SACRAMENTO — Following an extended break for final exams, the Sacramento State women's basketball team looks to build off the momentum of its first win of the year this weekend in the Central Valley, taking on Fresno State on Saturday (Dec. 16) at 2 p.m. Saturday marks the first game for the Hornets since a 58-48 win over CSUN at home on Dec. 2 and marks the Hornets' first road game in more than a month since they played at Nevada on Nov. 9, ending a run of five straight contests at The Nest.
THIS WEEK…
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Fresno State | Big Sky Conference
GAME #8
WHAT: Sacramento State (1-6) at Fresno State (6-5)
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023
TIME: 2 p.m. PT
WHERE: Fresno, Calif.
ARENA: Save Mart Center
WATCH: Mountain West Network
LIVE STATS: GoBulldogs.com
RUNNING A GAUNTLET
• Entering this weekend's game against CSUN, the Hornets previous six opponents have posted a 40-25 (.615) combined record -- a mark that grows to 46-30 (.605) when you include the Bulldogs' results thus far.
• Washington's perfect 10-0 record tops the list, while Santa Clara trails the Huskies by just one with nine wins on the year
• Including Fresno State, six of Sacramento State's eight opponents thus far have records at .500 or better on the year, five of those with winning records
• As of Dec. 11, Washington is currently the top team among those receiving votes in this week's Associated Press poll and is third among those gaining votes in the coaches poll, while three opponents are listed in the latest College Insider Mid-Major poll's (Dec. 12) receiving votes: Santa Clara (31), Northern Arizona (15), Eastern Washington (2).
THE COACHES
• Sacramento State's Aaron Kallhoff is in his first season at the helm of the Hornets. He has served five previous seasons as a head coach at the junior college level and spent 10 years as an assistant at five Division I programs: Arkansas State, TCU, LSU, Penn State, and BYU
• Fresno State's Jaime White is in her 10th season at the helm of the Bulldogs' program, posting an 162-125 (.564) record in her nine-plus seasons.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Fresno State enters the week with a 6-5 overall record, but has lost its last two straight to Cal State Fullerton at home (77-68) and Cal Poly on the road (84-59)
• The Bulldogs are a solid 5-2 on their home floor at the Save Mart Center, but have lost all three on the road this year
• After opening the year with three straight victories, Fresno State alternated wins and losses over its next six before dropping back-to-back games for the first time this year last week
• Sophomore Mia Jacobs leads a trio of 'Dogs in double figures, averaging 11.9 points while also pacing the team with 6.2 rebounds per game
• Junior Keely Brown is averaging 10.3 points per game and is second on the team with 17 steals while shooting .460 from the field
• Freshman Taija Sta Maria is also in double figures at 10.1 points per game while leading the team at 4.64 assists per game
SERIES NOTABLES
• Fresno State leads the all-time series with Sacramento State, 18-8
• The Hornets snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series overall with a 62-61 win at home last season at The Nest
• Last year's meeting with the Bulldogs was the first between the two schools since Nov. 14, 2010
• Saturday marks the first meeting between the two in Fresno since 2009, when Fresno State posted a 105-57 win on Dec. 8, 2009
• Sacramento State is 2-10 on the road against the Bulldogs, losing the last 10 dating back to 1979
• According to available records, the Hornets haven't won in Fresno since the first meeting between the two during the 1976-77 season, posting a 73-33 win
CONFERENCE CALL
• Sacramento State is 55-88 against the current Mountain West lineup, having faced all 11 members
• The Hornets were 1-1 against the Mountain West last year, posting a win over Fresno State (62-61) at home and falling at San Diego State (70-59)
• Sac State is 0-2 against the Mountain West this season, falling at Nevada (69-53) on Nov. 9 and against Santa Clara (70-65) on Nov. 29
• Sacramento State is 2-10 in its last 12 games against the Mountain West Conference with six of those games coming against the Wolf Pack
• The 25 wins in the series with Nevada are the most by the Hornets against a Mountain West opponent, followed by 19 wins vs. San Jose State
• Sacramento State hasn't posted back-to-back wins in the series with Fresno State since the 1991-92 (69-65) and 1992-93 (82-63) seasons
• The Hornets posted their longest winning streak against the Bulldogs from 1975-79, winning four straight in that span
BREATH OF FRESH AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all seven games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in six of the first seven
• The Hornets have started three true freshmen twice at Washington in the season opener on Nov. 6 and against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 12
• Sacramento State listed a starting five comprised completely of underclassmen in each of the first four games
• Junior Seilala Lautaimi became the first upperclassman to crack the starting lineup against UC Davis on Nov. 21 and earned the start against Santa Clara on Nov. 29, before senior Solape Amusan made her first start against CSUN on Dec. 2
HERE'S A QUARTER
• Freshman Summah Hanson collected 12 of her game-high 20 points against CSUN in the third quarter alone -- the second time she has finished with a double-digit scoring quarter this year (10 at Nevada)
• Hanson missed only one shot in the period, finishing 5-of-6 from the field -- including a pair of three-pointers
• Both of her double-digit scoring quarters have come in the third period
• Hanson's 12 points in the third against the Matadors were the most since Isnelle Natabou scored the same number in the same quarter against Portland State in the Big Sky Tournament semifinals on March 7 last year
WANNA BE STARTING SOMETHING
• The Hornets' starting five against CSUN came through with the highest scoring output of the season from that group, outscoring their counterparts, 45-43, for the game
• It marked the third time this year that Sacramento State's starting five has finished with at least 40 points, surpassing the previous high of 42 against UC Davis on Nov. 21
THE RIGHT COMBINATION
• Through the first seven games this season, Sacramento State has put seven different starting lineups on the floor thus far
• All told, 11 of the 12 Hornets who have seen time on the court this season have earned a start, with Hanson and Versteeg the only two players to start all seven games
BENCH MARK
• The Hornet bench did well to keep the team rolling when the starters came out, outscoring their counterparts by a 13-5 count
• Sacramento State's bench has outscored the other team's bench in each of the team's last four games, including a season-high 33 points against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
"KEY" TO SUCCESS
• The Hornets' dominated the paint against CSUN in their 10-point win, outscoring the Matadors by a 34-22 inside
• The 34 paint points were a season high
• It marked the third time this season that Sacramento State has had the inside scoring advantage: plus-eight against Santa Clara and plus-four against Cal State Fullerton
ROOM TO BOARD
• Sacramento State's 39 rebounds against CSUN marked the team's second-highest total of the year (42 at Nevada on Nov. 9)
• It marked the third straight game that the Hornets have held an advantage on the boards and the fourth time overall in 2023-24
AWWW SHOOT!
• The Hornets followed up their season-high .568 field goal percentage against Santa Clara on Nov. 29 by shooting 41 percent from the field against CSUN on Dec. 2
• Sacramento State is shooting 48 percent from the floor over its last two games as a team, including a 47 percent clip from beyond the arc
ORI-OH!
• Sophomore Irune Orio doubled-up her previous career-best point total against CSUN, finishing with 16 points in 36 minutes
• Orio hit 7-of-18 from the field, also setting a new bar for field goals made
• After tying her previous career high with eight points against Santa Clara three days earlier, Orio is averaging 12.0 ppg and shooting .417 (10-for-24) from the field over her last two games
THE GIVING SEASON
• As we are in the midst of the holiday season, sophomore Benthe Versteeg has been in a giving mood, leading the Big Sky in both assists (41) and assists per game (5.86)
• Following her 10-assist game against Santa Clara on Nov. 29, Versteeg added nine more (against only two turnovers) to her total against CSUN on Dec. 2, giving her a 9.5 apg average and a 3.16 assist-to-turnover ratio over her last two contests
• Her 10 assists against the Broncos marked only the second double-digit assist total in the Big Sky thus far (as of Dec. 11), standing behind only Eastern Washington's Jamie Loera, who had 12 helpers at Utah State on Nov. 10
• Versteeg owns three of the top five single-game assist totals in the Big Sky as of Dec. 11
• The 10 helpers were just one shy of the school's single-game top 10 (seven players are tied for ninth with 11 assists, the last being Fantasia Hilliard at Montana in 2015)
• She also ranks third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) and is among the top 100 in the NCAA in both assists (86th) and assists per game (25th)
QUEEN "B"
• When she's not dishing, Versteeg is scoring, finishing with career highs in both points (16) and assists (10) against Santa Clara on Nov. 29, collecting her first career double-double in the process
• Versteeg's double-double was the first point-assist double-double by a Hornet since Kahlaijah Dean finished with 16 points and 10 assists against Portland State on Feb. 27, 2023
• Versteeg finished 7-of-11 from the field en route to her second straight double-digit scoring performance and the third of her career
• Over her last three games, the native of the Netherlands is averaging 11.0 ppg and 7.7 apg while shooting 14-of-27 (.519) from the floor
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• You seemingly can't get Versteeg or Hanson off the floor through the first seven games
• The Big Sky Conference leader in minutes per game (38.0 mpg), Versteeg went the full 40 minutes for the second time in three games against CSUN on Dec. 2, joining her complete game performance against UC Davis
• Versteeg and has played 37-or-more minutes in her last six games
• The CSUN game marked the third time she has gone the distance in a game in her career, also playing the full 40 at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 21 of last year
• Hanson, meanwhile, is third in the league at 34.7 mpg -- including a season-high 39:22 against Nevada
• After playing in only 19 minutes at Washington in the opener, Hanson has played 35-or-more minutes in five of her seven contests
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Following her 20-point, 11-rebound effort in the win over CSUN, Hanson is one of 16 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year and one of only four to have multiple double-doubles
• Hanson's four double-doubles are the most in the Big Sky and tied for 27th in the NCAA entering the weekend against Fresno State
• Hanson is one of only two freshmen (Iowa State's Addy Brown the other) -- and one of 13 underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least four double-doubles entering the week (as of Dec. 11)
• She was one of only 25 non-Power 5 student-athletes (out of 50 as of Dec. 11) to post at least four double-doubles
DOUBLE-DOUBLE, HANSON STYLE
• After scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds in her debut at Washington, Hanson rattled off three consecutive double-doubles against Nevada, Cal State Fullerton, and San Diego State, only to have her run ended against UC Davis on Nov. 21
• During her double-double run, the Brisbane, Australia, native averaged 19.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while shooting .432 (19-for-44) from the floor, .500 (9-for-18) from three, and .800 (12-for-15) from the line
• She also added 2.3 assists and 2.3 blocks per game in that stretch
• Hanson is the first Hornet to post three-straight double-doubles since Isnelle Natabou did so against UTEP (17-14), Fresno State (16-11), San Diego State (23-10), and CSU Bakersfield (19-14) from Nov. 26-Dec. 10 last year
SUMMAH TIME!
• With her career-high 22-point outburst at Nevada on Nov. 9, Hanson became the first Hornet freshman to score 20 points in a game since Katie Peneueta had 20 at Northern Arizona on Feb. 3, 2022
• The 22 points were the most by a Sacramento State freshman since Tiara Scott scored 25 against Montana State on Feb. 18, 2017. Scott was 9-of-14 from the floor, including seven three-pointers
• Hanson's double-double against the Wolf Pack was the first by a Hornet freshman since Margaret Huntington had 10 points and 13 rebounds against UC Irvine on Dec. 14, 2013
• Hanson has either shared or led the team in scoring in five of the team's seven games while pacing the squad in rebounding six times
SHE'S KIND OF A BIG (SKY) DEAL
• Hanson enters this week's competition ranked No. 4 in the Big Sky in scoring (15.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (8.7 rpg)
• Hanson is one of only four players from around the league to rank in the top 10 in both categories, joining Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (2nd & 4th), Montana State's Katelynn Limardo (7th in both), and Montana's Carmen Gfeller (10th in both)
• Among that group, Hanson is the only freshman as the others are in, at least, their third season of college basketball
• She also ranks in the top five in the league in nine other categories
