ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — Utah Tech used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away from Tarleton State for a 76-55 women’s basketball victory Saturday at Burns Arena. The Trailblazers, who led 36-20 at halftime, sealed the Western Athletic Conference win by outscoring the Texans 25-11 in the final period. Brie Crittendon led Utah Tech with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Jakoriah Long scored 20 points for Tarleton State, and Elodie Lutbert added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Utah Tech improved to 8-17 overall. Tarleton State fell to 12-14. Attendance was 579.

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — Brie Crittendon recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Utah Tech to a decisive 76-55 victory over Tarleton State in a Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Burns Arena. The Trailblazers used a dominant second quarter and a strong finish to pull away from the Texans, sweeping the season series after dropping both regular-season meetings earlier in the year. Utah Tech improved to 8-17 overall, while Tarleton State fell to 12-14. The most critical stretch of the game came in the second quarter, where Utah Tech’s defense completely stifled the Texans. After trailing 17-15 through one period, the Trailblazers held Tarleton State to just five points in the entire second quarter. During that frame, the Texans shot a dismal 2 of 15 from the field and committed five turnovers. Utah Tech capitalized, outscoring Tarleton State 19-5 to take a commanding 36-20 lead into halftime. That 16-point cushion proved insurmountable for a struggling Tarleton State offense. Crittendon, a 5-foot-10 guard from Union, Kentucky, was the catalyst throughout, adding two assists and a block in 36 minutes of action. She was supported by a balanced effort from her teammates. Kaylee Borden scored 18 points and dished out six assists, while Chardonnay Hartley orchestrated the offense with seven assists and nine points. In the frontcourt, Paige Cofer posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Lauren Crocker contributed 13 points and five rebounds off the bench. For Tarleton State, Jakoriah Long of Waco, Texas, led all scorers with 20 points, playing the full 40 minutes. Elodie Lutbert, the 6-foot-6 center from Sainte-Luce, Martinique, also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out. However, the Texans could not overcome a poor shooting afternoon, hitting only 21 of 61 attempts from the floor and a frigid 3 of 17 from three-point range. Utah Tech’s offense was far more efficient, shooting 40 percent overall and a robust 11 of 30 from beyond the arc. The Trailblazers also won the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Texans 45-39, including a 12-9 edge in offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. After Utah Tech’s second-quarter surge, Tarleton State showed a flicker of life in the third quarter, outscoring the Trailblazers 24-15 behind 10 points from Long. The Texans cut the deficit to as few as seven points, but could not sustain the momentum. Utah Tech responded emphatically in the final period, pouring in 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting to seal the victory. Crittendon scored seven of her points in the fourth quarter, and Borden added eight, including a pair of three-pointers, to extinguish any hope of a Tarleton State comeback. The Trailblazers also forced 16 Tarleton State turnovers, converting them into 19 points, and held a significant advantage in assists, 19-7, showcasing superior ball movement. The win marks a positive turnaround for Utah Tech, which entered the game having lost two of its last three. Crittendon’s performance continues a strong individual stretch, following a 20-point, nine-rebound effort at California Baptist earlier in the week. Tarleton State, which had defeated Utah Tech twice in January by scores of 64-60 and 63-45, saw its two-game winning streak in the series snapped. The Texans have now lost three of their last four games overall. A crowd of 579 at Burns Arena watched the Trailblazers control the contest from the second quarter onward. Utah Tech will look to build on the win when it travels to face Abilene Christian on Thursday. Tarleton State returns home to host Utah Valley on the same night.

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — A pair of Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball teams looking to gain momentum for the final stretch of the season will meet Saturday when Tarleton State visits Utah Tech at Burns Arena. The Texans (12-13, 7-7 WAC) and Trailblazers (7-17, 4-10) face off for the second time in three weeks. Tarleton State won the previous meeting 63-45 on Jan. 31 in St. George, holding Utah Tech to 27.1% shooting from the field. Tarleton State arrives after a 76-69 road loss at Southern Utah on Wednesday. The Texans have lost four of their last five games but remain in the middle of the conference standings. Guard Jakoriah Long, the team’s primary offensive threat, scored 20 points in the loss to Southern Utah and had 20 points and five rebounds in the Jan. 31 win over Utah Tech. Over her last seven games, Long is averaging 15.0 points. Utah Tech snapped a five-game losing streak with a 60-58 home victory over Texas-Arlington on Wednesday. Guard Kaylee Borden erupted for a career-high 29 points in the win, showcasing the scoring potential that will be crucial for the Trailblazers to reverse their recent fortunes. Borden was held to seven points in the first meeting with Tarleton State. The Trailblazers have struggled offensively this season, ranking near the bottom of the WAC in scoring. They will need to find more consistent production beyond Borden to challenge a Tarleton State defense that held them to a season-low 45 points last month. Historically, the series has been close, with Tarleton State winning the last two matchups by an average of 11 points. The Texans’ 64-60 win in Stephenville on Jan. 17 was a tighter affair, indicating the potential for a competitive game on Utah Tech’s home floor. Saturday’s contest is the start of a key two-game homestand for Utah Tech before it closes the regular season with two road games. Tarleton State continues a challenging February slate before returning home next week. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. MST at Burns Arena.