Utah Tech wrapped up the 2025-26 regular season on a sour note as the Trailblazers were tripped up at in-state rival Utah Valley, 71-59, on Saturday afternoon inside the UCCU Center.
The loss dropped the Trailblazers to 9-19 overall, 4-13 in Western Athletic Conference play.
How it happened
Utah Tech bolted out to at 15-5 lead with seven-plus minutes gone in the first quarter. The Trailblazers forced nine Wolverine miscues in the opening 10 minutes, which resulted in 12 Utah Tech points.
The Blazers also scored 12 of their 19 first-quarter points in the painted area, while
Kaylee Borden knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, accounting for eight of those first period points overall.
Utah Tech led 19-13 as the game moved to the second quarter, and that lead quickly became nine thanks to a
Brie Crittendon trifecta on the team's first possession of the stanza.
UVU (16-13/9-9 WAC) methodically chipped away at the deficit and eventually wrestled the lead with consecutive Gracie Sorenson buckets, which capped a 15-2 run that gave the Wolverines a 28-24 cushion with 3:58 to play until halftime.
Borden ended the UVU rally with her third 3-pointer of the half, and the senior would drain another later in the frame before both sides retreated to their respective locker rooms deadlocked at 30-30 at the intermission.
Utah Tech clung to a slim 35-34 advantage after another Borden trey with six-plus minutes remaining in the third quarter. But that lead would be erased by 10-straight Wolverine points as UVU took command at 44-35 with 4:37 to go in the frame.
The Trailblazers managed to stay within striking distance and would get to within three at 57-54 following a
Paige Cofer lay-in with 6:29 remaining in regulation.
However Utah Valley slowly pulled away and escaped with the Senior Day victory.
Numbers to know
Borden led all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting, which included a career-best six 3-pointers (6-of-12). The senior guard, who now has nine 20-point games to her credit this season, just missed her second double-double as she finished with a game-high nine rebounds to go with four assists and two steals.
Cofer knocked down a pair of 3-pointers of her own as she finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Crittendon chipped in 11 points and three boards.
Meanwhile, senior point guard
Chardonnay Hartley flirted with a triple-double as she stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, seven caroms and five assists.
Utah Tech shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from the floor, which included a 10-of-32 (.313) effort from the perimeter. The Trailblazers also went 9-of-11 (.818) at the foul line and outrebounded the Wolverines by a 39-36 count.
Kylee Mabry led three Wolverines in double figures with 17 points. UVU hit on 22-of-56 (.393) of its field goal attempts and was 8-of-21 (.381) from beyond the arc.
Up Next
Utah Tech will now prepare to for its final appearance in "WAC Vegas" as the No. 7-seeded Trailblazers will square off against No. 6-seed UT Arlington in the opening round of the 2026 WAC Women's Basketball Tournament.
That match-up will take place this upcoming Wednesday afternoon, March 11, at 3 p.m. (PT), inside the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
