SACRAMENTO -- Junior Isnelle Natabou posted her fourth-straight double-double, leading a group of three Hornets in double figures and helping Sacramento State to a 67-46 non-conference victory over CSU Bakersfield on Saturday afternoon at The Nest.
Winners of seven of their last eight, the Hornets improved to 7-2 overall on the season, winning their fourth straight in the series and posting their highest point total since putting up 70 in a win at Cal Poly back on Nov. 25.
Led by 12 points from Grace Hunter, the Roadrunners fell to 2-4 overall on the year, limited to just 34 percent overall from the field for the game by the Sacramento State defense — including only 15 percent in a second quarter that saw the Hornets outscore Bakersfield, 15-5, en route to a 35-19 halftime advantage.
Natabou, the nation's leader in field goal percentage entering the weekend, was stellar inside, hitting 9-of-12 from the field an route to 19 points and 14 rebounds — including six on the offensive glass.. The native of the Czech Republic has posted a double-double in each of the last four games and has six overall in nine games this year while adding a season-high four blocked shots.
Sophomore Katie Peneueta finished with 15 points on a quintet of three-pointers, adding seven rebounds and three steals, while senior Kaylin Randhawa finished with 12 points and three assists. Senior Kahlaijah Dean finished with nine points, her first game this year without double digits in points, but added six rebounds and four assists.
The Hornets trailed by two points on three occasions over the first three minutes of the game, but the 'Runners were never able to extend that advantage. Natabou scored inside to key an 8-0 run that included three-pointers from Madison Butcher and Peneueta to push the advantage to 12-6 midway through the period.
A three-point play by Bakersfield halved the deficit, but another Peneueta triple sparked another 8-0 run to make it an 11-point advantage and the Hornets never looked back. The 'Runners clawed back to within six right before the end of the first quarter by a lay-up by Dean opened a run of eight consecutive points and the Hornets led by as many as 18 en route to a 16-point halftime advantage.
Sacramento State's lead grew to as many as 20 points in the third quarter and led by as many as 23 points with 5:33 remaining in the contest — its largest lead in any game at any point this year, surpassing the 22-point advantage in the fourth quarter against UC Davis at the Golden 1 Center.
After opening shooting 50 percent from the field in the first quarter, the Hornets finished the night hitting on 44 percent from the floor and held a 40-28 advantage on the boards.
With final exams looming in the classroom next week, Sacramento State doesn't return to the court until Monday (Dec. 19) when they head to Southern California to take on CSUN in Northridge, Calif., at 4 p.m. The Hornets then close out their two-game swing with a 3 p.m. tip-off at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 21 before the holiday break.
