SACRAMENTO, Calif. - After trailing by 12 points early Sacramento State rallied back with a 16-0 run to take a halftime lead and maintained its advantage throughout the second half in an 83-72 victory over Northern Colorado on Thursday night in The Nest.

Sacramento State (11-15, 8-7 Big Sky) picked up its fourth win in the last five contests and won its third straight home game. With just three games remaining in the regular season the Hornets moved over the .500 mark while extending their edge over Northern Colorado (11-14, 6-9 Big Sky) as the teams battle for seeding in the Big Sky Tournament.

"I liked how our team showed some toughness at the beginning," Sacramento State head coach Bunky Harkleroad said. "Northern Colorado did a good job coming out and knocking some shots down and beat us for the first part of the game, but we were able to score some baskets and get in rhythm. It was an unusual start but Northern Colorado was ready to play."

The Hornets won in part due to their best defensive performance of the year, holding Northern Colorado to 36.0% shooting for their lowest opposing field goal percentage of the season. Sacramento State also had a massive advantage at the free throw line, shooting 23-of-30 at the stripe while the Bears had just seven free throw attempts, though they made them all.

Sacramento State made just six 3-pointers, its fewest made threes in a game this season, and shot just 38.6% overall but outrebounded the bigger Bears 49-44. The Hornets outscored UNC 20-12 in second chance and had a 38-20 advantage in points in the paint.

Northern Colorado came out hot while the Hornets struggled out of the gate, with the visitors opening the game with a 10-2 advantage in building a game-high 12 point lead at 24-12 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Hornets responded out of a timeout, cutting their deficit to just 26-20 at the end of the quarter.

The Bears led by nine at 31-22 at the 8:04 mark of the second quarter before the game turned. Sacramento State went on a 16-0 run over the next four and half minutes, making six shots in a row at one point and opening up a 38-31 lead.

Sacramento State's lead was just two at 42-40 at the half, and in the third quarter Northern Colorado got back within a point three times but could never draw even. The Hornets took a 62-58 lead into the fourth quarter and closed the game strong, going up by as many as 15 points in the final four minutes and outscoring UNC 21-14 in the final quarter to close out the win.

Sophomore Maranne Johnson had a game-high 20 points for Sacramento State, making a pair of threes and adding five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in her fifth 20-point game of the season. Senior Adella Randle-El did not shoot the ball well but filled the stat sheet again with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals. She now has 99 steals this season, tying the program single season record set by Fantasia Hilliard last year.

Junior Brianna Burgos had 13 points and senior Ericka Magaña had 12 while senior Sydonia Daniels pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds. Northern Colorado had four players score in double figures with Kyleigh Hiser leading the way with 19 points off the bench.

The Bears made 11 threes in the game, going 4-of-7 from 3-point range in the first quarter, but finished shooting just 28.9% from the arc. The visitors committed 21 turnovers but Sacramento State had 17 and had just a 20-19 edge in points off turnovers.

Northern Colorado entered the game ranked last in all NCAA Div. I in total rebounds and free throws attempted, and Sacramento State's advantage in both of those areas was key in the win. The Bears didn't attempt a single free throw in the entire first half, reaching the line for the first time at the 5:58 mark of the third quarter.

The Hornets hosts North Dakota in their last home game of the season at 2 p.m. Saturday. Seniors Daniels, Magaña, and Randle-El will be honored prior to their final collegiate home game.