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Sacramento State

Women's Basketball

THIRD QUARTER RUN LIFTS WOMEN'S HOOPS TO 60-50 WIN AT CSU BAKERSFIELD

Box Score

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Sacramento State outscored CSU Bakersfield, 21-6, in the third quarter en route to a 60-50 road win Wednesday night against the Roadrunners. 

With the win, Sacramento State improves to 4-6 overall and snaps a three-game skid. CSU Bakersfield falls to 1-6 and has now lost six straight.

Sacramento State was without its leading scorer and starting point guard in Lianna Tillman on Wednesday, but the team rallied to pull out a come-from-behind victory on the road.

The win was powered in part by a pair of double-doubles from Isnelle Natabou and Summer Menke, as well as a dominating third quarter run that propelled the Hornets to a lead they would not relinquish.

After a back and forth first quarter that saw the Hornets and 'Runners tied, 13-13, Sacramento State started to fall behind in the second period, scoring just 10 points in the quarter. By halftime, the Hornets trailed by five, 28-23. 

Sacramento State came out of the break on a roll, however, opening the second half with a 12-2 run to turn that five-point deficit into a five-point, 35-30 lead. That 12-2 run grew into a 26-6 run that stretched into the fourth quarter, giving the Hornets a game-high 15-point lead midway through the fourth. 

The Hornets held the Roadrunners to just one made field goal in the third quarter as CSU Bakersfield went 1-for-13 from the floor, including 0-for-4 from three. They went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the period.

Natabou scored 11 of her game-high 17 points during that run. In total, the freshman center scored 17 points on an incredible 8-of-9 shooting. She was 1-for-3 from the free throw line and pulled in 10 rebounds. The double-double is her Big Sky-leading fifth of the season. 

Menke went for 16 points while collecting a game-high and season-high 11 rebounds on Wednesday, going just 4-for-16 from the floor but an impressive 8-for-9 from the three throw line. Five of her 11 boards came off the offensive glass and the senior from Scottsdale added four assists to her final line. 

The Hornets and Menke had a scary moment late in the third quarter when, after battling for a rebound, Menke went hard to the ground, clutching at her shoulder. After a deliberate pause in the action, including an official review of the play, and a short break on the bench, Menke was able to return to the game for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Wednesday night's win was the second time this year the pair of Natabou and Menke recorded a double-double in the same game, the first coming on Nov. 28 at UC Irvine. 

Jazzy Carrasco, who took over point guard duties in Tillman's absence, dished out four assists and added two steals on Wednesday. She helped put the game away late as the Roadrunners played the foul game in the final minutes of the competition. Carrasco went 5-for-6 from the line, with all of her free throw attempts coming in the final 62 seconds of regulation. 

For the year, Carrasco is 11-for-12 from the free throw line, a team-leading 91.7%.

Jessica Rios added nine points on 3-of-6 shooting, all from beyond the arc, raising her season total to a Big Sky-leading 24 made triples and a league-high 46.2 3PT FG%.

Wednesday night's game was the sixth of a seven-game stretch on the road. Up next is a tough matchup against the Big West's UC Santa Barbara on Satruday, Dec. 18. That game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. tipoff and will stream live online on ESPN+.  

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Players Mentioned

Jazzy Carrasco

#4 Jazzy Carrasco

G
5' 4"
Senior
Summer Menke

#11 Summer Menke

G
5' 10"
Senior
Jessica Rios

#15 Jessica Rios

G
5' 7"
Sophomore
Lianna Tillman

#3 Lianna Tillman

G
5' 9"
Graduate Student
Isnelle Natabou

#24 Isnelle Natabou

C
6' 5"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Jazzy Carrasco

#4 Jazzy Carrasco

5' 4"
Senior
G
Summer Menke

#11 Summer Menke

5' 10"
Senior
G
Jessica Rios

#15 Jessica Rios

5' 7"
Sophomore
G
Lianna Tillman

#3 Lianna Tillman

5' 9"
Graduate Student
G
Isnelle Natabou

#24 Isnelle Natabou

6' 5"
Junior
C

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