BOISE, Idaho -- The Sacramento State women's basketball team enters the postseason on the highest of high's, winning a share of its first-ever Big Sky Conference regular season title and riding a six-game winning streak into the 2023 Big Sky Conference Tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The No. 3 seed in this year's tournament, the Hornets open against No. 6-seeded Idaho in the quarterfinals on Monday (March 6) at 1:30 p.m. PT.
GAME #30
BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS
WHAT: No. 6 Idaho (13-16, 9-9) vs. No. 3 Sacramento State (22-7, 13-5)
WHEN: Monday, March 6, 2023
TIME: 2:30 p.m. PT
WHERE: Boise, Idaho
VENUE: Idaho Central Arena
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Big Sky Conference
BUY TICKETS: Ticketmaster.com
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Big Sky Conference
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 4 (1st Round)
#9 Northern Colorado vs. #10 Weber State, 11 AM PT (ESPN+)
#7 Portland State vs. #8 Idaho State, 1:30 PM PT (ESPN+)
Sunday, March 5 (Quarterfinals)
#1 Northern Arizona vs. UNC/Weber State, 11 AM PT (ESPN+)
#2 Montana State vs. Portland State/Idaho State, 1:30 PM PT (ESPN+)
Monday, March 6 (Quarterfinals)
#4 Eastern Washington vs. #5 Montana, 11 AM PT (ESPN+)
#3 Sacramento State vs. #6 Idaho, 1:30 PM PT (ESPN+)
Tuesday, March 7 (Semifinals)
NAU/UNC/Weber State winner vs. EWU/Montana, 11 AM PT (ESPN+)
MSU/PSU/ISU winner vs. Sacramento State/Idaho, 1:30 PM PT (ESPN+)
Wednesday, March 8 (Championship)
Championship Game, 2 p.m. PT (ESPNU & ESPN+)
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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 seventh consecutive week (https://collegeinsider.com/womens-mid-major-top-25), picking up 17 votes according to the Feb. 28 poll -- an increase 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.
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 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively.
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.
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.
HORNETS IN THE TOURNEY: Sacramento State has qualified for the Big Sky Championship for the 12th consecutive season and the 16th time overall since joining the league... This year is the first time that the Hornets have earned a first-round bye in the quarterfinals in the history of the program... Sacramento State has reached the semifinals of the Big Sky Championship three times: 2012 (lost to No. 1 Idaho State), 2013 (lost to No. 1 Montana), and 2015 (lost to No. 4 Northern Colorado)... The Hornets are a combined 5-15 in Big Sky Championship play, losing their last two games there since an upset of No. 6 Montana as a No. 11 seed in 2021... Sacramento State has never appeared in a championship game.
HOW SEED IT IS!: Sacramento State's No. 3 seed at this year's championship is its highest since coming in as the No. 2 seed in the 2015 tournament. The Hornets were also a top-three seed in 2010, entering as a No. 3 seed before falling to No. 6 Montana State.
HORNETS AGAINST THE FIELD: Sacramento State posted regular season sweeps against Portland State, Idaho, Northern Colorado, Idaho State, and Weber State, while splitting against Eastern Washington, Montana, and Montana State... Northern Arizona is the only team to sweep the Hornets in the regular season... Sacramento State has faced seven of the league's other nine members in the tournament, missing only Portland State and Idaho... In tournament play, the Hornets are 1-3 vs. Montana State, 0-2 vs. Northern Arizona, 1-2 vs. Idaho State, 1-1 vs. Eastern Washington, 1-2 vs. Montana, 0-2 vs. Northern Colorado, 0-2 vs. Weber State, and 1-1 vs. former member Southern Utah.
ABOUT THE VANDALS: Idaho enters the postseason with a 13-16 overall record and a 9-9 mark in Big Sky Conference play, finishing sixth overall in the standings... The Vandals closed their season winning two of their final three, downing Idaho State (60-54) and Weber State (77-52) before falling at Montana (85-82)... Idaho was 7-3 at home, but just 5-11 in true road games and 1-2 at neutral sites... Beyonce Bea leads the league in scoring (23.1 ppg) and paces the Vandals in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and field goal percentage (.497)... No other Idaho player is in double figures, but three are averaging at least nine points per game: Sydney Gandy (9.7 ppg), Tiana Johnson (9.3 ppg) and Rosa Smith (9.3 ppg).
SERIES NOTES: Idaho leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 16-7 count, but the Hornets have won three of the last four after a regular season sweep this year... Sacramento State posted a 71-56 win at home on Jan. 5 in the Big Sky home opener, while winning for only the second time in the history of the series in Moscow, Idaho, on Feb. 4 with a 77-70 triumph... Five of the Hornets' seven wins in the series have come at The Nest, with the only meeting on a neutral floor coming at the Oregon Invitational in 2010.
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 (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. Sacramento State is one of two 20-win teams entering the Big Sky Championship along with Montana State (20-10) and one of 87 teams in the nation (out of 350) to win at least 20 games this year as of March 1.
EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN BIG SKY PLAY: In addition to its overall win total, Monday's 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!: Riding a six-game winning streak entering the final regular season game, the Hornets are averaging 74.2 ppg while shooting .510 (159-for-312) from the field overall and .464 (71-for-153) from beyond the arc during their recent run. Meanwhile, the defense has limited opponents to just 57.5 ppg, a .378 (143-for-378) field goal percentage and .324 (34-for-105) from three-point range. The team's current six-game winning streak is its third of at least six games this season, joining six straight 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, an attempt at 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.
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.
EIGHTY IS GREATY... AGAIN: For the second time in three games -- and the fourth time overall this season -- the Hornet offense reached the 80-point plateau in their win over Portland State, improving to 3-1 when scoring at least 80 this season. The total is just two points shy of the team's season high of 82 set against Eastern Washington on Jan. 7 and matched against Montana State on Feb. 23. The last time that the Hornets have reached 80 points at least four times in the same season was back during the 2019-20 campaign when they accomplished the feat eight times.
RIDING THE HOT HAND: The league leaders in field goal and three-point percentage were up to their old tricks against Portland State, shooting 54 percent from the field for game against the Vikings. That performance marked the 10th time overall -- and the fifth time in the previous seven outings -- that Sacramento State has shot 50 percent or better from the field. During the last seven games, the Hornets are shooting a robust .505 (221-for-438) from the field and .454 (79-for-174) from beyond the arc.
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 each of their last four 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. -- and seven of their last 10 contests overall.
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. 5) and field goal percentage (No. 13), while ranking No. 9 in three-pointers made per game (9.1) as of March 1.
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 60.2 ppg thus far this season -- which ranks second in the Big Sky entering tournament play -- 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.
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 (.388) percentage, while ranking sixth in free throw (.739) percentage. The Hornets lead second-place Montana by 49 points in the field goal category and 40 points in three-point shooting.
LET'S GO HALVSIES: In jumping out to an early lead against Montana State, Sacramento State's 47-point first half against the Bobcats marked the 12th time this season that the Hornets have scored at least 40 points in a single half and is tied for the second-highest single-half scoring total of the year along with the 47-point first half at Montana on Jan. 26. Both totals are just one point shy of the season-high 48-point second half at Northern Colorado on Jan. 12.
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. After a 26-point victory over Portland State to end the regular season, 13 of Sacramento State's 22 wins have been by double-digits, while the win over the Vikings was the team's seventh by 20 points or more.
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.
GIVETH, NOT TAKETH AWAY: While dishing out 21 assists on 31 makes against Portland State sounds nice, the seven turnovers committed by the Hornets were even nicer, setting a new season low (previous was eight vs. Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 21 and again on Feb. 11 vs. Northern Colorado) and the fewest since giving the ball away seven times at Weber State on Jan. 29, 2022.
THEME FROM SWAT: A block by Katie Peneueta on Monday against Portland State was the team's 99th of the year, moving this year's edition of the Hornets into a tie for sixth on the program's single-season list with the 2002-03 squad. Sacramento State is now just 11 behind the 2010-11 squad (110) for fifth and one swat of becoming only the sixth team in school history to reach the century mark and the first since the 2018-19 team had 144 for the year.
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE...: And your opponents closer. Sacramento State hasn't trailed by more than five points in each of their last eight games and has trailed by double digits only four times. The Hornets have led wire-to-wire eight times, while holding a lead in every game but one: at San Diego State on Dec. 7.
HOW'S THIS QUARTET SOUND?: Bravo! Encore! This group of Hornets made the strings sing in the win Portland State as Natabou (23), Olivares (18), Dean (16), and Randhawa (11) all finished in double figures against the Vikings. It is the eighth time this year that Sacramento State has had four players finish with 10-or-more points -- posting a perfect 8-0 mark in those games -- and winning 10 of its last 11 such performances.
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE: No, it's not the newest menu item at your local In-N-Out franchise, but it tastes just as good on the court as it would in the restaurant. Olivares, with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Dean, with her 16 points and 10 assists, gave the Hornets a pair of double-doubles in the same game for the second time this season. The only other occasion came on Nov. 26 against UTEP in San Luis Obispo, Calif., when Natabou finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Katie Peneueta scored 11 more and grabbed 10 boards. All told, the Hornets are 14-3 this season when a player finishes with a double-double.
THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE: Kahlaijah Dean is still out there doing Kahlaijah Dean things, notching her 20th straight double-digit scoring performance Portland State. In that stretch, Dean has been a machine, averaging 22.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 5.3 apg, while shooting .450 (149-for-331) from the floor -- including a run shooting .470 (47-for-100) from beyond the arc in the last 14 games -- and .860 (104-for-121) from the line.
TOP GUN: One of the nation's top scorers (ranking No. 9 in both points per game and total points as of March 1), Dean's 16 points against Portland State gave her 619 points for the season and have her among the program's all-time single-season leaders. Her 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, 2022-23 619
3. Lianna Tillman, 2021-22 591
4. Sue Digitale, 1976-77 572
5. Charday Hunt, 2009-10 559
MESSED AROUND AND (ALMOST) GOT A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Dean has been THIS close to collecting a triple-double on a number of occasions over her last eight games: 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists at Idaho (Feb. 4); scoring 13 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds against Northern Colorado (Feb. 11); finishing with 29 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds at Idaho State (Feb. 18); scoring 35 points to go with nine rebounds, and eight assists against Montana State (Feb. 23); chipping in 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists against Montana (Feb. 25); and closing the regular season with 16 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds against Portland State (Feb. 27).
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 2,044 career points this season with the Hornets, ranking No. 18 among active scorers across the country as of March 1 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. 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.
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 893 career points in the green and gold -- just 107 shy of becoming the 19th player in school history to score 1,000 career points in a Hornet uniform. Although it may take a lengthy postseason run, Natabou is also closing in on a spot on the school's single-season list with her 453 points this year, needing 64 points to match Adella Randle-El's 517 points in 2015-16 for 10th on the chart.
THEY'VE GOT IT MADE: Kahlaijah Dean and Isnelle Natabou have accounted for better than half (394 of 715) of the Hornets' made baskets this year, placing them both among the top 10 on the school's single-season list. Dean's 203 field goals makes her only the sixth player to make at lead 200 in a season, putting her nine shy of Heidi Carroll and her 212 makes in 1983-84 for fifth place. Meanwhile, Natabou's 191 makes surpassed last year's total of 182 and ties her for seventh along with Hannah Friend (2018-19) and Maranne Johnson (2017-18).
PUTTING THE "O" IN OLIVARES: Senior Jordan Olivares saved her best performance of the season for a "Senior Night" title-clinching celebration against Portland State, finishing with a season-high 18 points to go with a career-high 11 rebounds for her first career double-double. It was her second-straight double-digit scoring performance after going for 15 points in a win over Montana and her highest scoring output since collecting a career-high 22 points at Weber State on Feb. 25, 2021.
FANTASTIC FEBRUARY: Olivares has been a spark for the Hornets' lineup over the last month, averaging 7.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in nine contests last month, nearly doubling her overall season average of 3.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg. The senior from Seaside, Calif., shot 44 percent from the floor and hit 10 three-pointers, while leading the squad with 10 steals during the month.
SECOND HALF SOLAPE: Since becoming a regular in the Hornet rotation over the last two months, senior Solape Amusan has shined for Sacramento State, averaging 6.8 points (115 total) and 2.4 rebounds (41 total) over 17 games, shooting .437 (38-for-87) from the field and .426 (29-for-68) from distance. Compare that to her first eight appearances in November and December when she scored just 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds combined, hitting 4-of-11 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 postseason ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in three-point percentage at .434 while standing tied for the conference lead alongside teammate Kahlaijah Dean at 2.48 three-pointers made per game. Peneueta drained six three-pointers last week against Montana State on Feb. 23, tying her career high set at CSUN earlier this year, and marked the eighth time this season she has hit at least four in a game.
NATABOU MOVES UP: Chalk up six more rebounds against Portland State for junior Isnelle Natabou, who continues to etch her name into the Sacramento State record book. Entering the postseason with 598 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.
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 .652 from the field trails only Liberty's Mya Berkman (.702), Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes (.695), Kansas' Taiyanna Jackson (.681), and Iowa's Monika Czinano (.665).
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 270 boards rank 10th on the list, trailing Sue Digitale's 272 rebounds in 1976-77 for ninth, Margaret Huntington's 273 rebounds in 2016-17 for eighth, and Tevani Scott's 309 rebounds in 1987-88 for seventh. 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.
DEAN DID IT ALL: Dean was the catalyst behind the Hornets' upset of Montana State on Feb. 23, finishing with a new collegiate career-high 35 points -- the third-highest total in the Big Sky this season -- while hitting 10 shots from the floor, draining seven three-pointers, and 8-of-9 from the line, to go with nine rebounds and eight assists. The 35 points were just shy of the school's single-game top 10 and were the most since Lianna Tillman had 35 against Idaho on Feb. 24 last year. It surpassed Dean's previous collegiate high of 34 points against Central Michigan on Dec. 7, 2021, while at Oakland University, and topped her Sacramento State best of 31 on two occasions.
SHOOTING HER SHOT: Dean's seven three-pointers as part of her 35-point outburst against Montana State 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.
BUILDING BLOCKS: Thanks to her two blocks at Weber State and Idaho State, Natabou is holding on to eighth place on the school's all-time blocks list with 66, swatting 36 last season and adding 30 more this year. Her total trails Sephora Scoubes (1999-01) by one for seventh and six back of Natasha Torgerson (2009-13) for sixth. Natabou isn't the only one climbing the list as sophomore Katie Peneueta and her 57 career blocks are tied for ninth with Hannah Friend (2017-19).
RIM PROTECTOR: Peneueta's three blocks at Weber State, and another against Portland State, gave her a career single-season and Big Sky-high 36 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 second in the Big Sky with 141 makes from the line and seventh with an .825 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: A third 10-assist performance this season in the win over Portland State gave Dean 150 assists on the year, moving her past Rexanne Rodriguez and into a tie with Fantasia Hilliard (150 assists in 2011-12) for ninth on the single-season list... Dean stands just three back of Ashley Garcia (153 in 2009-10) for eighth and seven behind Tina Gray (157 in 1985-86) for seventh... Dean's 72 three-pointers are five back of a three-way tie for eighth with Alle Moreno (2012-13), Erika Edwards (2009-10), and Michelle St. Clair (2000-01)... Katie Peneueta's 62 three-pointers are 15 behind that group.
I DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE DARE YOU: Keep on eye on your box scores. If Natabou has a double-double, you may be in trouble. Thanks to her 27-point, 12-rebound effort against Northern Arizona on Feb. 9, Natabou collected her 11th double-double of the season -- ranking No. 40 in the NCAA as of Feb. 25. In those 11 games, she is averaging 17.7 ppg, 13.5 rpg, and shooting 67 percent (83-for-124) from the floor.
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 25 by a Hornet this year (Natabou has done it four times -- including a 10-point first quarter at Idaho State -- while Kaylin Randhawa did so against Montana, Amusan scored 12 in the first against the Bobcats, and Olivares scored 10 in the second against Portland State). 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.
BLOCKING IT OUT: Boasting the Big Sky's second-best scoring defense at 60.2 ppg allowed, the Hornets have also done the work on the glass, holding opponents to a league-best 28.8 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 20 times in 29 games this season.
AND I'M REEEEEE.... RE-BOUNDING: With 12 rebounds against Northern Arizona on Feb. 9, Natabou posted her 12th double-digit rebounding performance of the season and her first since snagging 10 at Montana on Jan. 26. A beast on the boards at both ends of the court, Natabou has posted 11 games where she has collected as many, if not more, offensive than defensive rebounds -- including nine offensive boards against NAU, 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 47 career games with the Hornets, the Vancouver, Wash., native has made a living from long distance, sinking 118 of her 129 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.
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.
NO SLEEP TILL...: Foot on the pedal for the Hornets as Kahliajah Dean became the latest player to go all 40 minutes (or more) in a game this season in win over Montana on Feb. 25. For Dean, it was her fourth game of 40-or-more minutes this season, trailing the five such marathons by Katie Peneueta and Isnelle Natabou. Benthe Versteeg also has gone the distance once, playing the full game in a win 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' Dean (36.1 mpg), Peneueta (35.0 mpg), and Natabou (34.9 mpg). The trio ranks second, fifth, and sixth in the league in minutes.
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.
