SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State led by 14 points in the second half before a 19-2 Northern Colorado run put the Bears ahead, but the Hornets responded with a 13-2 run of their own and were able to hold on for a 76-71 win Saturday in The Nest.

After its third straight win Sacramento State (5-10, 3-1 Big Sky) has opened conference play with a 3-1 record for the second consecutive season. The Hornets are also now 4-1 at home this season while Northern Colorado (8-7, 2-2 Big Sky) saw its two game winning streak come to an end.

After the massive runs by both teams the Bears had a 69-68 lead with two minutes and 58 seconds to play. The Hornets then held the Bears scoreless for the next two and a half minutes as layups by sophomore Gretchen Harrigan and senior Takara Burse and a pair of free throws from senior Fantasia Hilliard gave the home team a five point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining.

The Bears got a layup and a missed free throw by Hilliard gave Northern Colorado a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer with nine seconds left. Bears senior D'Shara Strange, who led all players with 26 points and 13 rebounds in the game, was called for an offensive foul to give the ball back to the Hornets, and sophomore Brianna Burgos nailed a pair of free throws to put the game away.

"They were playing fearless, but we've been in this situation several times this year with the tough non-conference schedule and I'm really proud of our team because we just calmed down and made some plays," Sacramento State head coach Bunky Harkleroad said. "We were still up four or five points when the game was the most frustrating; they were making shots and we had to take a step back. Hopefully this is some growth; we've learned from our past experiences and were able to take those lessons and get better."

Hilliard led the Hornets with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the second half. Sophomore Hallie Gennett had 13 points, freshman Maranne Johnson had 10, and Burse had eight points and four assists.

The Hornets held Northern Colorado to just 37.5% shooting and 31 points in the first half. Sacramento State led for the majority of the opening period, going up by as many as 11 points at the 4:22 mark, and led 41-31 at the half.

A layup by Burse with 16 and a half minutes left to play gave the Hornets their biggest lead of the game at 53-39. Over the next six minutes Sacramento State shot 1-of-11 from the field and had three turnovers as the Bears went on a 19-2 run, punctuated by a Strange 3-pointer, to take a 58-55 lead.

Johnson had perhaps the biggest shot of the game on the ensuing possession as she knocked down a 3-pointer and then hit another three on the next Sacramento State possession. The Hornet response turned into a 13-2 run and a 68-60 lead with 6:27 left to play.

The Hornets forced 15 Northern Colorado turnovers in the first half but the Bears gave the ball up just four times in the second half to key their comeback. UNC also shot 48.5% in the second half and ended the game with a .431-.418 edge in field goal percentage.

Sacramento State went 11-of-34 from 3-point range while the Bears took 26 shots from behind the arc and made nine. Northern Colorado had a slim 41-39 edge in rebounds and had 16 offensive boards to outscore the Hornets 17-10 in second chance points. The teams finished even with 30 points in the paint and 17 points off turnovers apiece.

Strange also led the Bears with four steals while Kyleigh Hiser scored 16 points off the bench and center Stephanie Lee had 14 points and three blocks. The Hornets committed six fewer fouls than the Bears and shot seven more free throws but attempted just two more shots than the visitors in the game.

Sacramento State goes back on the road next week to face Big Sky newcomer Idaho on Thursday night and Eastern Washington next Saturday.