SACRAMENTO -- A season of "firsts" continues this weekend for the Sacramento State women's basketball program as the Hornets take part in their first-ever NCAA Tournament as a No. 13 seed, taking on No. 4-seeded and host UCLA in the opening round on Saturday (March 18) at Pauley Pavilion at 8:30 p.m. No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 12 Portland are the other two teams, and will tip at 6 p.m.

GAME #33
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND
WHAT: No. 13 Sacramento State (25-7, 13-5 Big Sky) at #4 UCLA (25-9, 11-7 Pac-12)
WHEN: Saturday, March 18, 2023
TIME: 8:30 p.m. PT (or 30 minutes after the end of the first game)
WHERE: Los Angeles, Calif.
VENUE: Pauley Pavilion
WATCH: ESPN2
LIVE STATS: NCAA.com 
BUY TICKETS: UCLABruins.com

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 18 (1st Round)
#12 Portland vs. #5 Oklahoma, 6 p.m. PT (ESPNU)
#13 Sacramento State vs. #4 UCLA, 8:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2)

Monday, March 20 (2nd Round)
Portland/Oklahoma winner vs. Sacramento State/UCLA winner, TBA

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THE CHAMP IS HERE!: Everything fell into place just right for the Hornets in the regular season finale, clinching a three-way share of the Big Sky title thanks to Eastern Washington's win over Montana State earlier that evening. Tied atop the standings with the Bobcats and Northern Arizona at 13-5, it is the first Division I league championship for the Sacramento State women's basketball program, which joined the Big Sky in 1996-97.

WINNER STAYS: In addition to a share of its first Big Sky Conference regular season title, the Hornets went ahead and won three games in three days to claim the program's first-ever Big Sky Tournament crown as the No. 3 seed, toppling top-seeded Northern Arizona, 76-63, in the title game on March 8.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: The Hornets' trip to the championship game of the league tournament is the first by either the men's or women's program in Sacramento State basketball history, while the tournament title is, obviously, also the first by either program. The Hornets' 25 victories this season are also the most by either the men's or women's programs at Sacramento State, topping the previous marks of 19 by the women (more on that later) and the 22 won by the men in 1987-88.

"HELLO, MY NAME IS...": Sacramento State is one of four schools on the women's side making its NCAA Tournament debut in 2023, joining St. Louis, Southeastern Louisiana, and Southern Utah.

PRIDE OF THE GOLDEN STATE: Sacramento State is one of only four teams from the state of California to reach the NCAA Tournament, joining top-seeded Stanford (vs. Southern or Sacred Heart), the fourth-seeded Bruins, and No. 8-seeded USC (vs. South Dakota State).

GOING BACK TO CALI: The trip to Los Angeles is a welcome sight for the Hornets, who have played 20 of their 32 games thus far this season within the friendly confines of the state of California. Sacramento State played its first 11 games of the season -- and 13 of its first 14 -- within the Golden State (posting a 9-2 record) before hitting the road to take on Portland State in the Rose City to start Big Sky play.

HOW SEED IT IS: The No. 13 seed for the Hornets is the highest for a Big Sky Conference school since Idaho State earned the same seeding in 2021. A Big Sky school has been a 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament a total of five times since 1989, but the league hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game since Montana defeated San Diego State, 57-46, in 1995.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?: Despite earning a top-three seed in the tournament, the No. 3-seeded Hornets did things the hard way en route to their first Big Sky Tournament title, winning three games in three days. Taking advantage of a bye into the quarterfinals for the first time in school history, Sacramento State opened with a 73-58 win over No. 6-seeded Idaho, then stifled No. 7-seeded Portland State in the semifinals to the tune of a 60-42 victory after the Vikings had upset No. 2-seeded Montana State. In the championship game, the Hornets and top-seeded Northern Arizona went back-and-forth before the Sacramento State defense held the Lumberjacks to just four points in the decisive second period -- including no field goals until the finale minute -- en route to a 76-63 victory to claim the crown.

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 eighth consecutive week (https://collegeinsider.com/womens-mid-major-top-25), picking up four votes according to the March 7 poll -- an decrease of 13 votes from the week prior... 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.

CASTING A "NET": Sacramento State enters the NCAA Tournament standing No. 86 in the recent NET rankings as of March 12... Among the Hornets' four-team postseason pod in Los Angeles, Sacramento State joins UCLA (No. 22), Oklahoma (No. 38), and Portland (No. 79)... The Hornets are the highest-rated Big Sky Conference school entering the postseason, standing 35 spots ahead of Montana State (No. 121).

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 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.

CAMPBELL SHARES TOP COACHING HONOR: Head Coach Mark Campbell was named the Big Sky Tri-Coach of the Year, sharing this year's honor with Northern Arizona's Loree Payne and Montana State's Tricia Binford. Campbell becomes the first Hornet mentor to win the Big Sky's top coach award in the program's history.

MVP! MVP! MVP!: For the second consecutive season, the Big Sky MVP resides at Sacramento State as senior Kahlaijah Dean followed in Lianna Tillman's footsteps last year with a trophy of her own. Tillman and Dean are the only two Hornets to ever be named the league's Most Valuable Player and it marked the first time that the league's MVP has hailed from the same school in back-to-back years since Montana State's Jasmine Hommes and Peyton Ferris did so in 2015-17.

WHAT... ERR... WHO ELSE IS "NEW?": In addition to her MVP honor, Dean was also named the Big Sky's top newcomer. She gives the Hornets two-straight winners of that award after Isnelle Natabou's win in 2021-22, and three overall when you include Kim Sheehy in 2004-05.

DOUBLE DIPPING: Dean's MVP and Newcomer of the Year honors make her only the second player in Big Sky Conference history to win both awards in the same season, joining Idaho State's Andrea Lightfoot in 2005-06. Dean, Lightfoot, and Boise State's Lidiya Varbanova are the only three student-athletes to win that award in a career after Varbanova won newcomer honors in 1990-91 and MVP laurels in 1992-93.

DEAN, NATABOU NAMED TO ALL-BIG SKY FIRST TEAM: In addition to her two individual awards, Dean was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big Sky First Team, joining Idaho's Beyonce Bea and Montana State's Darian White. Alongside Dean on the first team is junior Isnelle Natabou, who earned second-team honors in 2021-22. Together, the duo becomes the 11th and 12th all-time first-team selections in school history and the first duo to make the All-Big Sky first team in the same year in the history of the program.

AWARDS SEASON CONTINUES: In addition to their regular season laurels, Dean and Natabou added more hardware to their mantels following the Big Sky Tournament. Dean was named the tournament MVP -- the first Hornet in school history to win the award, while the duo earned unanimous spots on the all-tournament team, becoming the fourth and fifth players to earn that honor along with Emily Christensen (2012), Alle Moreno (2013), and Adella Randle-El (2015).

ABOUT THE BRUINS: UCLA enters the NCAA Tournament with a 25-9 overall record and an 11-7 mark in the Pac-12, including a 13-3 record at Pauley Pavilion during the season... The Bruins fell to Washington State, 65-61, in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game following wins over Arizona State, Arizona, and Stanford... Senior guard Charisma Osborne leads the team in scoring at 15.5 ppg, while finishing second in rebounding (5.6 rpg), and shooting .382 from the floor... Freshman Kiki Rice is also in double figures at 11.7 ppg while shooting .406 from the field.

ABOUT THE SOONERS: Oklahoma enters the tournament with a 25-6 overall record and a 14-4 record in the Big 12, claiming the league regular season title... This year's trip to the postseason is the Sooners' 21st appearance since 2000... Oklahoma won three straight before falling to Iowa State in the semifinals of the conference tournament... Four Sooners are averaging double figures led by senior forward Madi Williams, who is averaging 15.5 ppg and shooting .521 from the field... Ana Llanusa (11.7 ppg), Taylor Robertson (11.5 ppg), and Skylar Vann (11.5 ppg) are also in double figures.

ABOUT THE PILOTS: Portland enters the postseason with a 23-8 overall record and a 15-3 record in the West Coast Conference, posting its best record since the 1996-97 season and its highest-ever win total in league play... The Pilots finished second in the WCC in the regular season and are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since that 1997 season... Qualifying for the postseason after winning the WCC Tournament, junior forward Alex Fowler leads the way for Portland, averaging 17.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, shooting .584 from the floor... Maisie Burnham (11.1 ppg) and Emme Shearer (10.0 ppg) are also in double figures.

SERIES NOTES: UCLA -- The Bruins lead the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 7-0 count, but the Hornets haven't met UCLA since the 2015-16 season, a 109-76 victory by the Bruins in Sacramento on Dec. 18... The two schools have twice met at Pauley Pavilion with UCLA posting a 77-37 win on Dec. 13, 1975, and a 92-83 win on Dec. 12, 2014... Portland -- The Pilots lead the all-time series, 5-1, but the two schools haven't met since the 2009-10 season -- a 98-63 Portland win on Nov. 22 that year... Sacramento State's only win in the series came on Dec. 17, 2006, with a 63-55 victory at home... The Pilots have won the last three meetings since that game... Oklahoma -- The Hornets and the Sooners have met only once in women's basketball, with Oklahoma posting a 117-55 win in Norman on Nov. 13, 2011.

300: A great score in bowling, even better when you count up that many wins. With its victory over Portland State in the regular season finale, Sacramento State clinched its 300th win at the Division I level.

WIN-ACCLE OF SUCCESS: Two years removed from winning just three games, this year's Hornets will go down in the record books as THE winningest team in school history. Sacramento State's upset of league-leading Montana State on Feb. 23 (ending a 10-game winning streak by the Bobcats in the series) was its 20th of the season, giving the Hornet program it's first-ever 20-win season and breaking a tie for the most wins in school history with the 1990-91 (19-7) and 2012-13 (19-12) squads.

EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN BIG SKY PLAY: In addition to its overall win total, the Feb. 27 victory over Portland State also gave the Hornets their 13th Big Sky triumph of the season and improved them to 13-5 in league play in 2022-23. The 13 wins surpasses last year's conference win total when Sacramento State finished 10-10 in the Big Sky and gave the program double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing so in four straight years from 2012-16. This year's 13 conference wins are the most since the 2014-15 squad finished 13-5 in league.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING!: Sacramento State enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, carrying a nine-game winning streak into the postseason -- the 11th longest active winning streak in the country and tied for the third-longest in a single season in school history along with the 2013-14 team. The Hornets are averaging 72.7 ppg while shooting .494 (236-for-478) from the field overall and .435 (97-for-223) from beyond the arc during their recent run. Meanwhile, the defense has limited opponents to just 56.4 ppg, a .372 (206-for-554) field goal percentage and .311 (51-for-164) from three-point range. The team's current nine-game winning streak is its third of at least six games this season, joining six straight wins from Nov. 14 to Dec. 3, and seven in a row from Dec. 10 to Jan. 12.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING (PART II)!: With their win over Portland State to close the regular season, the Hornets have now won their last six consecutive Big Sky Conference contests -- a streak that is tied for the second-longest league winning streak in school history along with the 2009-10 team that won six straight from Jan. 21 to Feb. 6 that year. The longest stretch, which will have to wait until next year, is seven consecutive Big Sky wins by the 2014-15 team from Jan. 3 to Jan. 24.

PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES: Of the top six single-game field goal percentages at the Big Sky Conference Tournament in school history, three of those marks were set in this year's event as the Hornets set a record by shooting .469 against Portland State just one day after breaking the previous mark (.467 vs. Southern Utah in 2014) with a .468 field goal percentage in a quarterfinal victory over Idaho. The .455 field goal percentage in the championship against Northern Arizona stands sixth on the list.

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE...: And your opponents closer. Sacramento State hasn't trailed by more than five points in each of their last 11 games and has trailed by double digits only four times this year. The Hornets have held a lead in every game but one this season: at San Diego State on Dec. 7.

PLAYING FROM AHEAD: It took only seven seconds for senior Kahlaijah Dean to put the Hornets ahead for good against Northern Arizona, draining a three-pointer from the top of the key and they never trailed from that point on. It marked the ninth time overall -- and the second time in the tournament -- that Sacramento State led wire-to-wire in a game this season, while the 39:53 in the lead is the longest of the year.

IF A THREE FALLS IN THE ARENA...: Does it make a sound? The Hornets have been making a lot of noise from beyond the arc, draining double digits from three-point range in six of their last seven games -- including a season-high 17 against Montana State on Feb. 23, for their highest total since finishing with 21 in a 109-107 win at Illinois in 2018. In that stretch, Sacramento State is shooting .441 (79-for 179) from downtown.

HOW LOW CAN THEY GO?: In holding Northern Arizona to a .362 field goal percentage in the championship game, the Hornets have held opponents to under 40 percent shooting in each of their last five contests and the eighth time during their nine-game winning streak.

MIND THE GAP: The 32-point win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 12 marked the largest margin of victory in head coach Mark Campbell's tenure, besting the 22-point win over UC Davis earlier this year. It was the program's biggest win since a 59-point drubbing of NAIA member Pacific Union on Dec. 19, 2019, and the largest against a Division I foe since sinking Northern Arizona by the same margin in a 111-79 win over the Lumberjacks on March 4, 2016. At last week's Big Sky Tournament, the Hornets' 18-point win over Portland State is the program's larget in tournament history. All-in-all, 16 of Sacramento State's 25 wins have been by double-digits.

MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH: Just imagine how much different the Hornets' record could look if a ball had taken a bounce the other way a couple times. Four of the team's seven losses this season have been by four points or fewer, including two by a single basket and another by a single point.

SHOOTER!: Someone get a hand in the face of the Hornets. Sacramento State enters the postseason as one of the most efficient shooting teams in the Big Sky, leading the league in both field goal (.469) and three-point (.386) percentage, while ranking seventh in free throw (.734) percentage. The Hornets lead second-place Montana by 49 points in the field goal category and 36 points in three-point shooting.

NOTHING BUT NET: In addition to the above rankings, the Hornets also stand among the top 20 in the NCAA in both three-point percentage (No. 4) and field goal percentage (No. 11), while ranking No. 9 in three-pointers made per game (9.0) as of March 12.

PUT A LID ON IT: If the numbers hold for the rest of the year, this season's Hornet defense will go down as one of the stingiest in school history. Allowing just 59.7 ppg thus far this season -- which ranks second in the Big Sky entering the postseason and No. 65 in the NCAA -- that average would be the best in the program's Division I era and rank second in school history behind the 1984-85 squad and its record-low 56.8 ppg.

SAFE AT HOME: The Hornets have made winning at home a habit this season. Sacramento State improved to 11-2 at The Nest with its win over Portland State -- the most since the 2014-15 squad ended with an 11-3 record at The Nest.

ROAD WARRIORS: Thanks to wins at Weber State and Idaho State in their final road swing of the season, the Hornets posted their eighth and ninth road wins of the year, surpassing the 2009-10 Sacramento State squad (8-7) for the second-most victories away from home and trailing only the 1982-83 Hornets who finished 10-2 on the road.

PUT IT IN NEUTRAL: Should the Hornets get past host UCLA on Saturday, Sacramento State's prospects for the rest of the tournament look pretty good if you take their 5-0 record on neutral floors into account. Sacramento State is averaging 67.8 ppg to the opponents' 51.6 ppg in those contests, shooting .460 from the field to the opposition's .338 and holding the other team to just 25 percent from beyond the arc.

THEME FROM SWAT: Twelve more blocks by the Hornets' defense during the Big Sky Conference Tournament last week gives Sacramento State 111 swats for the season, moving this year's edition of the Hornets into sole possession of fifth on the school's single-season list -- just four back of the 1985-86 squad in fourth. This year's team is the sixth in school history to record 100 blocked shots and the first since the 2018-19 team had 144 for the year.

LIKE A RECORD, BABY: Right 'round, 'round, 'round. While individual accolades are nice, what the Hornets have done as a team is, perhaps, even more impressive. Aside from the school-record 25 victories, Sacramento State is closing in on the top 10 in a number of categories in school history:

• The 2,216 points are eighth on the single-season list, just six back of the 2011-12 team (2,222) for seventh and 27 back of the 2012-13 team (2,243) for sixth
• The 792 field goals made rank ninth on the single-season list, just 27 back of the 2009-10 team (819)
• The Hornets' .469 field goal percentage WOULD BE a school record, surpassing the .458 shot during the 1976-77 season
• The 289 three-pointers made are fifth on the single-season list, 31 back of the 2016-17 team (320)
• The .386 three-point percentage WOULD BE a school record, surpassing the .351 shot in 1995-96
• The .734 free throw percentage WOULD rank third on the school's single-season list behind the 2005-06 (.740) and 2007-08 (.738) teams
• The 1,151 rebounds are 49 behind the 2010-11 squad for 10th on the single-season list

THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE: Kahlaijah Dean is still out there doing Kahlaijah Dean things, notching her 23rd straight double-digit scoring performance in the Big Sky Tournament championship game. In that stretch, Dean has been a machine, averaging 22.3 ppg (512 points overall), 6.2 rpg (142 overall), and 5.2 apg (119 overall), while shooting .443 (171-for-386) from the floor -- including a run shooting .413 (52-for-126) from beyond the arc in the last 17 games -- and .846 (110-for-130) from the line.

TOP GUN: One of the nation's top scorers (ranking No. 7 in both points per game and No. 12 in total points as of March 12), Dean's 55 points in the Big Sky Tournament gave her 674 points for the season and have her among the program's all-time single-season leaders. Her 16-point performance against Montana on Feb. 25 pushed her past Lianna Tillman's total (591) from 2021-22 and into second place on the all-time single-season chart, trailing only All-American Kristy Ryan's 727 points in 1993-94.

ALL-TIME SINGLE-SEASON SCORERS
1. Kristy Ryan, 1993-94 727
2. Kahlaijah Dean, 2022-23 674
3. Lianna Tillman, 2021-22 591
4. Sue Digitale, 1976-77 572
5. Charday Hunt, 2009-10 559

SHE CAN SCORE TOO: In addition to Dean's scoring exploits, Natabou is closing in on a milestone of her own, entering the week with 946 career points in the green and gold -- just 54 shy of becoming the 19th player in school history to score 1,000 career points in a Hornet uniform. Thanks to her 51 points in last week's conference tournament, Natabou's point total grew to 506 this year, putting her just 11 shy of Adella Randle-El's total of 517 points in 2015-16 for 10th on the 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. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has brought her total up to 2,099 career points this season with the Hornets, ranking No. 17 among active scorers in the NCAA as of March 12 and posting a total that would rank first on Sacramento State's all-time scoring list, passing the 2,064 points by All-American Kristy Ryan from 1990-94. Dean grabbed herself a piece of history in the win over Montana State on Feb. 23, reaching 2,000 career points thanks to a three-pointer at the 6:56 mark of the third quarter.

JORDAN OLI-VERY GOOD: The senior saved one of the best performances in her career for the last game of the Big Sky Tournament on March 8, finishing with a career-high 26 points to go with seven rebounds in the team's championship game victory over Northern Arizona. One of three players in double figures, Olivares' 26 points -- which bested her previous career high of 22 points on Feb. 25, 2021 -- was the third-highest by a Hornet in Big Sky Tournament play, trailing only Maranne Johnson's 31 points against Southern Utah in 2016 and Johnson's 30 against Montana in the 2018 postseason event.

THAT'S O-KAYLIN: Senior Kaylin Randhawa also saved her season best for last, pouring in a Sacramento State career-high 20 points on 6-of-10 from the floor against Northern Arizona, adding four three-pointers and 4-of-5 from the line. The performance topped her previous Hornet best of 18 against the Lumberjacks on Feb. 9 and gave Sacramento State two players with 20-or-more points in the same game for the first time since Kahlaijah Dean (35) and Katie Peneueta (20) did so against Montana State on Feb. 23.

THEY'VE GOT IT MADE: Kahlaijah Dean and Isnelle Natabou have accounted for better than half (438 of 792) of the Hornets' made baskets this year, placing them both among the top 10 on the school's single-season list. Dean's 225 field goals makes her only the sixth player to make at least 200 in a season, putting her 15 shy of Kristy Ryan and her 240 makes in 1993-94 for second place. Meanwhile, Natabou's 213 makes surpassed last year's total of 182 and places her sixth just nine back of Sue Digitale and her 222 makes in 1976-77.

MESSED AROUND AND (ALMOST) GOT A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Dean has been THIS close to collecting a triple-double on a number of ocassions over her last 11 games:
• 19 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists at Idaho (Feb. 4)
• 13 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds against Northern Colorado (Feb. 11)
• 29 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds at Idaho State (Feb. 18)
• 35 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists against Montana State (Feb. 23)
• 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists against Montana (Feb. 25)
• 16 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds against Portland State (Feb. 27)
• 22 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists vs. Idaho (March 6)

PUTTING THE "O" IN OLIVARES: Punctuated by that championship game performance, Olivares has saved her best offensive performances for the end of the season. All three of the senior's double-digit scoring games have come in the last five games, averaging 14.0 points to go with 8.2 rebounds per game, while shooting .605 (23-for-38) from the floor and .667 (12-for-18) from beyond the arc in that stretch.

NATABOU MOVES UP: Chalk up 29 more rebounds at the Big Sky Tournament for junior Isnelle Natabou, who continues to etch her name into the Sacramento State record book. Entering the NCAA Tournament with 627 career boards, Natabou solidifed her hold on ninth place on the school's all-time list, chasing Chalmers Bebber (1989-93) and her 709 career rebounds for eighth.

IZZY DOES IT ON THE GLASS: With the fourth-highest single-season rebound total in program history already under her belt, Natabou has added her name to the list a second time in 2022-23, joining Kylie Kuhns (2009-13) as the only two Hornets with multiple listings on the single-season top-10 list. Natabou's 299 boards rank eighth on the list, trailing Tevani Scott's 309 rebounds in 1987-88 for seventh. Kuhns holds the single-season record with 360 rebounds in 2011-12, stands third with 342 rebounds in 2012-13, and is sixth with 321 rebounds in 2010-11.

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 remained at No. 5 in the NCAA entering this week's tournament. Natabou's .642 from the field trails only Liberty's Mya Berkman (.699), Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes (.688), Iowa's Monika Czinano (.674), and Kansas' Taiyanna Jackson (.660).

I DOUBLE-DOUBLE DARE YOU: Keep on eye on your box scores. If Natabou has a double-double, you may be in trouble. Thanks to a pair of double-doubles against Idaho and Portland State in the first two rounds of the Big Sky Tournament, Natabou collected her 12th and 13th double-doubles of the season -- ranking No. 34 in the NCAA as of March 12. In those 13 games, Natabou is averaging 18.5 ppg and 13.0 rpg, while shooting .654 (102-for-156) from the floor.

OH, SAY CAN YOU THREE...: Sophomore Katie Peneueta is not only the Big Sky's top three-point threat, she is one of the nation's best as well, entering the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 5 in the nation in three-point percentage at .455 while standing second in the conference at 2.50 three-pointers made per game. Peneueta drained six three-pointers against Montana State on Feb. 23, tying her career high set at CSUN earlier this year, and finished the Big Sky Tournament hitting 8-for-11 (.727) from beyond the arc in the team's three games.

SHOOTING HER SHOT: Dean's seven three-pointers as part of her collegiate career-high 35-point outburst against Montana State on Feb. 23 rank tied for fourth on the school's single-game list -- the first Hornet to hit at least that many from beyond the arc since Camariah King had seven at Eastern Washington on Feb. 1, 2020. Dean's 10 baskets also marked the seventh time this year that she has finished with double-digit makes.

BLOCKING IT OUT: Boasting the Big Sky's second-best scoring defense at 59.7 ppg allowed, the Hornets have also done the work on the glass, holding opponents to a league-best 28.7 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. Sacramento State has held opponents to fewer than 30 rebounds in a game 22 times in 32 games this season.

AND I'M REEEEEE.... RE-BOUNDING: With 10 rebounds against Idaho in her Big Sky Tournament opener, and 11 more against Portland State a day later, Natabou posted her 13th and 14th double-digit rebounding performances of the season. A beast on the boards at both ends of the court, Natabou has posted 12 games where she has collected as many, if not more, offensive than defensive rebounds -- including nine offensive boards against both NAU on Feb. 9 and the Vandals on March 6, which are tied for the second-most in her career and the most since she had 10 offensive rebounds as part of a career-high 22 rebounds at Portland State on Jan. 15 last year.

THREE IS MORE THAN TWO: Trust us... Katie Peneueta has certainly done the math. In 50 career games with the Hornets, the Vancouver, Wash., native has made a living from long distance, sinking 126 of her 138 career field goals in the green and gold 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 career double-double.

BUILDING BLOCKS: Thanks to her four blocks at the Big Sky Tournament, Natabou is holding on to eighth place on the school's all-time blocks list with 70, swatting 36 last season and adding 34 more this year. Her total ranks seventh on the school's all-time list, just two back of Natasha Torgerson (72 from 2009-13) for sixth. Natabou isn't the only one climbing the list as sophomore Katie Peneueta and her 62 career blocks are ninth, just five back of Sephora Scoubes (1999-01) for eighth place.

RIM PROTECTOR: Peneueta's five blocks at the Big Sky Tournament gave her a career single-season and Big Sky-high 41 for the year, which are the most by a Hornet since Kennedy Nicholas finished with 44 swats in 2019-20.

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 147 makes from the line and seventh with an .817 free throw percentage, Dean moved into sole possession of fourth on the school's all-time single-season list, chasing Kristy Ryan and her 157 makes in 1992-93 for third.

IN OTHER TOP-10 NEWS: Dean's 163 assists on the year rank her fifth on the school's single-season list, trailing Lianna Tillman's total of 179 from 2021-22 for fourth... Dean's 77 three-pointers are now in a four-way tie for eighth with Alle Moreno (2012-13), Erika Edwards (2009-10), and Michelle St. Clair (2000-01)... Katie Peneueta's 70 three-pointers are seven behind that group.

NO SLEEP TILL...: Foot on the pedal for the Hornets as Katie Peneueta and Jordan Olivares became the latest players to go all 40 minutes (or more) in a game this season in the win over Idaho to open the Big Sky Tournament. For Peneueta, it was her team-high sixth game of 40-or-more minutes this season, while Olivares tallied her first. Isnelle Natabou has five such games, Dean has four, and Benthe Versteeg has one.

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 13 points in the second quarter against Montana State on Jan. 23, her 18th double-digit quarter this season out of 26 by a Hornet this year (Natabou has done it five times -- including a 12-point tide-turning third quarter against Portland State at the Big Sky Tournament -- while Kaylin Randhawa did so against Montana, Amusan scored 12 against Montana State, and Olivares scored 10 twice against Portland State and Northern Arizona). All told, Dean has accomplished the feat seven times in the third, four times in the first, four in the second, and three times in the fourth, while the 13 points against the Bobcats were just shy of the team-high 14 she scored in the third at Santa Clara on Nov. 14.

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.

RECORD-SETTING RANDHAWA: Senior Kaylin Randhawa finished the night against Northern Arizona on Feb. 9 by hitting 6-of-7 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Lumberjacks -- the latter setting a program Division I era single-game record. She broke the previous mark of 4-for-4 that had been shared by eight players, including teammate Katie Peneueta, who was 4-for-4 at Northern Colorado on Feb. 4 last season.

WHAT IS THE "JOUEUR DE LA SEMAINE?": It's the player of the week. That sounds good, we'll have that. Thanks to Dean's award on Feb. 21, a Hornet has now been named Big Sky Player of the Week eight times in the season's 16 weeks (Natabou also took home honors on Nov. 29, Dec. 13, and Feb. 14, while Dean has won four other times on Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 10, and Jan. 24) -- the most of any school in the league. The eight awards as a team this year are, by far, a school record, surpassing the 2012-13 squad, which won the award five times, for the most in a season since joining the Big Sky in 1996-97.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...: Dean became the first Hornet to win Big Sky weekly honors more than twice in the same season, while her five career awards makes her one of only 10 Sacramento State players in the program's Division I history to win multiple awards in her career. Dean's five career wins matches current teammate Isnelle Natabou for the most in school history -- a record Natabou held by herself for exactly one week after she claimed her fifth career award on Feb. 14.

BIG (SKY) TIME: Dean's five awards are tied for the most by any one player in the conference this year along with Idaho's Beyonce Bea, and the most by any Big Sky student-athlete during a single campaign since Montana's Mandy Morales (2006-07) and Idaho State's Natalie Doma (2007-08) claimed the honor a league-record six times in their respective years.

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 251 points this season with the Hornets.

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.