SACRAMENTO — The final game of the month has the Sacramento State women's basketball team headed to Missoula, Mont., for a Saturday matinee tip-off against the University of Montana at Dahlberg Arena. The two teams are scheduled for a 1 p.m. PT start.
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GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Montana | Big Sky Conference
GAME #19
WHAT: Sacramento State (1-17, 0-7) at Montana (13-5, 5-2)
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024
TIME: 1 p.m. PT
WHERE: Missoula, Mont.
ARENA: Dahlberg Arena
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.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
• Montana head coach Brian Holsinger is in his third season at the helm of the Grizzlies' program, posting a 46-32 record in his two-plus years at the helm and a 27-18 mark in Big Sky play.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES
• Montana enters the weekend with a 13-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Big Sky play
• The Grizzlies have won two straight after a 87-46 rout of Portland State on Thursday night at home
• Montana is 6-3 at home this year, winning its last four straight at Dahlberg Arena dating back to a loss to Colorado State on Dec. 9
• Graduate forward Carmen Gfeller leads the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg and is second in rebounding at 5.8 rpg while shooting .513 from the field
• Junior Dani Bartsch is the Big Sky's top rebounder at 9.4 rpg, averaging 8.2 ppg and shooting .505 from the floor
• Fifth-year guard Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw, who transferred from Iowa State, is second on the team in scoring at 11.1 ppg, leads the team with 42 three-pointers
• Fifth-year guard Gina Marxen is also in double figures at 10.3 ppg off the bench, leading the team with 70 assists (3.89 apg)
• The Grizzlies rank second in the Big Sky in scoring offense (74.67 ppg), field goal percentage (.443), and three-point percentage (.379), while leading the league in rebounding (39.00 rpg) and rebounding defense (31.61 rpg)
SERIES NOTABLES
• Montana leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 47-9 count according to records dating back to the 1996-97 season
• The Hornets and the Grizzlies split the regular season series last year with each team winning on its home floor
• Montana opened with an 81-77 win in Missoula on Jan. 26, before Sacramento State answered with a 63-56 win at The Nest during a regular season title-clinching weekend
• The Hornets are just 1-28 on the road against the Grizzlies, losing the last seven trips dating back to their only road win in the series on Jan. 21, 2017, by a 73-60 score
• Montana won the first 27 meetings overall in the series from 1997-2010, before Sacramento State posted a 100-83 victory on Feb. 20, 2010
ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
• Freshman Summah Hanson added nine more points to her season total at Montana State, solidifying her spot in the top 10 in points by a freshman in the program's Division I history with 249 -- the most since Maranne Johnson finished with 268 in 2014-15
• Hanson is now just 19 points shy of Johnson's total for sixth and 25 back of both Fantasia Hilliard (274 in 2011-12) and Julie Wastell (274 in 1995-96) for a spot in the top five
• Hanson is only the 11th Hornet freshman to score at least 200 points in her debut season
• If the season ended after 18 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 8.4 rpg, passing Margaret Huntington's 7.5 rpg
• Hanson also stands 37 makes behind Craig's record of 127 field goals and is 72 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. Summah Hanson 249 2023-24
8. Sami Field-Polisso 230 2007-08
9. Sarah Stapp 226 1992-93
10. 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
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 7.59 ppg
• Hanson also ranks No. 21 in the NCAA in scoring (13.8 ppg) among qualifying freshmen entering the weekend
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
• Thanks to some digging through the box scores from past seasons, 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
• 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
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Hanson enters the weekend ranked second in the Big Sky in both rebounding (8.44 rpg) and total rebounds (152)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is a solid third among freshmen in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (10.1 rpg), and Iowa State's Addy Brown (9.1 rpg)
• Hanson also ranks fourth in total rebounds (152) among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 181 boards
• She ranks tied for No. 81 in the nation overall in rebounds per game
• Hanson has led or shared the team lead in rebounding in 14 of the team's 18 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) and Northern Colorado's Aniah Hall (vs. Portland State on Jan. 20)
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Following back-to-back double-doubles at Weber State and Idaho State, Hanson's seven double-doubles remain the most in the Big Sky entering the weekend and are tied for 43rd in the NCAA
• Hanson is one of only three freshmen (Iowa State's Addy Brown and Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray the others) -- and one of 14 underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least seven double-doubles as of Jan. 25
• Hanson is one of 26 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year, but one of only 12 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
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 (6th and 2nd, respectively) categories, joining Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (2nd & 4th), Montana State's Katelynn Limardo (8th and 5th), and Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (7th and 7th)
• 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 nine categories (see chart on page 4 of this release)
SORRY, MS. JACKSON
• Freshman Ayanna Jackson proved she was for real on Thursday at Montana State, finishing the battle with the Bobcats with her first career double-double off the bench
• Jackson's 11 points marked her second double-digit scoring performance of the year, trailing only her career-high 12 points against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 12
• The Illinois native finished 5-for-7 from the field, setting a new career high in that category
• Meanwhile, her 10 rebounds were a career high, accounting for nearly half of her season total (22)
FALK THIS WAY
• Freshman Lina Falk finished off her first start in nearly a month with a career- and team-high 12 points against Montana State on Thursday
• The newcomer also played all 40 minutes against the Bobcats, surpassing her previous high of 32 minutes in the second game of the year at Nevada on Nov. 9
• Her 12 points surpassed her previous best of six against Oral Roberts
NO SHOTS FOR YOU
• Sacramento State's comeback attempt at Montana State on Thursday was powered by its defense, which held the homestanding Bobcats to just .303 from the field overall, a 6-for-29 (.207) second-half clip, and a 1-for-12 (.083) showing in the fourth quarter alone
• Both the overall shooting percentage and the 1-for-14 (.071) clip from three-point range were season lows for a Hornet opponent
• They were also the lowest since Northern Colorado shot .298 overall against Sacramento State on Jan. 12 of last season, and Eastern Washington hit just 1-for-16 (.063) from beyond the arc a week earlier on Jan. 7
LET'S GO HALVSIES
• The Hornets' 34 second-half points at Montana State are tied for the second most points in ANY half this year, trailing only the 36-point second half against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
• The Hornets outscored the Bobcats, 34-26, in the second half -- the fourth time that Sacramento State has won a half this season along with the first half against CSUN, the second half against Cal Poly, and the second half against Northern Arizona on Jan. 20
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH US
• While Montana State was struggling on offense, the Hornets were more than happy to pick up the slack
• Sacramento State's 23 fourth-quarter points on Thursday were a season high for ANY quarter this year, as were the 11 field goals made (in 19 attempts) and six assists
• The 23 points surpassed the previous high of 22 scored in the first quarter against Northern Arizona on Jan. 20
SHE'S A GIVER
• Versteeg had a run of five straight games with six-or-more assists snapped following her 26-point outburst against Northern Arizona, but her eight assists at Montana State boosted her back into the Big Sky lead in both assists per game (5.78) and total assists (104) 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 (5.56)
• She also ranks fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30) and is among the NCAA's top 100 in assists (22nd) and assists per game (21st)
• Versteeg owns five of the top 10 single-game assist totals in the Big Sky
• She has 11 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 11 games match 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)
BENTHE BETTER IN THE BIG SKY
• Since the calendar turned to conference play, Versteeg has been red hot against the Hornets' Big Sky Conference rivals
• Through seven league games, Versteeg is the Hornets' leading scorer, averaging a solid 14.4 points (four points better than her overall season average), 5.43 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.14 steals per game, while leading the team with 38 field goals made
• In those seven league contests, Versteeg has scored in double figures in five of them
VERSTEEG HITS THE CENTURY MARK
• Thanks to her eight assists at Montana State on Thursday, Versteeg topped the century mark for the season, ending the game with 104 helpers to her name
• The total has her just 50 assists away from breaking into the all-time top 10 in a single-season (Fantasia Hilliard's 150 in 2011-12 is 10th) and 47 shy of the program's Division I top-10 list (Rexanne Rodriguez is 10th with 147 during the 2000-01 season)
SWIPER, NO SWIPING
• Versteeg has led or co-led the team in steals eight times this season and 18 times overall in her career
• Her three steals at Montana State on Thursday gave Versteeg 31 steals on the year and 1.72 spg -- ranking tied for fourth and third in the league, respectively
• The 31 steals are 13 shy of Kahlaijah Dean's team-high 44 from last season
• Versteeg set a career high with five steals against Cal Poly on Dec. 21
• The sophomore has been a pest as of late, posting multiple steals in each of her last six games and averaging 2.67 spg in that span, with her 16 steals in that stretch accounting for more than half of her season total
• Versteeg has a steal in all but four games and multiple steals 10 times
ALL GO, NO QUIT
• Both Falk and Versteeg played all 40 minutes at Montana State on Thursday night, marking the first time that the Hornets have had two players go the distance in a regulation game since Isnelle Natabou and Kahlaijah Dean did so at Montana nearly a year ago to the day
• Versteeg's "complete game" on Thursday against the Bobcats marked the sixth time this season that she has gone the distance in a game
• The sophomore has gone the distance in four of her last six games dating back to a 40-minute effort against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6, and has missed only 2:12 of game time in that stretch
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• Versteeg enters the week ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in minutes per game (38.17), standing behind only Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.57)υ Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in seven 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 33.49 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
PUTTING THE "O" IN ORIO
• Sophomore Irune Orio has finished with double-digit points in four of her last six contests
• Ranking third on the team in scoring at 7.3 ppg, Orio is averaging 10.3 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
• In addition to her scoring exploits, Orio finished with a career-high eight rebounds at Montana State on Thursday, surpassing her previous high of six against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6
BREATH OF FRESH AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 18 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in 11 of those games
• The Hornets have started three true freshmen three times at Washington in the season opener on Nov. 6, against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 12, and at Montana State on Jan. 25
• Sacramento State listed a starting five comprised completely of underclassmen in each of the first four games and again against Montana State
• 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 18 games this season, Sacramento State has put 12 different starting lineups on the floor after freshman Celestine Segretain made her first career start at Montana State on Thursday
• 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, 12 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 18 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
• Thirty-one of the the team's 36 double-digit scoring performances have come from starters; Freshman Ayanna Jackson had 12 as a reserve against Cal State Fullerton and 11 at Montana State, 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, and added 57 more against Northern Arizona on Jan. 20
• The game against the Lumberjacks marked the 10th time overall -- and the fifth time in the last seven games -- that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points in a game
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for nearly 77 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 713 of the 934 total points thus far
