (11-of-33, 2/12; 11-of-25, 1/10). 
      The Blazers have knocked down at least 10 3-pointers eight times this season, with six 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 37 times in their last 88 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 122 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 526 of its 529 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 528 of 529 games during its NCAA era.
 
BORDEN LOCKS DOWN SECOND WAC HONOR: Redshirt senior guard Kaylee Borden was named WAC Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season on Monday.
      Borden, who garnered conference newcomer honors back on Nov. 24, averaged 23.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in Utah Tech's two-game home sweep last week. She shot a combined 45.7 percent (16-of-37) from the floor, 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the perimeter, and went 8-of-10 at the foul line (.800).
      Borden led all scorers with a career high 29 points, including a pair of game winning free throws with 1.5 seconds left, in Utah Tech's 60-58 come-from-behind victory over UT Arlington last Wednesday night. She hit on 10-of-17 of her field goal attempts with four 3-pointers, and collected four rebounds and two steals. 
      She followed that up with 18 points, 13 of which came in the second half, in last Saturday's 76-55 rout of Tarleton State. Borden knocked down three more treys and stuffed the stat sheet with career highs of six assists and three steals, and pulled down four rebounds. 
 
BORDEN BEARING DOWN: 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 20 of her 25 starts at Utah Tech with eight 20-point outings, highlighted by a career-high 29 points in the UTA win last week.
      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 Thursday's game at ACU as the WAC's second-leading scorer (15.6 ppg) and 18th-leading rebounder (4.44 rpg). In addition, she is ranked fifth in the conference in FT% (.756), sixth in FG% (.408), ninth in 3FG/game (1.60), and 10th assists (2.56 apg).  
      Borden's current run, which includes 15 points at CBU (2/14), 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 83 total steals in just 56 career games as a Trailblazer.
      Hartley, who heads into Thursday's game at ACU as the WAC leader in assists (5.08 apg - 38th nationally), dished out seven dimes to go with nine points in the Tarleton win last Saturday.
      The senior point guard is averaging an even 6.14 assists in her last seven starts, which helped push her Utah Tech career assist total to 325, which good for second on the program's career list. In addition, her 127 assists this season are good for seventh on the single season list.
      Hartley also stands fourth in career free throws attempted (303) and t-sixth in free throws made (174).  
 
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 nine of her last 17 starts, and 10 times overall this season, which includes 10 points with a game-high 11 rebounds for her third career double-double in the Tarleton win 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 16 times in 43 career games, and has pulled down 10 or more rebounds five times, including a career-high 13 boards at UT Arlington back on Feb. 5. 
 
CRITT SHOWING TRUE GRIT: Senior guard Brie Crittendon is averaging 11.9 ppg in her last 18 starts, including a 17.5 ppg clip over her last six games with three 20-point outings, highlighted by her third career double-double with a career-high tying 23 points with 10 rebounds in last Saturday's win over Tarleton State. 
      Crittendon has reached double figures in points 10 times this season, which includes her first 23-point night earlier this month 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 (2/14).  
      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 (10.58 ppg) and eighth in rebounding (6.83 rpg), has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in five of her 24 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 56 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 7.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in her 13 starts this season, including a career high tying 13 points with five rebounds in the Tarleton State win last Saturday.
* - 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 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 44 blocks in 25 games to this point of the season, which is good for fourth place on Utah Tech's single season list ... she also has 58 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 25 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).
* - 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, who pulled down a career high six rebounds in the Tarleton State win last Saturday, 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 pulled down a career-high four rebounds in eight-plus reserve minutes in last Saturday's win over Tarleton State. 
 
ABOUT THE ABILENE CHRISTIAN "WILDCATS": Abilene Christian enters the week winners of four of its last six games, though the Wildcats are coming off a 78-70 road loss at Southern Utah this past Sunday afternoon in Cedar City. 
      The Wildcats enters Thursday's game as the WAC leader in scoring offense defense (61.5 ppg), and is second in scoring margin (+7.64 ppg) and 3-point percentage (.326). 
      ACU features three of the WAC's top-20 scorers, led by WAC Preseason Player of the Year in junior guard Payton Hull (5-10) with a conference-leading 19.2 ppg average on 43.2 percent shooting.
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will close out the home portion of its 2025-26 regular season schedule this Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers welcome in-state rival Southern Utah to the Burns Arena for a Senior Day showdown. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. (MT).