SACRAMENTO — Sacramento State sophomore Benthe Versteeg finished with a team-high 15 points to go with six assists and five steals, while teammate Summah Hanson added 10 more to go with five rebounds, but visiting Cal Poly used a strong fourth quarter to pull away late en route to a 72-55 decision on Thursday afternoon at The Nest.

Versteeg's 15 points fell just one shy of her career high of 16 set against Santa Clara on Nov. 30, while her five steals set a new career high bar and were the most since Lianna Tillman had five against Sonoma State on Nov. 16, 2021. As a team, the Hornets finished with 16 steals defensively — the most since they finished with the same number against Northern Colorado on Jan. 16, 2020.

Meanwhile, Hanson's 10-point outing marked her seventh double-digit scoring performance in nine games and her fourth straight, averaging 14.8 points per game in that stretch. The Hornets' leader on the boards, Hanson also added five rebounds to her total.

Trailing by as many as 18 in the first half, Sacramento State turned the tables in the third quarter to claw its way back into contention. The Hornets trailed 46-28 with six minutes remaining in the period before an "and one" by Versteeg sparked a 12-3 final kick in the quarter — one that included nine consecutive points — to trail by only nine, 49-40, heading into the fourth.

That would be as close as Sacramento State would come, however, as the Mustangs opened the fourth with six consecutive points and 10 of the first 13 to rebuild the lead to 16 at the midway point of the quarter and they never looked back.

Cal Poly finished with three players in double figures, led by Natalie Ackerman's 13-point, 15-rebound double-double.

The Hornets now break for the holiday before opening Big Sky Conference play at home at The Nest against Idaho on Dec. 28 at 6:30 p.m., and Eastern Washington on Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.