Trailblazers basketball: Women suffer tough loss at Burns arena; men travel to Texas

ST. GEORGE — The Trailblazers had a tough game slip through their fingers Saturday afternoon.

Facing a Seattle University team that had only two Western Athletic Conference wins coming into St. George, Utah Tech’s women’s basketball team couldn’t get enough clutch shots down the stretch and falling to the Redhawks 70-66.

Seattle forced Utah Tech to play from behind for almost the entire game. The Trailblazers came close to a tying rally a couple of times but faltered in the end. The teams were knotted 18-18 after a back-and-forth first quarter. The visitors played a strong second session and led 37-30 going into halftime.

Amber Kartchner fed Averi Papa under the hoop for a fast break bucket as Utah Tech opened the third quarter determined to make a run. Then Breaunna Gillen drove through the paint for a floater.

Utah Tech’s Breaunna Gillen works against Seattle University in a WAC women’s basketball game, St. George, Utah, Jan. 28, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Emily Isaacson and Kartchner later connected on consecutive 3-pointers. Gillen and Kartchner scored buckets after drives to the rack and Kartchner nailed a 3 from the top of the arc, but Seattle held on to a seven-point lead at 57-50 going into the final quarter of play.

The last four minutes of the contest were filled with fouls. Seattle salted away the win from the stripe while Utah Tech came up short on its last couple of key possessions.

“Seattle came in loose and confident and played with nothing to lose. Our team did not and it cost us,” Trailblazers head coach JD Gustin said in a press release.

“I am pleased with the way we competed in the 4th (quarter) and thought the game was played at a relatively high-level in that quarter,” Gustin added. “Ultimately, we have to credit Seattle as I thought they were very good today.”

Isaacson led the Trailblazers with 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Kartchner and Gillen threw in 13 points each for the home team and Papa chipped in with nine points in the setback.

Taliyah Clark led the way for the Redhawks with 17 points. Mya Moore scored 15, Irena Korolenko netted 12 and Peyton Howard scored 10 in the win for the visitors.

Utah Tech’s Sa’de Turlington chases a loose ball against Seattle University in a WAC women’s basketball game, St. George, Utah, Jan. 28, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Utah Tech saw its overall record slip to 13-7 after the loss, including a 5-4 mark in WAC play.

Up next for the Trailblazers is a two-game road trip to the Lone Star state. They play at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and then at University of Texas Arlington, Feb. 2 and Feb. 4, respectively.

Men lose to Abilene Christian

Meanwhile Utah Tech’s men were in Texas Saturday night as the Trailblazers fell 81-75 in a gut-wrenching WAC loss.

According to a press release, Utah Tech saw a late-game road rally come up short for the second consecutive contest. The Trailblazers turned the ball over six times in the first seven minutes and trailed 19-12.

But Utah Tech clawed back. Jacob Nicolds had a bucket at the buzzer and Utah Tech took a 40-38 lead at halftime. Noa Gonsalves canned a 3-pointer and the visitors led 52-49 with 12:27 left in the contest.

That was Utah Tech’s last lead as the Trailblazers went scoreless over the next four-minute stretch. Ali Abdou Dibba scored 10-straight Wildcat points, six of which came after Blazer turnovers, in that run as Abilene Christian opened up a seven-point advantage at 59-52.

Utah Tech kept fighting, cutting the lead to 75-73 with over two minutes left. Cameron Gooden’s 3-point play made it 77-76 but the Trailblazers had a couple of empty possessions at the end and Abilene Christian escaped with the win.

Gooden had a return to form, leading Utah Tech with 26 points. Gonsalves scored 16 including four 3-pointers. Nicolds contributed 10 points and Frank Staine netted eight in the setback.

Utah Tech fell to 10-12 overall and is 2-7 in the WAC.

Three of its next four games are at home, beginning with a battle against in-state rival Utah Valley in Burns Arena Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.

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