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TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
After a five-game, cross-country road swing, Utah Tech returns to the Burns Arena for a five-game, pre-Christmas homestand, which begins on Wednesday night when the Trailblazers open the home portion of their WAC schedule against undefeated California Baptist.
The Trailblazers played to a 3-2 record on their road swing, which ended last Saturday afternoon with a WAC season-opening 73-59 win at Utah Valley in the WBB renewal of the "Old Hammer Rivalry." The win was the team's third-straight overall.  
Utah Tech's five-game road odyssey saw the team play in five different states, and in four different time zones, over the past three weeks.  
With the win at Utah Valley last Saturday, Utah Tech improved to 9-7 all-time in conference openers, 2-1 overall in WAC openers. In addition, UTU is now 7-9 all-time in road conference openers, and will look to improve on its 9-6 record in home conference debuts on Wednesday night. 
Utah Tech's 5-2 start this season is tied for the second-best overall start after seven games in the program's NCAA era. It also marks the third time in Head Coach JD Gustin's tenure, and the fifth time overall, that the Trailblazers have started a season at 5-2 or better after seven games. 
Utah Tech opened last season at 5-2, and did so during the program's final two Division II seasons in 2018-19, and 2019-20. The Blazers also began the 2011-12 campaign at 5-2, which came a year after UTU shot out of the gate at 8-0 on its way to a 24-4 overall record and the program's lone NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2010-11 season.

OPENING TIP: Utah Tech (5-2/1-0 WAC) kicks off a five-game, pre-Christmas homestand this Wednesday night when the Trailblazers play host to California Baptist (6-0/1-0 WAC) in an early WAC season match-up. Tip-off inside the Burns Arena (4,779) is set for 7 p.m. (MST). 
 
UTAH TECH VS. CBU: Utah Tech is 4-16 all-time in its series with CBU (2-7 at home), which includes two narrow losses last year, including an 81-72 loss in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 WAC Tournament in Las Vegas (3/8/23). 
            The Trailblazers also came out on the short end of a hard-fought 75-71 road loss to the Lancers last February (2/25/23).
            Utah Tech has lost 13 of their last 14 games overall vs. CBU, with the lone win in that stretch coming during the 2021-22 campaign in Riverside (81-77 (2/24/22).                                    
            That UTU victory halted an 11-game losing streak vs. the Lancers, which dated back to when both programs were competing at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Pacific West Conference. 
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech pushed its win streak to three games and opened WAC play with a 73-59 road victory at Utah Valley last Saturday afternoon in Orem.
            The Blazers got off to a frigid start offensively, misfiring on 17 of its 18 shot attempts in the first quarter. However the Trailblazers found themselves only down 11-6 after the first 10 minutes of play. 
            UTU warmed up quick, beginning the second period with an 18-6 spurt to go up seven at 24-17, and held a slim 26-24 lead at the half. 
            The Trailblazers then opened the second half with 11-straight points as part of a 17-4 run to extend to a 43-28 cushion with 5:18 to go in the third quarter. Utah Tech would maintain at least a two-possession advantage the rest of the way to close out the "Old Hammer Rivalry" win.
 
HEAD COACH JD GUSTIN: JD Gustin is in his eighth season at the helm of the Utah Tech Women's Basketball program.
            Gustin has seen marked improvements in each season on the Trailblazer sideline, culminating with an 19-12 overall record last season, 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. In addition, the Trailblazers made their WAC Tournament debut in 2022-23, and advanced on to the quarterfinal round by defeating Utah Valley, 72-68, to win their first-ever NCAA Division-I era postseason victory. 
            Utah Tech's 19 wins last season were the most in the program's current NCAA Division-I transition, and is the highest win total during Coach Gustin's seven-year tenure on the Trailblazer bench. 
            In Utah Tech's final Division II season, the Trailblazers played to an 18-12 under Gustin. The team also capped that 2019-20 season by clinching a berth in the 2020 RMAC Tournament, marking the first time the Trailblazers had qualified for a conference tournament since the 2013-14 season. The Trailblazers entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed, and shocked second-seeded Western Colorado in Gunnison, Colo., for a 65-60 win in the RMAC Quarterfinals.
 
THE REST OF THE STAFF: This past April, Gustin announced the promotion off all three members of his coaching staff. 
            Gustin elevated two of his assistants, Matt Thune (second season at Utah Tech) and Nicole Yazzie (eighth season at Utah Tech), to associate head coach designations, while assistant coach Candace Thornton (second season at Utah Tech) will also serve as the program's recruiting coordinator. 
            
GILLEN THE ONE TO WATCH IN 2023-24: Coming off a banner senior season in 2022-23, fifth-year guard Breaunna Gillen entered her final collegiate campaign with a pair of well-deserved preseason honors to her credit. 
            In October, Gillen was voted as the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year, and was named to the 25-player preseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year, presented by Her Hoop Stats. 
            Gillen is the lone WAC representative on the Hammon watch list, which includes women's basketball student-athletes from 23 teams and 16 conferences overall. 
            Last season, Gillen was either at or near the top of the WAC scoring list throughout the entire 2022-23 campaign en route to first team all-WAC honors, wound up as the conference's second leading scorer at 17.8 points per game. 
            The fifth-year guard finished last season as the WAC's leader in assists at 6.45 apg, and finished in the top-10 overall in assist/turnover ratio (2nd; 1.77), field goal percentage (5th; .438), and free throw percentage (10th; .744).
 
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED FOURTH THE WAC: Utah Tech was picked to finish fourth in the 2023-24 WAC women's basketball preseason coaches poll, which was released on Oct. 15. 
            Grand Canyon received six of a possible 11 first place votes and 93 total points to be tabbed as the WAC preseason favorite, while defending regular season and tournament champion Southern Utah collected the other five first place nods to finish second in the poll with 87 points.
            California Baptist (83 pts) was picked to finish third, followed by Utah Tech (71 pts) in fourth, Stephen F. Austin (61 pts) in fifth, Abilene Christian (54 pts) in sixth, UT Arlington (53 pts) in seventh, UTRGV (42 pts) in eighth, Tarleton (22 pts) and Utah Valley (22 pts) tied for ninth, and Seattle U (17 pts) was picked to finish 11th. 
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 237-straight games, which included 17 made threes in the season opener vs. La Verne (11/6), along with 14 more trifectas in the Utah Valley win last Saturday afternoon.
            The 17 made treys vs. La Verne (17-of-38; .447) tied for the third-highest single game total in program history, which, coincidentally, was the same number of perimeter jumpers the Blazers hit in last season's win over La Verne (11/26/22).
            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). 
            Utah Tech has reached double figures in made 3-pointers 88 times during the program's NCAA era, including in five of its seven games this season, and in a school-record 19 games last season. 
            In fact, the Trailblazers broke single season school records for 3FGM (310), 3FGA (898), and 3FG% (.345) last year.
            In all, Utah Tech has hit at least one 3-pointer in 445 of its 448 games during its NCAA era, which began in the 2006-07 season.
            Two of the three instances when the Blazers did not hit a three 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 2006-27 (vs. UHH, 1/7/07). 
            Meanwhile, Utah Tech has surrendered at least one made opponent 3-pointer in 447 of 448 games during its NCAA era. 
 
DEFENSE DOES TRAVEL: Utah Tech broke a single-game record for fewest points allowed in a quarter when the Trailblazers held New Hampshire to only three third-quarter points in their win back on Nov. 22.
            The Trailblazer defense limited UNH to 1-of-16 shooting in the period, this after the Wildcats missed their final nine shots to close out the second quarter. UNH shot a paltry 26.5 percent (18-of-68) from floor overall, which included a 7-of-35 (.200) clip in the second half. The Wildcats were also just 2-of-25 (.008) from beyond the arc.
            Utah Tech's previous school record for fewest points allowed in a quarter was four points set twice - both in fourth quarters of road victories, with the last occurrence coming in the 2019-20 season opener at UT-Tyler (W, 75-41; 11/8/2019), which was the program's final NCAA Division II season. UTU also held Holy Names to four fourth-quarter points in a road win during the 2015-16 campaign (61-44; 2/20/16).
 
1,201 DOWN, 12 TO GO FOR HISTORY: Breaunna Gillen (1,201 pts) made some more history in last Saturday's win at UVU, becoming the second player at Utah Tech to reach the 1,200-point plateau when she sank the first of two free throws with 4:10 to play in the fourth quarter.
            The fifth-year guard now stands just 12 points away from moving past former guard Johnna Brown (1,212; 2009-11, 12-13) to become the program's all-time leading scorer. 
            Gillen (460 FGM), who in the season opener vs. La Verne (11/6) vaulted past Brown (433) atop the program's field goals made list, also became the Utah Tech career leader in field goals attempted (1,037) in the UVU win, passing former Blazer guard Kaylah Miller (1,034; 2011-15). 
            Gillen is already far-and-away Utah Tech's career assist leader with 427 dimes and counting, and she is now within striking distance of four more career record standards. 
            In addition to points, Gillen is on track to become UTU's career leader in games started (4th - 75, needs 7 more), games played (5th - 98, needs 10 more), and steals (6th - 102, needs 47 more). 
            Gillen has also joined both Brown (1,212 pts/232 assts) and Miller (1,055 pts/200 assts) as the only three players in program history with 1,000 career points and at least career 200 assists.
            
TRAILBLAZERS NOTES
* - After seeing her consecutive starts streak end at 73 on Thanksgiving Eve (11/22) at New Hampshire, Gillen has scored 13 points in each of her last two starts at Stonehill (11/25) and at UVU last Saturday. 
* - Gillen, who was forced to leave the Texas A&M-Commerce game (11/20) late in the first quarter due to injury, unfortunately saw her double-digit point streak also end at 46-straight games after scoring just three points. 
* - Gillen got off to a great start to her final collegiate season as she just missed her second career triple-double in the opener vs. La Verne (11/6), against which she tallied a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, to go with a career-high 11 rebounds and eight assists.
* - Gillen followed that up with a game-high 24 points in the Jax State (11/9) win ... her 24 points were two off of her career high of 26 set nearly one year ago to the day in a home win vs. Utah State (11/15/22).
* - Gillen then went for 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the road loss at UNLV (11/14).
* - Gillen has now scored in double figures in 64 career games with 20 20-plus point outings.
* - Sophomore Maddie Warren led four Blazers in double figures with 19 points in last Saturday's win at UVU ... Warren went 4-of-8 from the perimeter and pulled down a career-high tying eight rebounds. 
* - The redshirt-sophomore guard also led all scorers with a season-high 21 points at TAMU-C (11/20) ... Warren went 8-of-15 from the floor with a career-high tying five 3-pointers, and picked off a career best four steals ... Meanwhile, her eight FGM were also a career high.  
* - Maddie Warren's five treys matched her previous career high she first tied exactly two years earlier in a home win vs. Antelope Valley (5-of-10; 11/20/21) ... she also hit five 3FG in her collegiate debut vs. Life Pacific (5-of-8; 11/9/21) on her way to a career-high 22 points.
* - Meanwhile, twin sister Macie Warren scored in double figures for the sixth time in seven games at UVU last Saturday with 12 points - all in the second half, on 4-of-5 shooting with three 3-pointers. 
* - Macie Warren also posted her third double-double of the season, and career, with a game and career-high tying 10 rebounds
* - Macie Warren also pulled down 10 boards and led all scorers with 16 points in the New Hampshire win (11/22), 
* - Macie Warren narrowly missed her first collegiate triple double in the La Verne win (11/6), though she did notch her first career double-double with 19 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds.
* - She followed that up with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers (4-of-5 3FG), seven boards and two assists in the Jax State (11/9) win. 
 * - Macie Warren helped pick up the slack at TAMU-C (12/3), finishing with 15 points, six boards, a game-high five assists, and a career-best two blocks. 
* - Maggie McCord enjoyed a solid Turkey Week, during which she averaged 15.0 points on 55.6 percent shooting (15-of-27), including 57.1 percent from the perimeter (12-of-21), along with 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals in Utah Tech's three games.
* - McCord began the week by scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-6 3FG), with four rebounds and two assists at TAMU-C (11/20) ... she followed that up with her first double-double of the year in the win at New Hampshire (11/22), going for 11 points with three more three pointers and a co-game high 10 rebounds.
* - Then in the win at Stonehill (11/25), McCord led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with six 3-pointers (6-of-9) ... she also grabbed a co-game high eight rebounds, and had two assists and a steal ... her six treys were two off of her school record-tying eight she drained at Seattle U (2/26/22) during the 2021-22 season.
* - McCord accounted for all six of UTU's points in the first quarter at Utah Valley last Saturday on her way to 13 points on the day ... McCord also grabbed five boards and dished out four assists, which matched her career high she recorded exactly nine-months-to-the-day at, coincidentally, Utah Valley (3/2/23) in the 2022-23 regular season finale. 
* - Calyn Dallas replaced Gillen in the starting lineup at New Hampshire (11/22), and the freshman responded with a pair of 3-pointers for six points to go with four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 30 minutes.
* - Dallas kept the hot shooting touch going at Stonehill, against which she knocked down a career-best four 3-pointers on her way to a career-high 16 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting ... she followed that up with two more treys for six points at UVU last Saturday.
* - Dallas made the most of her Trailblazer debut as she poured in 15 points in 24 minutes off the bench in the La Verne win (11/6) on 5-for-5 shooting with three 3-pointers.
* - Catelyn Deaver enjoyed her best game as a Trailblazer in the La Verne win (11/6) with a career high nine points, along with four rebounds and two blocks.
* - Catelyn Deaver would rival that effort at TAMU-C (11/20) with a career-high tying two blocks, a career best seven boards, and six points in 28 reserve minutes ... the sophomore went on to grab seven more caroms at Stonehill last Saturday. 
* - Meanwhile, her twin sister Alyson Deaver poured in a career high seven points and also joined the two-block party on Monday at TAMU-C. 
* - Caitlynn Jordan spurred on the strong Blazer first quarter at Stonehill by scoring all seven of her points consecutively last in the period, and finished with four rebounds in 12-plus reserve minutes.  
* - Jordan put together a solid outing at UVU last Saturday, knocking down a pair of clutch 3-pointers for six points and grabbed four rebounds in nearly 15 minutes off the bench. 
* - Nicole Willardson, who has started in each of the last five games, recorded career highs of six rebounds and three assists, and poured in four points at Stonehill (11/25) ... she also tallied four points with a blocked shot at UVU. 
* - Utah Tech, which currently leads the WAC in fewest turnovers (14.6 tpg), only turned the ball over just 13 times last Saturday at UVU, and forced 13 Wolverine turnovers for good measure ... UVU had enter that game forcing 24.7 opponent turnovers per game, and the Wolverines were ranked sixth-nationally in turnover margin (+8.83). 
* - Utah Tech shot 58.4 percent from the floor (45-of-77) vs. La Verne (11/6), which was the fifth-highest single game field goal percentage in program history.
* - Utah Tech's 45 made field goals tied a program single game record that was set all the way back in the 2015-16 season in a home win vs. Chaminade (1/5/16). 
* - Utah Tech outrebounded La Verne 57-32, and finished with 27 assists on its 45 made field goals ... the 27 dimes are the sixth-most in a single game in program history.
* - Utah Tech held Jax State to just 27.8 percent shooting (20-of-72), which included an 11-of-40 clip (.275) from the perimeter.
* - The Blazers were just as stingy vs. La Verne, limiting the Panthers to 25.0 percent (19-of-76) from the floor in that game. 
* - Overall, Utah Tech has held three of its first seven opponents below 30 percent shooting (all wins) ... for context, Utah Tech only held two total opponents to under 30 percent shooting all of last season. 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO GREECE: In preparation for the 2023-24 season, Utah Tech embarked on its first-ever foreign trip this past August when the Trailblazers traveled to Greece. 
            The trip included tours of the Kallimarmaro Olympic Stadium, which was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the Acropolis of Athens and its museum, and a boat excursion to the Greek islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina. 
            The Trailblazers won a pair of exhibition games while on the trip, the first came against the Amilia Peristeriou Basketball Club in a 119-45 on August 12, followed by an 88-68 victory over the Athens All-Stars on August 14. 
            Per NCAA rules, college teams are allowed to make an international trip once every four years. Additionally, the team is allotted an extra 10 practices in preparation for the trip.
 
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BAPTIST "LANCERS": CBU is off to a 6-0 start, with five of those wins coming in its native California, highlighted by a road win at San Diego State (76-68; 11/10), and home wins over both Long Beach State (82-71; 11/15) and UTEP (90-87 [OT}; 11/18). The Lancers ventured out of "The Golden State" for the first time last week and came away with a 79-66 conference road win at defending WAC champion Southern Utah (11/28), 
            CBU is led by senior guard Chloe Webb (5-8), who is currently the WAC's leading scorer (21.0 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (8.83 rpg), Webb is also CBU's top 3-point threat (16-of-37; .432) and is second in the conference in steals (20; 3.33 spg).
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech continues its homestand this Saturday afternoon when the Trailblazers host in-state rival Weber State. Tip-off inside the Burns Arena is slated for 2 p.m. (MST).