SACRAMENTO -- For the third time in the last four weeks, the Big Sky Conference player of the week in women's basketball resides in Sacramento as Hornet junior Isnelle Natabou picked up weekly honors from the league office for the second time this season and the fourth time in her career on Tuesday.
It is the second such award for Natabou in the last three weeks after she shared the honor back on Nov. 29, and the third time in the last four weeks that a Sacramento State player has been named player of the week following Kahlaijah Dean's award back on Nov. 22.
The nation's leader in field goal percentage entering last week, Natabou averaged a double-double in head-to-head clashes with San Diego State and CSU Bakersfield, putting up 21.0 points and grabbing 12.0 rebounds per game in the two contests, shooting .679 (19-for-28) from the field and hitting all four of her attempts from the free throw line.
She opened the week with a 23-point, 10-rebound performance against the Aztecs and added 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Roadrunners to extend her double-double streak to four consecutive games (and her fifth and sixth overall this season), with half of her 24 total rebounds coming on the offensive glass. Natabou hit 10-of-16 from the field against San Diego State, tying her season high for makes, while draining an efficient 9-of-12 against CSU Bakersfield and blocking a season-high four shots in the Hornets' seventh win of the year.
The 14 rebounds against the Roadrunners are tied for her second-highest total in a game this season, while the two double-digit scoring total extended her run to 15 consecutive such performances dating back to last year.
Nationally, Natabou ranks No. 6 in the nation with her six double-doubles on the season while standing second in field goal percentage (.703), No. 10 in rebounding (11.3 rpg), No. 18 in offensive rebounds (4.1 rpg), and No. 20 in total rebounds (102) as of Dec. 13.
Among Big Sky Conference leaders, Natabou is the league's fifth-leading scorer at 17.0 ppg, paces the conference in rebounding, offensive rebounds per game, and field goal percentage, and stands tied atop the league's blocked shots leader board along with teammate Katie Peneueta at 1.7 blocks per game. She owns four of the league's top six single-game rebounding totals, including a conference-high 20 rebounds against UC Irvine on Nov. 12, while her four blocks against CSU Bakersfield are tied for the most by any player in the Big Sky in a game this year.
Taking time off for final exams this week, the Hornets don't return to competition until Monday (Dec. 19) at 4 p.m., opening a two-game Southern California road trip at CSUN before heading to Orange County on Wednesday (Dec. 21) to take on Cal State Fullerton at 3 p.m.
