SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento State women's basketball team closes out the week with an early start on Saturday (Jan. 20), hosting Northern Arizona in an 11 a.m. tip-off at The Nest. It is the earliest start for a regular season contest for the Hornets since they tipped at 11 a.m. at San Diego State last season on Dec. 7 for a "field trip" game against the Aztecs.
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GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Northern Arizona | Big Sky Conference
GAME #17
WHAT: Northern Arizona (11-6, 3-1) at Sacramento State (1-15, 0-5 Big Sky)
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 18, 2024
TIME: 11 a.m. PT
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
ARENA: The Nest
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.com
TICKETS: HornetSports.com
THE COACHES
• Sacramento State's Aaron Kallhoff is in his first season at the helm of the Hornets. He has served five previous seasons as a head coach at the junior college level and spent 10 years as an assistant at five Division I programs: Arkansas State, TCU, LSU, Penn State, and BYU. He earned his first career Division I victory as a head coach on Dec. 2 against CSUN
• Northern Arizona head coach Loree Payne is in her seventh season at the helm of the Lumberjacks' program, posting a 95-104 record in her six-plus seasons. Prior to that, she was the head coach for seven years at the University of Puget Sound, winning 130 games.
ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS
• Northern Arizona enters the weekend with an 11-6 overall record and a 3-1 mark in Big Sky play
• The Lumberjacks are coming off a 73-65 road win at Portland State on Thursday and they have won two of their last three conference games
• Seven of NAU's 11 wins have come away from Flagstaff as the Lumberjacks are 5-3 in true road contests and 2-0 in neutral site games (Las Vegas Holiday Classic)
• Northern Arizona has won five of its last six on the road after opening with losses at Oregon and at Arizona to start the season
• Sophomore forward Sophie Glancey leads a trio of Lumberjacks in double figures, averaging 12.6 ppg to go along with team bests in rebounding (6.4 rpg), blocks (18), and field goal percentage (.503)
• Junior guard Leia Beattie (12.4 ppg) and senior guard/forward Emily Rodabaugh (12.1 ppg) are also averaging double-digit points, while ranking fourth (4.5 rpg) and second (5.5 rpg), respectively, on the team in rebounding
SERIES NOTABLES
• Northern Arizona leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 40-18 count dating back to the 1992-93 season
• The Lumberjacks swept the regular season series with the Hornets last season, but Sacramento State won when it counted, defeating Northern Arizona in the championship game of the Big Sky Tournament, 76-63
• The Hornets' last regular season win against the Lumberjacks came on Feb. 3, 2022, in Flagstaff, posting a 76-62 victory
• Sacramento State is 10-17 at home against NAU, having lost the last three meetings between the two at The Nest dating back to a 65-61 win on Jan. 17, 2019
• Northern Arizona won 21 of the first 23 meetings in the series, while the Hornets posted their longest winning streak of four during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons
SHE CAN DO BOTH
• Already the league's best in assists (more on that later), sophomore Benthe Versteeg has been showing off her scoring touch as of late, finishing with 14 points to go with six helpers against Northern Colorado on Thursday
• The scoring performance marked her second double-digit finish in her last three games, her fifth such contest in her last eight, and her seventh overall this year
• Over her last eight, Versteeg is averaging 11.9 points per game -- better than two points above her overall season average -- while also averaging 5.88 assists per game in that same span
BENTHE BETTER IN THE BIG SKY
• Since the calendar turned to conference play, Versteeg has been red hot against the Big Sky
• In five league games, Versteeg is the Hornets' leading scorer, averaging a solid 13.2 points (nearly four points better than her overall season average), 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, while leading the team with 25 field goals made
LIVING ON THE EDGE
• In her last two starts, sophomore Kaylie Edge is averaging 7.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg while shooting .500 from the field and 4-of-7 (.571) from beyond the arc
• Her 15 points combined against Idaho State and Northern Colorado are four more than she had scored in her previous 13 games combined
BRING ME SOLO AND THE POINTS
• Senior Solape Amusan finished with 12 points against Northern Colorado -- her second double-digit scoring performance in her last three and her fifth overall this year
• The 12 points were her most since she had a career-high 18 against Santa Clara (Nov. 29)
• She is averaging 9.7 ppg over her last three contests (three points better than her season average) and is shooting 50 percent from the field overall (10-for-20) to go along with 43 percent (6-for-14) from beyond the arc
ORI-OH!
• After finishing with 12 points against Northern Colorado on Thursday, sophomore Irune Orio posted her third double-digit scoring performance in her last four games
• Ranking third on the team in scoring at 7.1 ppg, Orio is averaging 10.5 ppg during her most recent run, which included 14 points against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6 and 12 more points at Idaho State on Jan. 13
• The game against the Bears marked her fourth double-digit scoring performance of the year overall, adding on a career-best 16-point performance against CSUN on Dec. 2
ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
• With a pair of solid performances on the road at Weber State and Idaho State, freshman Summah Hanson moved into the top 10 in points by a freshman in the program's Division I history with 221 -- the most since Tiara Scott finished with the same amount in 2016-17
• Entering Saturday's contest, Hanson's point total moved her past Kylie Kuhns (219 in 2009-10) and into a tie with Scott for ninth on the list
• Hanson is now just five points shy of Sarah Stapp (226 in 1992-93) for eighth and nine back of Sami Field-Polisso (230 in 2007-08) for seventh
• Hanson is only the 11th Hornet freshman to score at least 200 points in her debut season
• If the season ended after 16 games, Hanson's 13.8 ppg would be the best by a freshman in the school's Division I history, passing Sarah Craig's 12.2 ppg in 2002-03, as would her 8.6 rpg, passing Margaret Huntington's 7.5 rpg
• Hanson also stands 48 makes behind Craig's record of 127 field goals and is 86 rebounds back of Huntington's record-setting total (224).
MOST SINGLE-SEASON POINTS AS A FRESHMAN (Division I only)
1. Gigi Hascheff 344 2013-14
2. Hallie Gennett 336 2013-14
3. Sarah Craig 305 2002-03
t4. Fantasia Hilliard 274 2011-12
t4. Julie Wastell 274 1995-96
6. Maranne Johnson 268 2014-15
7. Sami Field-Polisso 230 2007-08
8. Sarah Stapp 226 1992-93
t9. Summah Hanson 221 2023-24
t9. Tiara Scott 221 2016-17
11. Kylie Kuhns 219 2009-10
12. Tola Tallman 192 2000-01
13. Katie Peneueta 191 2021-22
14. Emily Christensen 182 2007-08
15. Shanti Smith 169 2010-11
16. Margaret Huntington 154 2013-14
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Hanson had herself quite a weekend on the road, posting consecutive double-doubles for the third time this season at Weber State and Idaho State
• Following her performance at Idaho State, Hanson's seven double-doubles remain the most in the Big Sky entering the weekend and are tied for 32nd in the NCAA
• Hanson is one of only two freshmen (Iowa State's Addy Brown the other) -- and one of 17 underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least six double-doubles as of Jan. 18
• Hanson is one of 23 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year, but one of only 10 to have multiple double-doubles
• Of Hanson's seven double-doubles, three have included 20-point performances which are also the most in the league
• Her seven double-doubles this season are tied for 11th on the program's Division I single-season list and already tied for 15th on the school's career list in that same span
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
• Thanks to some digging in the box scores, Hanson's career-high 28 points at Weber State on Jan. 11 were the most by a Hornet freshman in the program's Division I history
• It marked her third 20-point game of the season, surpassing her previous career-best of 22 at Nevada on Nov. 9
• They were also the most since Kahlaijah Dean finished with 35 points against Montana State on Feb. 23 of last season and the most by a Hornet freshman since at least the 2004-05 season
• The 28 points are also the second-most by a player in the league this season, trailing only the 30 points scored by Weber State's Jadyn Matthews in that same contest
NOT BAD... FOR A FRESHMAN
• Hanson is the highest scoring freshman in the Big Sky entering the weekend, with the next closest first-year scorer being Northern Colorado's Tatum West at 7.43 ppg
• Hanson also ranks No. 22 in the NCAA in scoring (13.8 ppg) among qualifying freshmen entering the weekend
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Hanson enters the weekend ranked second in the Big Sky in both rebounding average (8.63 rpg) while leading the league in rebounds (183)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is a solid third among freshmen in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (9.9 rpg), and Iowa State's Addy Brown (9.2 rpg)
• Hanson also ranks fifth in total rebounds (138) among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 158 boards
• She ranks tied for No. 70 in the nation overall in rebounds per game
• Hanson has led or shared the team lead in rebounding in 13 of the team's 16 games
• Her 16 rebounds at Fresno State (Dec. 16) were the most since Isnelle Natabou grabbed 18 against Weber State on Jan. 21 last season
• They are also tied for the most in a game by a Big Sky player along with Idaho's Hope Butera (vs. Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 1)
SHE'S A GIVER
• After posting six or more assists in each of her last five games, sophomore Benthe Versteeg has moved into the top spot in the Big Sky in both assists per game (5.75) and total assists (92) entering the weekend
• She is one of only two players in the Big Sky to average better than 5.0 apg, joining Eastern Washington's Jamie Loera (5.69)
• She also ranks fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.31) and is among the NCAA's top 100 in assists (31st) and assists per game (22nd)
• Versteeg owns five of the top 10 single-game assist totals in the Big Sky
• She has 10 games with at least six assists, including nine helpers for a third time this year at Weber State, joining her performances against CSUN on Dec. 2 and Oral Roberts on Jan. 6
• Those 10 games are just one shy of Kahlaijah Dean's total from all of last season after Dean posted the fifth-highest single-season total in school history (168) in 2022-23
• Versteeg's career-high 10 assists against Santa Clara (Nov. 29) is one of three double-digit assist totals in the Big Sky thus far: Loera had 12 at Utah State on Nov. 10, and Montana's Gina Marxen had 10 against South Dakota on Jan. 3
• Her 16-point, 10-assist game against the Broncos is one of only two point-assist double-doubles in the league this year (Montana's Gina Marxen had 10 points and 10 assists against South Dakota on Jan. 3)
• The 10 helpers against the Broncos were just one shy of the school's single-game top 10 (seven players are tied for ninth with 11 assists, the last being Fantasia Hilliard at Montana in 2015)
SWIPER, NO SWIPING
• Sophomore Benthe Versteeg has led or co-led the team in steals six times this season and 16 times overall in her career
• Her two steals against Northern Colorado on Thursday gave Versteeg 26 steals on the year, which ranks tied for eighth in the Big Sky, while her 1.60 spg ranks sixth in the league
• Versteeg set a career high with five steals against Cal Poly on Dec. 21
• The sophomore has been a pest as of late, averaging 2.75 spg over her last four contests, with her 11 steals in that span accounting for more than a third of her season total
• Versteeg has a steal in all but four games and multiple steals eight times
SHE'S KIND OF A BIG (SKY) DEAL
• Hanson is one of only four players from around the league to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding (sixth and second, respectively) categories, joining Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (2nd & 3rd), Montana State's Katelynn Limardo (7th and 6th), and Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (8th and 9th)
• Among that group, Hanson is the only freshman as the others are, at least, sophomores
• Overall, she ranks in the top five in the league in 10 categories (see chart on page 4 of the above linked PDF release)
OTHER BIG SKY BESTS
• Solape Amusan's six three-pointers against Santa Clara on Nov. 29 are tied for the second most in a game this year behind Northern Arizona's Emily Rodabaugh and her seven makes
• Versteeg's five steals against Cal Poly on Dec. 21 are tied for the second-most in the league behind EWU's Jamie Loera and her seven swipes against Portland State on Dec. 28
• Hanson's four blocks against Eastern Washington on Dec. 30 are tied for the most in a game in the league along with Montana's Carmen Gfeller (vs. South Dakota), Northern Arizona's Saniyah Neverson (vs. UNLV), and Portland State's Lana Wenger (vs. St. Thomas)
• Hanson's three 20-point games are tied for fifth in the league, while her seven double-digit rebounding performances are tied with Montana's Dani Bartsch for the most in the Big Sky
• The team's 12-for-16 (.750) performance from beyond the arc against Santa Clara (Nov. 19) is the league's highest single-game percentage
ALL GO, NO QUIT
• Versteeg played all 40 minutes against Northern Colorado on Thursday night, marking the fifth time this season that the sophomore has gone the distance in a game this year
• In fact, Versteeg has played all 40 minutes in three of her last four contests, missing only 1:15 of game time at Weber State on Jan. 11
• All told, the sophomore has gone the distance against UC Davis (Nov. 21), CSUN (Dec. 2), Oral Roberts (Jan. 6), and Idaho State (Jan. 13), in addition to Thursday's game against Northern Colorado and a 40-minute performance at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 21 last year
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• Versteeg enters the week ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in minutes per game (38.00), standing behind only Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.54) and Florida A&M's (38.12)
• Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in six other games and has played 37-or-more minutes in all but three games this year
• Hanson, meanwhile, is fifth in the Big Sky at 33.71 mpg -- including a season-high 39:22 against Nevada
• After playing in only 20 minutes at Washington in the opener, Hanson has played 35-or-more minutes nine times
AND WE'RE REEEE... REEEE-BOUNDING
• The Hornets held a 33-32 advantage on the glass against Northern Colorado -- the seventh time they have out-rebounded an opponent this year
• The 15 offensive boards against the Bears tied the season high set against UC Davis (Nov. 21) and Eastern Washington (Dec. 30) and were the most since Feb. 9, 2023, with 15 against Northern Arizona
• It also marked the ninth time this year that the Hornets have had 10-or-more offensive rebounds and the fifth time in the last seven games
BLOCK YOU VERY MUCH
• Sacramento State enters the weekend ranked fourth in the Big Sky in both overall blocks (50) and blocks per game (3.13)
• Sacramento State has had at least one block in all but one game (UC Davis) this year and multiple blocks 13 times
STILL SUMMAH FROM THE BLOCK
• Hanson leads the Big Sky in both blocks (21) and blocks per game (1.31)
• The freshman has posted at least one swat in eight of her last 11 games and in all but five contests overall
• Hanson's 21 blocks are the most by a Hornet freshman since Katie Peneueta finished the 2021-22 season with 21
• Kristine Knowlton holds the school freshman record with 57 in 2001-02
BREATH OF FRESH AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 16 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in nine of the first 15 games
• The Hornets have started three true freshmen twice at Washington in the season opener on Nov. 6 and, again, against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 12
• Sacramento State listed a starting five comprised completely of underclassmen in each of the first four games
• Junior Seilala Lautaimi became the first upperclassman to crack the starting lineup against UC Davis on Nov. 21
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT COMBINATION
• Through the first 16 games this season, Sacramento State has put 10 different starting lineups on the floor
• The Hornets used the same lineup in back-to-back games for the first time this season against Fresno State, Cal Poly, and Idaho: Benthe Versteeg, Irune Orio, Lina Falk, Solape Amusan, and Summah Hanson
• Sacramento State has also used the lineup of Versteeg, Lee, Orio, Amusan, and Hanson three times against Eastern Washington (Dec. 30) and St. Thomas (Jan. 3) and, again at Weber State on Jan. 11
• The Hornets have also rolled out the lineup of Versteeg, Edge, Orio, Amusan, and Hanson three times against Oral Roberts (Jan. 6), Idaho State (Jan. 13), and Northern Colorado (Jan. 18)
• All told, 11 of the 13 Hornets who have seen time on the court have earned a start, with Hanson and Versteeg the only two to start all 16 games
WANNA BE STARTING SOMETHING
• The Hornets' starting five has produced at least half of the team's points in all but one game this season after the bench held a 33-32 advantage against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
• Twenty-seven of the the team's 31 double-digit scoring performances have come from starters; Freshman Ayanna Jackson had 12 as a reserve against Cal State Fullerton, Solape Amusan was the spark off the bench twice with 11 against UC Davis and 18 more against Santa Clara, while J'yana Salton added 10 points against Idaho
• Hornet starters finished with a season-high 58 points against Weber State on Jan. 11, while the 45 points against Northern Colorado on Thursday marked the ninth time overall -- and the fourth time in the last five games -- that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for nearly 76 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 617 of the 814 total points thus far
