SACRAMENTO -- The Sacramento State women's basketball team will play five of its final seven regular season games within the friendly confines of The Nest beginning with a pair this week against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado. The Hornets and Lumberjacks tip-off on Thursday (Feb. 9) at 7 p.m., while the Bears pay a visit to Northern California on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 2 p.m.

GAME #23
WHAT: Northern Arizona (13-11, 7-4 Big Sky) at Sacramento State (16-6, 7-4)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
TIME: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
VENUE: The Nest
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.com
BUY TICKETS: HornetSports.com

GAME #24
WHAT: Northern Colorado (10-12, 3-8 Big Sky) at Sacramento State (16-6, 7-4)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023
TIME: 2 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
VENUE: The Nest
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.com
BUY TICKETS: HornetSports.com

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IN THE RANKINGS: After two weeks ranked among the top 25 in the College Insider mid-Major poll, Sacramento State slipped back into the ranks of those receiving votes for the fourth consecutive week (https://collegeinsider.com/womens-mid-major-top-25), picking up two votes according to the Feb. 7 poll... The Hornets made their debut in the top 25 back on Jan. 3 at No. 24, then jumped two spots to No. 22 in the Jan. 10 ranking... Those two rankings followed five consecutive weeks among those receiving votes beginning on Dec. 1... The No. 22 ranking on Jan. 10 was the highest for the program in the poll since they stood No. 22 on Feb. 11, 2014 -- a season that saw them among the top 25 for eight consecutive weeks following an 8-1 start that year, reaching as high as No. 13 in early January.

NATABOU MAKES MID-MAJOR AWARD MIDSEASON CUT: Initially named as one of 25 players to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats back on Oct. 19, junior center Isnelle Natabou got word that she has made the midseason top-15 cut on Jan. 18. The first Big Sky Conference student-athlete ever to be named to the list for this particular award, Natabou is one of only four from the West Coast named to the list along with Gonzaga's duo of Brynna Maxwell and Yvonne Ejim as well as Portland's Alex Fowler. Read the complete release on HornetSports.com.

NATABOU NAMED TO BIG SKY'S PRESEASON TEAM: In addition to her national honor, Natabou was also named to the seven-member preseason all-conference team, joining Montana State's Darian White (who was selected the MVP), Idaho's Beyonce Bea, Montana's Carmen Gfeller, Northern Colorado's Hannah Simental, Montana State's Kola Bad Bear, and Weber State's Daryn Hickock. The native of the Czech Republic became only the third Hornet to earn preseason all-league honors in the process, joining former standouts Kennedy Nicholas (2019-20) and Brianna Burgos (2016-17).

BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE!: The accolades continued to roll in for Natabou, who was also named the Big Sky's Preseason Player of the Year according to ESPN.com, which made its picks for all 32 Division I conferences on Oct. 25.

ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS: Northern Arizona enters the week with a 13-11 overall record and a 7-4 mark in Big Sky Conference play, tied with Sacramento State for third-place in the standings and a game and a half behind the league leaders... The Lumberjacks split their two contests last week against the Montana schools, routing first-place Montana State before falling in overtime to Montana... NAU has gone to overtime five times this season, including three of its last four contests... The Lumberjacks are 7-5 away from home this season, winning four of their last five... Grad forward Montana Oltrogge leads a group of three players in double figures, averaging 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 38 percent from the field... Regan Schenck (12.9 ppg) and Emily Rodabaugh (10.0 ppg) are also in double figures.

SERIES NOTES: Northern Arizona leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 39-17 count following its 77-67 win in Flagstaff earlier this year... Of the Hornets' 17 wins, 10 of those have come at The Nest, posting a 10-16 mark at home in the series... Sacramento State's last win in the series came on the road last year, 76-62, on Feb. 3, but the Hornets haven't beaten the Lumberjacks on their home floor since Jan. 17, 2019, in a 65-61 win.

LAST TIME VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA: Kahlaijah Dean scored 21 of her game-high 29 points to help spark a second-half rally, but it wasn't enough as NAU snapped Sacramento State's seven-game winning streak with a 77-67 triumph. Natabou joined Dean in double figures with 16 points on 8-of-11 from the field as the Hornets closed to within three midway through the third quarter, but a 12-3 run by the Lumberjacks rebuilt the lead to 12 and they never looked back.

ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado enters the week with a 10-12 overall record and a 3-8 mark in Big Sky play, facing Portland State on the road on Thursday before heading to California... The Bears have lost three straight after their win at Idaho on Jan. 21 -- all three of those contests at home -- falling to Montana and Montana State last week... Seven of the team's 10 wins have come at home as UNC is just 3-7 on the road, losing six of its last seven away from home... Junior guard Hannah Simental leads the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the field... Junior forward Delaynie Byrne is also in double figures, averaging 13.3 points while pacing the team on the glass at 7.3 rebounds per game and shooting 46 percent.

SERIES NOTES: Northern Colorado leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 21-12 count, but the Hornets have won the last three straight meetings with the Bears following their 73-41 victory in Greeley earlier this year... The three-game winning streak in the series is the longest for Sacramento State since winning four-straight regular-season meetings in the 2009 and 2010 league seasons... The Hornets are 8-7 at home against UNC, but have lost four of the last five meetings.

LAST TIME VS. NORTHERN COLORADO: The Hornets held the Bears to under 30 percent from the field and allowed its fewest points to a Division I opponent in nearly two decades in a 73-41 win on Jan. 12. Sacramento State shot 60 percent from the floor in the win as Kahlaijah Dean scored 16 points and Isnelle Natabou added a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Katie Peneueta (12 points) and Kaylin Randhawa (11 points) also finished in double figures for the day.

MILESTONE APPROACHING: Sacramento State needs only six more victories to reach 300 in its Division I history.

SAFE AT HOME: The Hornets have made winning at home a habit this season as their victory over Weber State back on Jan. 21 improved them to 7-1 at The Nest this season -- including a seven-game winning streak. It is the longest home winning streak since Sacramento State opened the 2013-14 campaign with an 8-0 record en route to an 11-1 start overall, while the seven home wins are the most since the 2014-15 squad finished 11-3 within the friendly confines.

ROAD WARRIORS: The win at Idaho -- only the program's second all-time in Moscow to snap a seven-game losing streak on the road against the Vandals -- on Feb. 4 was the Hornets' seventh win in true road contests this season, matching last year's total (7-7) which were the most since the 2015-16 team also won seven games away from The Nest. The seven road wins are tied with Montana State and Northern Arizona for the most in the league entering the week, while a win in one of their two remaining regular season road contests would give the Hornets their highest road victory total since the 2009-10 Sacramento State squad finished 8-7 away from The Nest.

NOT IF, BUT WIN: Everything else is gravy in the win column for Sacramento State, which earned its 16th victory of the season at Idaho on Feb. 4, already surpassing last season's win total with seven regular season games remaining. It is the most wins in a single season since the 2014-15 squad won 18 games, and stands just three wins away from the school record of 19 wins shared by the 1990-91 (19-7) and 2012-13 (19-12) teams. Among the Hornets' Division I teams, the 16 wins rank as the fifth-most in program history.

LET'S GO HALVSIES: In jumping out to an early lead at Idaho on Feb. 4, Sacramento State's 44-point first half against the Vandals marked the eighth time this season that the Hornets have scored at least 40 points in a single half and was the fourth-highest single-half scoring total of the year behind only the 48-point second half at Northern Colorado, the 47-point first half at Montana, and the 45-point second half against Eastern Washington. Of those 44 points at Idaho, 27 of those came in the first 10 minutes, matching the 27-point first against Fresno State on Dec. 3 for the most first-quarter points this year.

PLAYING FROM AHEAD: As Sacramento State prepares to play a home game for the first time in nearly three weeks, the Hornets look to build off a successful stretch at The Nest that has not seen them trail since the 6:04 mark of the first quarter against Eastern Washington on Jan. 7 in an 82-74 victory. That's a total of 116:04 of game time following wire-to-wire wins over Idaho State (Jan. 19) and Weber State (Jan. 21).

HOW SWEEP IT IS: With its win at Idaho, Sacramento State swept the regular season series from the Vandals for only the second time in the history of the series since back-to-back wins during the 2014-15 campaign. A win Saturday against Northern Colorado would give the Hornets their second-straight season sweep of the Bears, while they will also be looking for similar sweeps against Weber State (last in 2019-20), Idaho State (last in 2015-16), and a second-straight sweep of Portland State.

NOT IN THE GIVING MOOD: The Hornets' nine turnovers at Idaho on Feb. 4 marked only the second time this year that they have finished with fewer than 10 in a game and the fewest since committing eight at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 21.

SHOOTER!: Someone get a hand in the face of the Hornets. Sacramento State enters the weekend as one of the most efficient shooting teams in the Big Sky, leading the league in both field goal (.456) and three-point (.365) percentage, while ranking third in free throw (.779) percentage. The Hornets lead second-place Eastern Washington by 29 points in the field goal category, has a one-point lead in three-point shooting over Portland State, and stands behind Montana State (.784) and Northern Colorado (.781) at the line.

NOTHING BUT NET: In addition to the above rankings, the Hornets also stand among the top 30 in the NCAA in all three shooting categories, ranking 20th in three-point, 29th in field goal, and 19th in free throw percentage as of Feb. 6.

IF A THREE FALLS IN THE ARENA...: Does it make a sound? The Hornets have been making noise from beyond the arc as of late, draining double digits from three-point range in five of their last eight contest following their 11-three-pointer outburst at Idaho last weekend. Sacramento State is shooting nearly 40 percent (78-for-199) from distance in that stretch, including a season high-tying 13 at Montana on Jan. 26.

NATABOU INTO 10TH: Chalk up three more rebounds at Idaho for junior Isnelle Natabou, who continues to etch her name into the Sacramento State record book. Entering the week with 546 career boards, Natabou is now tied for Atty Boyer (2005-09) for seventh on the school's Division I era career list, while moving to within 24 boards of the school's all-time top 10, chasing Linda Simmons (1977-81) and her 570 rebounds.

IZZY DOES IT ON THE GLASS: With the fourth-highest since-season rebound total in program history already under her belt, Natabou looks to add her name to the list a second time in 2022-23, as her 218 boards thus far put her just 40 shy of Celine Kabwasa and her 253 rebounds in 1988-89 for 10th on the single-season chart. If she accomplishes the feat, she would join only Kylie Kuhns (2009-13) as the only two Hornets with multiple listings on the single-season top 10 list. Kuhns holds the record with 360 rebounds in 2011-12, stands third with 342 rebounds in 2012-13, and is sixth with 321 rebounds in 2010-11.

BUILDING BLOCKS: Thanks to her block at Montana, Natabou has held on to eighth place on the school's all-time blocked shots list with 62, swatting 36 last season and adding 26 more this year. Her total passed Hannah Friend (2017-19) for the spot and trails Sephora Scoubes (1999-01) by five for seventh. Natabou isn't the only one climbing the list as sophomore Katie Peneueta and her 50 career blocks -- 29 of those this season -- are just six shy of Atty Boyer (2005-09) and her 56 blocks for 10th.

NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH: But there are such things as free points, and senior Kahlaijah Dean is taking full advantage. Ranking third in the Big Sky with 116 makes from the line and seventh with an .841 free throw percentage, Dean was perfect from the line during the Hornets' recent trips to Eastern Washington and Idaho, moving her into eighth on the all-time list and sixth in the program's Division I era in made free throws, while standing just four behind Hannah Friend's 120 makes in 2018-19 on both lists.

CHARITY CASE: Dean logged her second 8-for-8 showing at the line last week at Eastern Washington (joining her 8-for-8 performance at Cal State Fullerton earlier in the year), tying her -- again -- for the 10th-best single-game shooting night from the free throw line in the program's Division I history. The record is held by Boudreaux, who went 14-for-14 at the line against Shippensburg on Jan. 5, 1996.

LUCKY 13: We hope this doesn't turn out to be a jinx. Dean has made her last 13 consecutive free throws dating back to a miss late at Montana State on Jan. 28.

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT: Dean made a run at a triple-double in the Hornets' victory at Idaho last Saturday, finishing with her second double-double in the green and gold thanks to 19 points and a career high-tying 11 rebounds, while dishing out six assists in the process. The 11 boards matched her effort on the glass against UC Davis at the Golden 1 Center and marked only her sixth career game with 10-or-more rebounds when you include her time at Oakland University.

THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE: Kahlaijah Dean is still out there doing Kahlaijah Dean things, notching her 13th straight double-digit scoring performance with her 19-point night at Idaho after being held to a season-low nine points against CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 10. In that stretch, Dean has been a machine, averaging 24.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 4.2 apg, while shooting .455 (100-for-220) from the floor -- including a run shooting .521 (25-for-48) from beyond the arc in the last seven games after hitting just eight in the six games prior to that -- and .898 (79-for-88) from the line during that stretch.

TOP GUN: One of the nation's top scorers (ranking No. 11 in the NCAA as of Feb. 6), Dean's 474 points have her among the program's all-time single-season scoring leaders as her 19 points against the Vandals pushed her past Kylie Kuhns' 462 points in 2010-11 and into 10th place on the school's Division I single-season list. She trails Kristy Ryan's back-to-back seasons with 502 points in 1991-92 and 1992-93 by 28 for a tie for eighth, while chasing Terri Lugert's total of 504 points in 1990-91 for 10th on the school's all-time single-season list.

THE DEAN OF SCORING: Dean brings with her a pedigree of knowing where the basket is, reaching the 1,000 career point milestone as only a junior at Oakland University and finishing her four years with the Golden Grizzlies with 1,425 points. Following her first 21 games in the green and gold, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has brought her total up to 1,899 career points, ranking No. 22 among active scorers across the country as of Feb. 6 and posting a total that would rank second on Sacramento State's all-time scoring list, trailing only the 2,064 points by Kristy Ryan from 1990-94.

SHE'S A WALKING BUCKET: It's truly a sight to see. Dean's 28 points at Montana State on Jan. 28 marked her 11th game overall -- and her seventh in the last nine outings -- with at least 20 points this year, while her 31 points against both Eastern Washington (Jan. 7) and Weber State (Jan. 21) were the most by a Hornet since Lianna Tillman finished with 35 at Idaho on Feb. 24 last season en route to Big Sky MVP honors.

BETTER IN THE BIG SKY: Although she fell out of the top spot in the race for the league's scoring title, there has been no bigger scorer in Big Sky play than Dean, who leads the conference at 24.4 ppg in 11 league contests -- more than three points better that Idaho's Beyonce Bea (21.2 ppg), who edges out Dean in the overall race by 0.2 ppg (21.7 ppg overall to Dean's 21.5 ppg). Should Dean catch Bea by the end of the season, she would join Charday Hunt (18.6 ppg in 2009-10) and Lianna Tillman (20.5 ppg in 2021-22) as Hornets who have led the Big Sky in scoring in the history of the program.

ALMOST AUTOMATIC: One of the steadiest shot-makers in the nation continues to rank among the top 10 in an ever-changing national ranking for field goal percentage as Natabou enters the week No. 6 in the NCAA. Natabou's .643 from the field trails only Liberty's Mya Berkman (.703), Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes (.696), Iowa's Monika Czinano (.673), Kansas' Taiyanna Jackson (.658), and Ohio State's Taylor Thierry (.650).

I DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE DARE YOU: Keep on eye on your box scores. If Isnelle Natabou has a double-double, you may be in trouble. Thanks to her 17-point, 18-rebound effort in the win over Weber State, Natabou collected her 10th of the season overall -- ranking No. 29 in the NCAA in that category as of Feb. 6. In her 10 double-double performances this year, the native of the Czech Republic is averaging 16.8 ppg, 13.6 rpg, and shooting 70-for-104 (.673) from the floor.

PUTTING THE "KAY" IN 1K: A picture is worth 1,000 words, but senior guard Kaylin Randhawa is now worth more than a 1,000 points in her career following her performance in the win over Eastern Washington on Jan. 7. The Turlock, Calif., native finished with 17 points, pushing her past the 1,000-point plateau in her collegiate career, which includes 524 points in three years at Pacific, 345 points last year at Utah State, and 204 points this season with the Hornets.

OLIVARES ON THE BOARDS: Entering the Hornets' recent four-game road trip, senior Jordan Olivares hadn't grabbed more than five rebounds in a game this season. She changed that with her season-best eight-rebound effort at Montana and Jan. 26 and added another seven boards -- in addition to a season-high nine points -- in the win at Idaho on Feb. 4, helping her average 4.5 rpg in the four games -- nearly tripling her season average of 1.7 rpg entering the trip.

"KP" DUTY: Easing back into the swing of things after missing four games, sophomore Katie Peneueta asserted herself on the glass during the Hornets' trip to the Pacific Northwest, averaging 6.5 rpg over the two contests, while finishing with nine points in the win at Idaho. Peneueta, who ranks among the top 15 in the league in rebounding, has grabbed at least six rebounds in a game 11 times this year, including a career-high 11 against the Vandals in the first meeting between the two back on Jan. 5.

NO SLEEP TILL...: Foot on the pedal for the Hornets as Natabou and Dean became the latest players to go all 40 minutes in a game this season at Montana on Jan. 26. It is the third time that two Sacramento State players have played all 40 minutes in a regulation game this season and the first since Benthe Versteeg and Katie Peneueta did so against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 21. For Natabou, it was her team-high fifth 40-minute performance of the year -- and her second straight -- while Dean posted her second, joining Katie Peneueta's four games, and Benthe Versteeg's game-long performance at Cal State Fullerton.

MINUTE WOMEN: Speaking of minutes, there haven't been many players in the Big Sky -- let alone the entire country -- who have seen more time on the court this year than the Hornets' Natabou (35.9 mpg), Peneueta (35.6 mpg), and Dean (35.5 mpg). The trio ranks second, fourth, and fifth in the league in minutes and entered the week ranked among the top 50 in the nation at 35th, 39th, and 45th, respectively.

QUARTER MASTER: Give Kahlaijah Dean 10 minutes and she's going to do some damage. Give her four of those and watch out. The senior from Bakersfield, Calif., scored 12 points in the third quarter on Jan. 28 at Montana State, her 16th double-digit quarter this season out of 21 by a Hornet this year (Natabou has done it three times, Kaylin Randhawa did so against Montana, and Amusan scored 12 in the first against the Bobcats). All told, Dean has accomplished the feat seven times in the third, four times in the first, three times in the fourth, and twice in the second.

AND I'M REEEEEE.... RE-BOUNDING: With 10 rebounds at Montana on Jan. 26, Natabou posted her 11th double-digit rebounding performance of the season and her second straight after grabbing 18 as part of a double-double in a win over Weber State. Of her 10 rebounds against the Grizzlies, five came on the offensive glass -- the eighth time this year that she has had as many, if not more, offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds. That included nine offensive boards against the Wildcats -- tied for the second-most in her career and the most since she had 10 offensive rebounds as part of a career-high 22-rebound night at Portland State on Jan. 15.

THREE IS MORE THAN TWO: Trust us... Katie Peneueta has certainly done the math. In 39 career games with the Hornets, the Vancouver, Wash., native has made a living from long distance, sinking 100 of her 109 career field goals from behind the three-point line. At the media timeout of the second quarter on Nov. 22 against UC Davis, Peneueta's previous 30 makes from the field had all been three-pointers until she posted up and found room inside for a lay-up at the four-minute mark of the period -- her first two-point basket since scoring inside at Northern Arizona with 21 seconds left in a 76-62 victory on Feb. 3 last year -- and she finished with a career-high three (out of four makes) two-pointers against Idaho on Jan. 5 as part of her third double-double this season.

THE PENEUETA IS MIGHTIER: One of four players in double figures against Idaho back on Jan. 5, sophomore Katie Peneueta collected her third double-double of the year, adding a career-high 11 rebounds, while hitting a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor. However, her most impressive performance may have been at the defensive end, where she finished with a career-high seven blocks -- six of those against the conference's leading scorer Beyonce Bea. The seven blocks are tied for third on the school's single-game list and were the most since Kennedy Nicholas had seven at Weber State on Feb. 20, 2019. The record is held by Heidi Carroll, who swatted 10 against San Francisco State on Feb. 21, 1983.

NINE TIMES? NIIIIINE TIMES.: Sacramento State clinched its ninth non-conference victory of the year on Dec. 21 at Cal State Fullerton, breaking a tie with the 2013-14 squad (8-2 in non-conference games) for the most in the history of the program. Of the Hornets' 11 non-conference opponents, seven finished with winning records and were a combined 64-50 (.561) in non-conference play. That kind of start bodes well for the Hornets, who won 18 games in 2013-14 -- ranking tied for the third on the school's single-season list.

BLOCKING IT OUT: Boasting the Big Sky's second-best scoring defense at 59.9 ppg allowed, the Hornets have also done work on the glass, holding opponents to a league-best 29.0 rebounds per game. Sacramento State allowed only 21 rebounds to Idaho on Jan. 5, which stood as the fewest allowed by the Hornets in their Division I history for exactly a week until they gave up only 19 rebounds to Northern Colorado on Jan. 12. In the game at Idaho, the Vandals were held to just 29 rebounds, marking the 16th time in 22 games that Sacramento State has allowed fewer than 30 rebounds in a game this season.

ARE YOU BOARD?: Natabou clearly wasn't in the Hornets' opener against UC Irvine, as her 20 rebounds were the most since she had 22 against Idaho in an overtime win on Jan. 22 last year and was her third career game with 20-or-more. Nationally, the 20-rebound performance is tied for the 24th-highest in the NCAA for a single-game -- and the most of any Big Sky player -- as of Feb. 6, and stands as one of forty eight 20-rebound games in the NCAA.

WHAT IS THE "JOUEUR DE LA SEMAINE?": It's the player of the week. That sounds good, we'll have that. Thanks to Kahlaijah Dean's award on Jan. 24, a Hornet has now been named Big Sky Player of the Week six times in the last nine weeks (Isnelle Natabou took home honors on Nov. 29 and Dec. 13, while Dean won three times on Nov. 22, Dec. 27, and Jan. 10) -- the most of any school in the league. The six awards as a team this year are a school record, surpassing the 2012-13 squad for the most in a season since joining the Big Sky in 1996-97.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...: Dean became the first Hornet women's basketball player to win Big Sky Player of the Week honors three times in the same season with her award on Jan. 10, while her four career awards makes her one of only 10 Sacramento State players in the program's Division I history to win multiple awards in a career, tying her with Kylie Kuhns (2009-13), Alle Moreno (2010-14), Fantasia Hilliard (2011-15), Maranne Johnson (2014-18), and current teammate Isnelle Natabou, for the most in program history.

BIG (SKY) TIME: Dean's four awards this year are the most by any Big Sky Conference student-athlete during a single campaign since Northern Colorado's Savannah Smith took home the honor five times in a span of seven weeks during the 2018-19 season.

HORNETS GO GLOBAL WITH SIGNEES: Head Coach Mark Campbell racked up the frequent flier miles to sign four student-athletes during the recent NCAA signing period, welcoming post Paula Haw and guard Lina Falk from Germany, forward Summah Hanson from Australia, and guard Sofia Alonso from Spain.