SACRAMENTO — After opening Big Sky Conference play with a pair of games at home before the New Year, the Sacramento State women's basketball team officially rings in 2024 by breaking from league action for a weekend, participating in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge. The Hornets open the series on the road with a first-ever meeting against St. Thomas on Wednesday (Jan. 3) at 5 p.m. PT.
THIS WEEK…
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | St. Thomas | Big Sky Conference
GAME #12
BIG SKY-SUMMIT LEAGUE CHALLENGE
WHAT: Sacramento State (1-10, 0-2 Big Sky) at St. Thomas (8-6, 2-0 Summit League)
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024
TIME: 5 p.m. PT
WHERE: St. Paul, Minn.
ARENA: Schoenecker Arena
WATCH: Midco Sports Plus ($)
LIVE STATS: TommieSports.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
• Tip-off for the Hornets' conference game against Northern Arizona on Jan. 20 at The Nest has been moved up to 11 a.m. due to a change in travel plans for the Lumberjacks
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
• Members of the Big Sky and Summit League on both the men's and women's sides will face one another on the court over the course of the next week for a total of 36 games with each school getting a home game
• Victories in the challenge will be weighted differently, with the winners earning one point for a home win and 1.5 points for a victory on the road
• The conference with the most total points combined between the men's and women's results will be declared the winner
• Should there be a tie, the conference with the highest total margin of victory will earn the win
IN THE RANKINGS
• Neither Sacramento State nor St. Thomas are ranked nationally entering this week's games
• The Hornets finished 2022-23 ranked No. 22 in the final College Insider Mid-Major poll
RUNNING A GAUNTLET
• Entering this weekend's challenge, the Hornets' 11 opponents have posted an 81-61 (.570) record -- a mark that grows to 98-71 (.580) when you include St. Thomas' and Oral Roberts' results thus far.
• Santa Clara has won 12 games this year, Washington won 11 straight before suffering its first loss of the season to a No. 19 Louisville squad in its last game, and San Diego State is 10-4 entering the week
• As of Jan. 2, Washington is among those receiving votes in this week's Associated Press and No. 24 in the coaches poll, while three more opponents (past or present) are listed in the latest College Insider Mid-Major poll's (Dec. 26): Santa Clara is ranked No. 22, Northern Arizona is receiving 15 votes, and Eastern Washington is receiving four votes.
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.
• St. Thomas head coach Ruth Sinn is in her 19th season as head coach at her alma mater, posting a 28-44 record with the Tommies at the Division I level, while winning 363 games as a collegiate head coach, including four MIAC Coach of the Year awards and eight MIAC Tournament titles during the program's Division III years during Sinn's tenure.
ABOUT THE TOMMIES
• The University of St. Thomas enters the challenge with an 8-6 overall record and is off to a 2-0 start in Summit League play
• The Tommies have won three in a row sandwiching the holiday with a win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point (82-49) and conference wins over North Dakota (95-76) and Kansas City (66-57)
• After hosting the Hornets, St. Thomas travels to Portland State to complete its challenge series
• Sophomore guard Amber Scalia leads a trio of Tommies in scoring at 16.7 ppg, shooting .399 from the field and a team-high 30 makes from three-point range
• Junior guard Jade Hill (14.2 ppg) and junior center Jo Langbehn (12.4 ppg) are also in double figures, while Langbehn and graduate guard Jordyn Glynn share the team lead in rebounding (5.6 rpg)
• The Tommies are averaging 70.14 ppg and shooting .443 as a team, while allowing opponent to score 69.93 ppg and shoot .430 from the floor
SERIES NOTABLES
• Wednesday is the first-ever women's basketball game between Sacramento State and St. Thomas
• It marks only the third-ever game in ANY sport between the Hornets and Tommies after the Sacramento State baseball team posted a pair of wins (2-0 and 10-1) in 2023 at home
CONFERENCE CALL
• Sacramento State is a combined 7-9 against the current Summit League alignment, having faced five of the league's nine current members
• The Hornets have previously faced Oral Roberts (0-1), South Dakota State (1-0), North Dakota State (0-1), Denver (0-3), and North Dakota (6-4)
• However, all 10 games against the Fighting Hawks came between 2023-18 when both the Hornets and UND were members of the Big Sky
• Of the five Summit League opponents that Sacramento State has faced, the Hornets have never met any of them during their time in the Summit
• Sacramento State posted a 72-66 road win over North Dakota in 2018 in the last meeting with a current Summit League member, snapping a three-game skid against the Fighting Hawks after the Hornets had won five of the first six meetings between the two
HORNETS IN THE GOPHER STATE
• Wednesday marks Sacramento State's first-ever trip to the state of Minnesota for a women's basketball game
• It is NOT, however, the Hornets' first game against a school from the state of Minnesota as they fell to St. Cloud State in 1989 at home
YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
• Wednesday marks a homecoming for Hornet senior Solape Amusan, who returns to her home state of Minnesota for a game for the first time since she was a member of the Illinois women's basketball team in 2021-22
• Amusan prepped at nearby Woodbury HS in Woodbury, Minn., located just 15 miles (as Google Maps flies) from the St. Thomas campus
• Amusan averaged 12.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a senior for the Royals and was a two-time All-Suburban East Conference honoree while playing club with the Minnesota Fury
PACK YOUR BAGS
• Wednesday marks only the fourth true road game for Sacramento State this season and its first since taking on Fresno State on Dec. 16
• The Hornets opened the year with road contests at Washington (Nov. 6) and Nevada (Nov. 9), but then played eight of their next nine at home
A FRESH FACE ON THE FRESHMAN SCORING LIST?
• Freshman Summah Hanson enters this week's contests with a team-high 153 points halfway through her rookie campaign -- the most by a Hornet freshman since Katie Peneueta finished with 191 in 2021-22
• Hanson's 153 points rank just one shy of Margaret Huntington's 2013-14 total (154) for 15th on the school's Division I freshman scoring list and 16 back of Shanti Smith's 2010-11 total (169) for 14th
• If the season ended after only 11 games, Hanson's 13.9 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 8.8 rpg, passing Huntington's 7.5 rpg
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
• Hanson narrowly missed out on her sixth double-double of the season with nine points and eight rebounds against Eastern Washington, but did her best to make up for it on the defensive end
• Hanson finished with a career-high four blocks and four steals against the Eagles, posting the most blocks in a game by a Hornet since Peneueta finished with seven blocks against Idaho on Jan. 5 of last season
• Her four steals in that game are second only to Benthe Versteeg's five steals against Cal Poly on Dec. 21, which were the most by a Hornet since Lianna Tillman had five against Sonoma State on Nov. 16, 2021
• Hanson's four blocks against Idaho are tied for the most by a Big Sky player in a game this year, matching Northern Arizona's Saniyah Neverson against UNLV on Nov. 29
SHE'S KIND OF A BIG (SKY) DEAL
• Hanson enters this week's competition ranked No. 4 in the Big Sky in scoring (13.91 ppg) and leads the league in rebounding (8.8 rpg)
• Hanson is one of only five players from around the league to rank in the top 10 in both categories, joining Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (3rd & 2nd), Montana State's Katelynn Limardo (5th and 7th), Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (7th and 9th), and Idaho's Kennedy Johnson (10th & 6th)
• Among that group, Hanson is the only freshman as the others are in, at least, their sophomore seasons
• She also ranks in the top five in the league in nine other categories (see chart on page 4 of the PDF release linked above)
BENTHE VER-SCORES
• The Hornets' sophomore has been on a scoring tear as of late, hitting double figures in each of her last three games and five of her last seven contests overall
• Versteeg is averaging 14.7 ppg and shooting 41 percent (18-for-44) from the field during her recent three-game run
• Her 17 points against Idaho in the team's Big Sky opener was a career high, surpassing her 16 points against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
• She also drained a career-high three, three-pointers against the Vandals and matched her career best for field goals made with seven
• Versteeg's three-straight double-digit scoring games is the second-longest streak of the season by a Hornet, trailing only Hanson's four straight from Nov. 29-Dec. 21
PUTTING THE "J" IN J'YANA
• Having played a combined 17 minutes in her first five games combined, freshman J'yana Salton showed out in 14 minutes against Idaho
• The rookie from North Carolina put up her first career double-digit scoring performance with 10 points against the Vandals, hitting her first five shots -- including 4-for-4 in the third period alone -- and finishing 5-for-8 from the floor overall
• The 5-for-5 from the field would have tied for third on the school's single-game shooting list in the Division I era
• Salton's five field goals were the first of her collegiate career after scoring her first career points on a pair of free throws against Cal Poly
GOING SOLO ON THE BOARDS
• Amusan finished the Hornets' last game against Eastern Washington with a collegiate-high 10 rebounds, surpassing her previous best of nine against CSUN on Dec. 2
• The total made her only the third Hornet not named Summah Hanson to lead or share the team lead in rebounding along with Paula Haw (nine vs. UC Davis on Nov. 21) and Sophia Lee (seven against Idaho on Dec. 28)
• It also marked the sixth double-digit rebounding game of the year by a Sacramento State player with Hanson holding the other five
WHAT A STEAL
• Amusan has posted at least two steals in five of her last six games (2.0 spg) after going without one for the first five contests of the year
• The senior ranks third on the team with 12 steals, trailing only Versteeg (15) and Hanson (14), but her 12 steals in that six-game stretch lead the team (Versteeg and Hanson have nine each)
• As a team, the Hornets swiped a season-high 16 steals against Cal Poly on Dec. 21 -- the most since they had the same number against Northern Colorado on Jan. 16, 2020
SOPHIA LEE-BOUNDING
• Redshirt freshman Sophia Lee has not been afraid to go in amongst the trees and come away with rebounds, setting and tying her career high with seven rebounds in each of her last two games against Idaho and Eastern Washington
• Her 14 rebounds in her last two games are one more than she had in her first seven games as a Hornet combined
• Of the seven rebounds against Idaho, a career-best four came on the offensive glass
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• Versteeg enters the week ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in minutes per game (37.58), standing behind only Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.31) and Lafayette's Abby Antognoli (38.00)
• The sophomore has played all 40 minutes in a game twice this year: against UC Davis on Nov. 21 and against CSUN on Dec. 2
• Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in five other games and has played 37-or-more minutes in all but two games this year
• Hanson, meanwhile, is third in the Big Sky at 34.07 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 seven times
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Hanson enters the week leading the Big Sky in rebounding (8.82 rpg), defensive rebounds (77), and total rebounds (97)
• She ranks No. 27 in the NCAA in defensive rebounds (7.0 rpg) and No. 58 in rebounds per game
• Hanson has led the team in rebounding in nine of the team's 11 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)
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT COMBINATION
• Through the first 11 games this season, Sacramento State has put nine different starting lineups on the floor thus far, with the ninth coming on Dec. 30 against Eastern Washington
• The Hornets used the same lineup for the first time this season in three straight games against Fresno State, Cal Poly, and Idaho: Benthe Versteeg, Irune Orio, Lina Falk, Solape Amusan, and Summah Hanson
• All told, 11 of the 13 Hornets who have seen time on the court this season have earned a start, with Hanson and Versteeg the only two players to start all 11 games
BREATH OF FRESH AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 11 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in nine of the first 11 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 and earned the start against Santa Clara on Nov. 29, before senior Solape Amusan made her first start against CSUN on Dec. 2
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
• Sixteen of the the team's 20 double-digit scoring performances have come from starters; Freshman Ayanna Jackson had 12 as a reserve against Cal State Fullerton, Solape Amusan has been 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
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for 71 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 385 of the 543 total points thus far
THE GIVING SEASON
• The holiday season is behind us, but that hasn't stopped sophomore Benthe Versteeg from being in a giving mood, ranking second in the Big Sky in both assists per game (5.00) and total assists (55)
• She is one of only two players in the Big Sky (as of Jan. 2) to average better than 5.0 apg, joining Eastern Washington's Jamie Loera (5.58)
• Versteeg's 10 assists against Santa Clara (Nov. 29) marked only the second double-digit assist total in the Big Sky thus far (as of Jan. 2), standing behind only Loera, who had 12 helpers at Utah State on Nov. 10
• Versteeg owns three of the top five single-game assist totals in the Big Sky entering this week's contests
• The 10 helpers 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)
• She also ranks sixth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28) and is among the NCAA's top 100 in assists (94th) and assists per game (46th)
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Following her 15-point, 16-rebound effort at Fresno State, Hanson is one of 17 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year and one of only seven to have multiple double-doubles
• Hanson's five double-doubles are the most in the Big Sky and tied for 40th in the NCAA as of Jan. 2
• Hanson is one of only four freshmen (Iowa State's Addy Brown, Syracuse's Alyssa Latham, and St. Peter's Fatmata Janneh the others) -- and one of 15 underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least five double-doubles entering the week (as of Jan. 2)
• She was one of only 29 non-Power 5 student-athletes (out of 60 as of Jan. 2) to post at least five double-doubles
SUMMAH TIME!
• With her career-high 22-point outburst at Nevada on Nov. 9, Hanson became the first Hornet freshman to score 20 points in a game since Katie Peneueta had 20 at Northern Arizona on Feb. 3, 2022
• The 22 points were the most by a Sacramento State freshman since Tiara Scott scored 25 against Montana State on Feb. 18, 2017. Scott was 9-of-14 from the floor, including seven three-pointers
• Hanson's double-double against the Wolf Pack was the first by a Hornet freshman since Margaret Huntington had 10 points and 13 rebounds against UC Irvine on Dec. 14, 2013
