SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Senior Kahlaijah Dean and junior Isnelle Natabou each topped the 20-point plateau and Sacramento State was within two points in the fourth quarter, but host San Diego State went on an 11-0 run to pull away late en route to a 70-59 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Viejas Arena.
The loss snapped the Hornets' season-long six-game winning streak as they fell to 6-2 overall on the year, while the Aztecs improved to 8-2 overall.
Dean finished 6-of-13 from the field and hit 10-of-11 from the line en route to a game-high 25 points, scoring 18 of those in a red-hot first half and adding six rebounds to go with three assists. It was the Bakersfield, Calif., native's third 20-point performance of the season and her first since back-to-back 27-point games against Santa Clara and UC Santa Barbara earlier this year.
The 10 makes from the line were a season high from a Hornet and the most in a game since Tiana Johnson finished 10-for-11 against Idaho on Feb. 22, 2020.
Natabou, meanwhile, tallied her third consecutive double-double and her fifth overall this season, finishing with a season high-tying 23 points on 10-of-16 from the field and grabbing 10 rebounds — including six on the offensive end. It was her second 20-point performance of the year, matching the 23 points scored at Santa Clara, and her 14th consecutive double-digit scoring performance dating back to last season.
The duo finished with 20-or-more points in the same game for the second time this season after Dean scored 27 and Natabou added 23 against the Broncos.
Sophomore Katie Peneueta dished out a career-high six assists, while freshman Kaylie Edge poured in a career-high six points on a pair of key three-pointers late. Senior Kaylin Randhawa rounded out the scoring column with five points.
A 7-0 run after SDSU scored the opening basket of the second brought the Hornets to within three points, and Sacramento State took a nine-point deficit down to just two after scoring the final four points of the third quarter and the first three of the fourth on the first of Edge's two triples to make it 49-47 just 41 seconds into the final period.
Edge added another three-pointer and Natabou scored inside to cut San Diego State's advantage down to 55-52 with 6:58 to go, but the Aztecs clamped down and pulled away thanks to 11 straight points over a six-minute span to ice the contest.
Sacramento State returns to the friendly confines of The Nest on Saturday (Dec. 10) at 1 p.m., welcoming CSU Bakersfield for its final home game of December. It is the first game of a doubleheader with the Hornet men's team, which takes on Long Beach State following the women's game.
