SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Sacramento State led by as many as 11 midway through the third quarter on Saturday, but a late push by UC Santa Barbara was too much for the Hornets, who fell, 66-58, to the Gauchos.

With the loss, Sacramento State falls to 4-7 on the season. UC Santa Barbara, meanwhile, improves to 5-3.

Saturday's back-and-forth battle saw 14 lead changes, four ties, double-digit leads for both teams, and multiple scoring runs. Unfortunately for the Hornets, most of UC Santa Barbara's runs came late in the game as the Gauchos pulled away in the fourth quarter to hand the Hornets the 66-58 loss. 

Sacramento State has been one of the best teams in the Big Sky this year when it comes to protecting the basketball, averaging the second fewest turnovers in the league with 13.6 per game. Despite that, both the Hornets and Gauchos got off to a sloppy start on Saturday, combining for 16 first-quarter turnovers, each with eight in the opening 10 minutes. Sacramento State would go on to commit a season-high 20 turnovers in the loss, leading to 21 points off of turnovers for the Gauchos. 

Despite the early lack of ball control, the Hornets managed to take a narrow 12-11 lead into the second period. 

Sacramento State added on to the lead, outscoring the Gauchos in the second period, 17-16, and taking a two-point, 29-27, lead into halftime. 

After the break, it appeared to be all Sacramento State as the Hornets opened the second half with an impressive 12-3 run to open up a 41-30 lead, their biggest of the night. After a timeout by UC Santa Barbara, however, the Gauchos responded with a 9-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to just two.

With the momentum shifted back in the direction of the home team, UC Santa Barbara put together runs of 13-0 and 10-2 in the fourth period, pulling away from the visiting Hornets before sending the game final, 66-58. 

Isnelle Natabou did most of the heavy lifting for Sacramento State, putting together a strong 20-point, 9-rebound performance on the road. The 20 points matched her career-high as she went 8-for-17 from the floor, including 4-for-4 from the free throw line. 

Lianna Tillman also finished in double figures, scoring 12 while dishing out eight assists, one off her season high of nine. Freshman Katie Peneueta also finished in double figures, scoring 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting. She added four rebounds and was 3-for-3 from the free throw line. 

Speaking of free throws, the Hornets were perfect from the charity stripe on Saturday, going 11-for-11. Natabou (4-4), Peneueta (3-3), and Summer Menke (4-4) were responsible for all 11 made free throws. 

Despite the perfect performance from the line, it was free throws that proved the major difference in Saturday's loss at UCSB. The Gauchos drew 20 fouls and attempted 27 free throws, the most against the Hornets this season. They made 19 of their 27 attempts. 

Overall, Sacramento State shot 38.9% (21-54) from the floor, including 27.8% (5-18) from beyond the arc. UC Santa Barbara went 43.8% (21-48) overall and 31.3% (5-16) from range. Both teams had 32 rebounds.

Saturday's seesaw affair was Sacramento State's final non-conference matchup of the season. The Hornets finish non-league play with a 4-5 non-conference record and will resume Big Sky action for the rest of the regular season. Up first for the Hornets is a long-awaited home game on Dec. 30 against the visiting Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

It's been over a month since Sacramento State competed on its home floor and will have been exactly 40 days since they last tipped off in the Nest.

Dec. 30's conference showdown against the Thunderbirds will tip off at 7 p.m. PT and will stream live on ESPN+ with live stats at HornetStats.com. As always, fans can find links to tickets, schedules, stories and more on the Sacramento State women's basketball page at HornetSports.com.