Utah Tech’s women’s basketball team ended its 2025-26 season after a 77-73 defeat to UT Arlington in the opening round of the Air Force Reserve Western Athletic Conference Tournament on March 11 at the Orleans Arena.
The Trailblazers finished their final season in the Western Athletic Conference with a record of 9-20. UT Arlington, now at 11-20, will move on to face Southern Utah, the tournament’s third seed, in the quarterfinals.
The game saw both teams trading baskets early before UT Arlington closed out the first quarter with a strong run, building a commanding lead. Utah Tech struggled with turnovers during this stretch but responded by holding UT Arlington scoreless for over five minutes in the second quarter and narrowing the gap to five points by halftime. The Trailblazers continued their comeback after halftime, eventually tying and then taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Despite leading by seven points early in the final period, Utah Tech could not hold off a late rally from UT Arlington.
Lauren Crocker led Utah Tech with a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds. Kaylee Borden added 14 points and was recognized as first team all-WAC in her only season as a Trailblazer. Brie Crittendon also scored 14 points and was named to the WAC all-Defensive Team. Chardonnay Hartley contributed 14 points and seven assists, finishing her two-year career ranked second all-time for assists at Utah Tech.
Utah Tech shot just over 41 percent from the field and made double-digit three-pointers for the eleventh time this season. Kira Reynolds led all scorers with 21 points for UT Arlington, including nine in the fourth quarter.
With this result, Utah Tech concludes its tenure in the Western Athletic Conference while several players set new marks on program single-season lists.
