Hosting the Tarleton State University Texans to wrap up a two-game homestand, the Utah Tech University women’s basketball team was defeated 63-45 Jan. 31 at the Burns Arena.
The Trailblazers started well in the opening moments, taking an 8-4 lead midway through the opening quarter after a pair of 3-pointers from Lauren Crocker and Brie Crittendon.
That, however, would be the only time Utah Tech would lead at any point for the remainder of the game.
Tarleton State responded by ripping off an 18-3 run, which included a 12-0 spurt, to take a 22-11 lead in the opening moments of the second quarter.
Both teams would trade buckets over the final minutes of the first half, but the Trailblazers went into the break trailing by nine, 30-21.
A solid start to the second half saw the Trailblazers cut the deficit down to six, 35-29, following a Rose Boisnel trifecta with 7:21 on the third period clock.
The Texans would not allow the home team to get any closer, pushing their advantage to 13, 48-35, to end the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was all Tarleton, as they held UT to 10 points in the frame to close out a 63-45 win.
For the fifth straight game, the Trailblazers were left looking for answers as the offense stalled in another defeat.
This season, Utah Tech is 6-14 overall and 1-9 in WAC play, sitting in the basement of the conference.
“We just came out flat. Very undisciplined,” Brie Crittendon, a redshirt senior from Union, Kentucky, who is pursuing a master’s degree in health care administration, said postgame.
One of the biggest struggles for the Trailblazers all season has been finding consistency offensively.
“I think once we put 40 minutes together, I think we’ll be very tough to beat. But it’s just getting to that point,” Crittendon added.
Heading into the game, the team sat second to last in the WAC in scoring offense, and the loss to Tarleton was the third straight game an opponent held Utah Tech to under 50 points.
UT managed to connect on a mere 30% of its shots (16-54), including just 22% from downtown (8-37) and 45% from the free-throw line (5-11).
“Our offense, we are really trying to work on it. I think once everybody starts working together and figures each other out, I think we will be pretty good. But we’re just going to keep working on that every single day,” Crittendon said.
Crittendon was the lone Trailblazer to reach double figures, scoring 15 points.
One of the bright spots in the defeat was the play of freshman Rose Boisnel, an English major from Caen, Calvados, France.
Appearing in a season-high 23 minutes, she scored nine points, added three steals and recorded a block.
“I’m happy about this game, and I need to just take this game and have more confidence,” Boisnel said.
The Trailblazers will take the court for the first of three straight road games Feb. 5, battling The University of Texas at Arlington at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
Visit here to see the full Utah Tech women’s basketball schedule.
