SACRAMENTO — With the non-conference portion of its schedule firmly behind it, the Sacramento State women's basketball team resumes the chase for the Big Sky Conference crown with its first road league contests of the year this week. The Hornets open the trip by travelling to Weber State on Thursday (Jan. 11) for a 5 p.m. PT tip-off in Ogden, Utah.
THIS WEEK…
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Weber State | Big Sky Conference
GAME #14
WHAT: Sacramento State (1-12, 0-2 Big Sky) at Weber State (3-12, 0-2 Big Sky)
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024
TIME: 5 p.m. PT
WHERE: Ogden, Utah
ARENA: Dee Events Center
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: WeberStateSports.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
IN THE RANKINGS
• Neither Sacramento State nor Weber State 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 Thursday's game in Utah, the Hornets' 13 previous opponents have posted an 113-79 (.589) record
• Six of Sacramento State's 13 opponents have posted double-digit wins at the halfway point of the regular season: Santa Clara (13-3), Eastern Washington (12-3), Washington (11-3), Oral Roberts (11-4), San Diego State (11-5), and St. Thomas (10-6)
• Of the 13 opponents, nine have records of .500 or better
• Entering Saturday, the Hornets' non-conference opponents are a combined 92-71 (.564)
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
• Weber State head coach Jenteal Jackson is in her first season at the helm of the Wildcats, entering Thursday at 37-33 overall when you include her two seasons as head coach at her alma mater, Westminster College, in Salt Lake City
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
• Weber State enters the week with a 3-12 overall record and an 0-2 mark in Big Sky Conference play
• The Wildcats lost their only game during the recent Big Sky-Summit League Challenge, falling to Kansas City at home, 61-51
• Weber State has lost its last five games dating back to a 14-point win over Westminster on Dec. 12 -- the finale win in a run of three straight victories that featured triumphs over Nevada (Dec. 6) and in-state rival Utah Tech (Dec. 9)
• Thursday marks only the fourth home game of the year for the Wildcats, who are 2-1 at the Dee Events Center
• Senior forward Daryn Hickok leads the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game to go with 4.7 rebounds per game and 19 steals
• Jadyn Matthews is second on the team in scoring at 9.9 ppg while pacing the team in rebounding at 5.0 rpg
• As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 54.9 ppg and shooting .360 from the floor, while allowing opponents to average 67.3 ppg and shoot .448 from the field
SERIES NOTABLES
• Weber State holds a 34-20 lead in the all-time series with Sacramento State
• The Hornets, however, swept the regular season series from the Wildcats in 2022-23 with a 70-44 win at home and a 66-52 triumph on the road, snapping a five-game skid in the process
• Sacramento State is 7-19 on the road against Weber State, with the two teams splitting the last six head-to-head meetings in Ogden
• The Wildcats won 23 of the first 24 meetings between the two programs since the series began in 1997, before the Hornets answered by winning 13 of the next 15 from 2009-15
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
• While Weber State is playing in only its fourth home game of the season, Sacramento State will be hitting the road for only the fifth time in 2023-24, still looking for its first win away from home
• The Hornets' last win on the road came during this same trip in Big Sky play last season when they swept the Wildcats and Idaho State on Feb. 16 and 18, respectively, as part of a nine-game winning streak that propelled Sacramento State to a share of the league's regular season title and the conference tournament crown
• After opening the regular season with a pair of road games, the Hornets have rarely left The Nest, playing nine of their last 11 within the friendly confines of their home court heading into this week
CLIPPING THEIR WINGS
• The Hornet defense limited Oral Roberts to just 56 points last week after the Golden Eagles had entered the game ranked No. 19 in the nation in scoring at 82.57 ppg
• The 56 points were the second-fewest allowed by Sacramento State in a game this year, trailing only the 48 surrendered to CSUN on Dec. 2
• The 56 points were also tied for the fewest scored by ORU this season, matching its total against TCU in its season opener
• Sacramento State also limited the Golden Eagles to just .328 shooting from the floor -- trailing only the .327 by the Matadors and the fifth time that the Hornets have held an opponent to under 40 percent shooting
ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
• Freshman Summah Hanson's 182 points this year are the most by a Hornet freshman since Katie Peneueta finished with 191 in 2021-22
• Entering Thursday's contest, Hanson's point total ranks tied for 13th on the school's single-season freshman scoring list in the Division I era, passing Shanti Smith (169 in 2010-11) and matching Emily Christensen's 182 points in 2007-08
• Hanson is now just nine points shy of Peneueta and 10 back of Tola Tallman, who scored 192 points in 2000-01, for 11th place
• With 18 more points, she would be only the 11th freshman to score at least 200 points in her debut season and the most since Tiara Scott had 221 during the 2016-17 campaign
• If the season ended after 13 games, Hanson's 14.0 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 Huntington's 7.5 rpg
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
9. Tiara Scott 221 2016-17
10. Kylie Kuhns 219 2009-10
11. Tola Tallman 192 2000-01
12. Katie Peneueta 191 2021-22
t13. Summah Hanson 182 2023-24
t13. 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 7.67 ppg
• Hanson also ranks tied for No. 20 in the NCAA in scoring (14.0 ppg) among qualifying freshmen alongside Wofford's Maddie Heiss, and tied for 20th in total points (182) along with Abilene Christian's Payton Hull
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
• Hanson tallied her second straight double-digit scoring performance thanks to her 14 points against Oral Roberts
• The 14 points against the Golden Eagles marked her team-high ninth double-digit scoring game of the season (teammate Benthe Versteeg is second with five on the year)
• Hanson wrapped up Sacramento State's two games during the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge averaging 14.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg, while shooting 12-for-25 (.480) from the floor
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Hanson enters the week ranked third in the Big Sky in rebounding (8.62 rpg) and total rebounds (112), while pacing the conference in defensive rebounds (88)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is fifth among freshmen in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (9.5 rpg), Iowa State's Addy Brown (9.2 rpg), UCF's Achol Akot (9.2 rpg), and Syracuse's Alyssa Lathan (8.8 rpg)
• Hanson also ranks seventh in total rebounds (112) among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 133 boards
• She ranks No. 73 in the nation overall in rebounds per game and is just outside the top 30 in the NCAA in defensive rebounds (6.8 rpg)
• Hanson has led or shared the team lead in rebounding in 11 of the team's 13 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 KIND OF A BIG (SKY) DEAL
• Hanson enters this week's competition ranked No. 5 in the Big Sky in scoring (14.0 ppg) and third in the league in rebounding (8.6 rpg)
• Hanson is one of only four players from around the league to rank in the top 10 in both categories, joining Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (4th & 1st), Montana State's Katelynn Limardo (7th and t6th), Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (8th and 10th)
• 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 10 other categories (see chart on page 4 of the PDF release)
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 (5.38) and total assists (70)
• 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 (5.71)
• Versteeg's 10 assists against Santa Clara (Nov. 29) is one of three double-digit assist totals in the Big Sky thus far (as of Jan. 3): Loera had 12 at Utah State on Nov. 10, and Montana's Gina Marxen had 10 against South Dakota on Jan. 3
• Versteeg owns four of the top seven single-game assist totals in the Big Sky entering this week's contests
• She has seven games with at least six assists, including nine for a second time this year (the first coming against CSUN on Dec. 2) against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6
• 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)
• She also ranks fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.37) and is among the NCAA's top 100 in assists (59th) and assists per game (37th)
ORI-OH!
• Sophomore Irune Orio shared team-high honors in scoring with Summah Hanson against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6, finishing with 14 points
• Orio's total marked her second career double-digit scoring game, standing behind only the 16 points she had against CSUN on Dec. 2
• Orio has scored in every game but one, finishing with at least eight points six times
• She also added a career-high six boards against the Golden Eagles
BLOCK YOU VERY MUCH
• Sacramento State enters the week ranked tied for third in the Big Sky in overall blocks (41) and fourth with 3.15 blocks per game
• The Hornets' five blocks against Oral Roberts are tied for the second-highest single-game total of the year, matching the five swats against Idaho on Dec. 28 and trailing only the six blocks against Eastern Washington two days later
• Sacramento State has had at least one block in all but one game (UC Davis) this year
• The Hornets' three blocks in the first quarter against the Golden Eagles tied a season high for a single quarter (Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 12)
STILL SUMMAH FROM THE BLOCK
• Hanson leads the Big Sky in both total blocks (18) and blocks per game (1.4)
• The freshman has posted at least one swat in seven of her last eight games and in all but three contests overall
• Hanson's 18 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 during the 2001-02 season
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Hanson is one of 20 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year and one of only 10 to have multiple double-doubles
• Hanson's five double-doubles are tied for the most in the Big Sky along with Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne and is tied for 49th in the NCAA
• 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 16 underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least five double-doubles entering the weekend (as of Jan. 7)
• She is one of only 35 non-Power 5 student-athletes (out of 64 as of Jan. 3) to post at least five double-doubles
OTHER BIG SKY BESTS
• 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)
• Solape Amusan's six three-pointers against Santa Clara on Nov. 29 are tied for the most in a game this year with four other players in the league
• 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 five double-digit rebounding performances trail only Dani Bartsch (six for Montana) for the most in the Big Sky (as of Jan. 7)
• Sacramento State's 12-for-16 (.750) performance from beyond the arc against Santa Clara on Nov. 19 is the highest single-game percentage from three thus far this season
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT COMBINATION
• Through the first 13 games this season, Sacramento State has put 10 different starting lineups on the floor thus far, with the latest coming on Jan. 6 against Oral Roberts
• 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
• Sacramento State also used the lineup of Versteeg, Lee, Orio, Amusan, and Hanson in back-to-back games against Eastern Washington (Dec. 30) and St. Thomas (Jan. 3)
• 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 13 games
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• Versteeg enters the weekend ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in minutes per game (37.63), standing behind only Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.28) and Lafayette's Abby Antognoli (37.76)
• The sophomore has played all 40 minutes three times this year: UC Davis on Nov. 21, CSUN on Dec. 2, and Oral Roberts on Jan. 6
• Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in five other games and has played 37-or-more minutes in all but three games this year
• Hanson, meanwhile, is third in the Big Sky at 34.14 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 eight times
BREATH OF FRESH AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 13 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in nine of the first 13 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
• Nineteen of the the team's 23 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
• Hornet starters finished with 45 points against St. Thomas on Jan. 3, marking the sixth time that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points and matching the 45 points against CSUN on Dec. 2 for the most in a game this season
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for just under 73 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 469 of the 646 total points thus far
