SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State women's basketball team wraps up a stretch of three games on the road with its longest trip of the season, traveling to Miami, Fla., to participate in the FIU Thanksgiving Tournament. After giving thanks, the Hornets open against Abilene Christian on Friday (Nov. 29) at 11 a.m. PT, before taking on either the host Panthers or Wagner College on Sunday (Dec. 1) at either 8 a.m. or 10 a.m., depending on the opponent.
GAME #7
FIU Thanksgiving Tournament
WHAT: Sacramento State (4-2, 0-0 Big Sky) vs. Abilene Christian (3-4, 0-0 WAC)
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 29, 2024
TIME: 11 AM PT
WHERE: Miami, Fla.
ARENA: Ocean Bank Convocation Center
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: FIUSports.com
GAME #8
FIU Thanksgiving Tournament
WHAT: Sacramento State (4-2, 0-0 Big Sky) at FIU (1-4, 0-0 C-USA) or vs. Wagner (1-3, 0-0 NEC)
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024
TIME: 8 or 10 AM PT
WHERE: Miami, Fla.
ARENA: Ocean Bank Convocation Center
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: FIUSports.com
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Abilene Christian | FIU | Wagner
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
• Abilene Christian enters the tournament with a 3-4 overall record, snapping a four-game losing streak with a road win at Incarnate Word on Sunday after falling to Western Kentucky earlier in the week
• The Wildcats opened the year with wins over the University of the Southwest and FIU before its losing streak
• Two of ACU's three wins this year have come away from its home floor
• The Wildcats were picked fourth in the nine-team WAC behind Grand Canyon, California Baptist, and UT Arlington in 2024-25 after finishing 14-16 overall and 10-10 in league play last season
• Sophomore guard Payton Hull leads the team in scoring at 16.1 ppg, shooting .365 from the field and leading the team with 17 steals
• Sophomore center Meredith Mayes leads the team on the glass at 7.0 rpg and is one of three Wildcats averaging better than six rebounds per game
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
• FIU enters the weekend with a 1-4 overall record and will be playing its fifth home game of the season when they open the tournament against Wagner on Friday
• The Panthers had their losing streak extended to four games with losses at Miami and at home against Florida Atlantic University -- each of the last three decided by 10-or-more points
• Following the tournament, FIU has another home game before leaving the state of Florida for the first time for a game at UT Arlington on Dec. 16
• Junior guard Parris Atkins leads the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg, shooting .459 from the field, averaging a team-high 6.4 rpg, and leading the team with 12 steals
• Senior guard Lucia Fleta Robles is also in double figures at 10.3 ppg, shooting .476 from the field
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS
• Wagner enters the tournament with a 1-3 overall record and is scheduled to face Iona on Tuesday (Nov. 26) before making the trip to Miami
• After opening the year with a win over Saint Elizabeth, the Seahawks have lost three straight to Seton Hall, Navy, and Northeastern
• Graduate guard Julia Fabozzi leads the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg, while tying for the team lead on the glass (5.3 rpg) and shooting .356 from the field overall
• Junior guard Angelie Ricard is also in double figures, averaging 10.8 ppg and shooting .390 from the field while sharing the team lead with Fabozzi with eight three-pointers made
SERIES NOTABLES
• Sacramento State has previously faced only FIU in women's basketball, but the two haven't met since the Panthers posted a a 64-63 win on Feb. 16, 1986 in Sacramento
• Abilene Christian and, perhaps, Wagner will be first-time opponents for the Hornets
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
• In addition to the two possible first-time meetings this weekend, Sacramento State will also face another pair of first-time opponents in Kansas City and Omaha during the Big Sky-Summit Challenge at the beginning of December
• Each of the Hornets' first three games -- Jessup, UC San Diego, and Lincoln -- were against first-time opponents
CONFERENCE CALL
• Sacramento State is a combined 27-19 against the current WAC alignment with nearly all of those games (38) coming against Southern Utah and most of those coming as Big Sky rivals from 2012-22
• The Hornets are also 1-1 against California Baptist, 1-3 against Seattle U, and 2-0 against Utah Valley
• Sacramento State is 4-5 against Conference USA opponents, posting a 1-0 record against Jacksonville State, 2-4 against New Mexico State, and 1-1 against UTEP
• The Hornets last faced a C-USA opponent on Nov. 26, 2022, defeating UTEP in a tournament at Cal Poly
• Sacramento State has faced only one Northeast Conference school, defeating Chicago State on the road in 1994
SO... WE MEET AGAIN...
• Should the Hornets meet up with host FIU on day two of this weekend's tournament, it will be a reunion with former Hornet Isnelle Natabou, who is finishing out her eligibility with the Panthers after playing one year at Iowa Western Community College (2020-21), two seasons at Sacramento State (2021-23), and last year at Iowa State (2023-24)
• Natabou was a two-time All-Big Sky selection with the Hornets in her two years, averaging 15.3 ppg and 10.1 rpg while shooting .643 from the field, helping Sacramento State to the school's first-ever Big Sky regular season and tournament titles as well as the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament berth
• She finished her career with the Hornets ranked among the top 10 in school history in scoring average (7th), field goal percentage (1st), rebounds (9th), rebound average (2nd), and blocks (7th), while holding down spots in numerous categories on the school's single-season list
¡BIENVENIDOS A MIAMI!
• This weekend marks the third-ever trip to the "Sunshine State" -- and the second-ever to FIU -- for the Sacramento State women's basketball program, but the first since the 1991-92 season when the Hornets participated in FIU's Sun and Fun Classic in Miami
• That year, the Hornets posted a win over Army West Point, while falling to Arizona State and Maine in the tournament during its first year as a Division I program
• Sacramento State also played three games in four days in Florida during the 1989-90 season, facing Rollins College, Saint Leo College, and Florida Southern -- winning all three games
AS THE WORLD TOURNEYS
• This weekend marks the first of two multi-team tournaments for the Hornets this season along with the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., in mid-December, in addition to the second-annual Big Sky-Summit Challenge
• That gives the Hornets three regular-season tournament appearances since the 1998-99 squad played at the Danka Classic in Reno, Nev., the Boise State Christmas Classic in Idaho, and the Saint Mary's Christmas Classic in Moraga, Calif.
• Sacramento State's last regular season tournament appearance saw it go 2-0 at the Cal Poly Holiday Beach Classic on Nov. 25 and 26, 2022, posting wins over the host Mustangs and UTEP to claim the title
JUST WIN, BABY
• The Hornets haven't just been winning to start 2024-25, they've been winning BIG
• All four of Sacramento State's victories this season have been by double figures and the Hornets' last six triumphs dating back to last season have all been by double digits -- a run that includes a 16-point win at Northern Arizona (Feb. 15) and an 18-point win over Idaho State (March 9)
• Sacramento State's 33-point triumph over Lincoln University on Nov. 10 was the program's largest since a 59-point win over Pacific Union on Dec. 19, 2019
• The 78 points in the win over Jessup were the most in a season-opener for Sacramento State since an 88-85 win over Cal Poly to tip-off the 2018-19 campaign
• Meanwhile, the 88 points in the win over Lincoln University were the most by the Hornets since a 96-88 loss against Idaho on Feb. 22, 2020
• The Hornets have won four straight by double digits for the first time since the 2022-23 team won four straight from Feb. 27 to March 8 en route to a Big Sky regular season and tournament title and an NCAA berth
THIS IS PERFECT... PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT
• Every week feels like we're going to jinx this, but freshman Sofia Alonso can't miss from the line to start the year
• The Spaniard has opened the year a perfect 18-for-18 -- the most in the Big Sky entering the week -- from the charity stripe following her 2-for-2 performance against Long Beach State on Nov. 17
• Alonso is one of 11 players in the NCAA that are still perfect from the line (as of Nov. 25), ranking tied for fourth on the list with Fairleigh Dickinson's Abaigeal Babore and Richmond's Rachel Ullstrom, and trailing Saint Louis' Peyton Kennedy (36-for-36), Indiana's Tarden Garzon (22-for-22), and Kent State's Jenna Batsch (21-for-21)
• Alonso's streak is the longest by a Hornet player since Camariah King went 22-for-22 in between misses from Dec. 6, 2019 at Seattle U to Jan. 11, 2020 at Weber State
BENCH MARKS
• Sacramento State is getting production up and down its roster in 2024-25, ranking No. 40 in the NCAA with 28.8 bench points per game
• The Hornet bench has accounted for 30-or-more points in a game four times -- including a season-high 48 against Lincoln University -- and has outscored the opposing bench, 173-96, combined over six games
SHE SCORES, SHE ASSISTS... SHE REBOUNDS?
• After finishing last season ranked first on the team in assists and second on the team in scoring, junior Benthe Versteeg has added another weapon to her repertoire... crashing the glass with the best of them
• Versteeg, who averaged 3.6 rpg last season, is averaging 6.2 rpg through the first six games this season, setting a career high with 11 boards against Long Beach State on Nov. 17 and following that up with seven more at UC Davis on Nov. 20
• The 11 rebounds marked her first career double-digit performance on the glass and the first time in her Hornet career that she led the team on the glass, posting the most rebounds by Sacramento State player since Summah Hanson had 11 in the quarterfinals of last year's Big Sky Tournament against Northern Arizona
• The native of The Netherlands has grabbed 37 rebounds thus far this season, compared to just 22 after six games last year
• Versteeg has either led or or shared the team lead in rebounds in each of her last three games, averaging 7.7 rpg in that stretch
DOING THE DISHES
• Versteeg's 30 assists over six contests this year again have her among the top five in both assists and assists per game in the Big Sky and also have her moving up the program's all-time list
• Entering this weekend, Versteeg's 268 career assists rank ninth on the school's career list, passing Terri Lugert (254 from 1987-91) and Kris Karley (247 from 1994-97), while standing 10 behind Alle Moreno (278 from 2010-14) for the No. 8 spot
• Versteeg's career total ranks as the second-most among active players in the Big Sky, trailing only Montana State's Esmeralda Morales, who leads the way with 307
SWIPER, NO SWIPING!
• After leading the team with 58 steals last season, Versteeg's four steals at UC Davis on Nov. 20 marked the third time she has posted multiple steals in a game this year and stood just one shy of her career high of five against Cal Poly on Dec. 21, 2023
• The performance marked the fifth time a Hornet has finished with four-or-more steals in a game this season and trailed only teammate Sofia Alonso's five steals at Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 14 -- the most in a game by a Hornet since Solape Amusan had five against Weber State on Feb. 10, 2024
• Last year, a Sacramento State player posted four-or-more steals eight times over the course of the season -- five of those by Versteeg
• The Hornets' defense has accounted for 63 steals through the first six contests this season, ranking second in the Big Sky with 10.5 spg and trailing only league-leading Montana State (15.00 spg in five games)
• The Hornets' 63 steals through six games are well ahead of last year's pace when it took them their first 10 games to reach 65 steals on the season -- and that included a 16-steal performance at Fresno State to bolster those numbers
• Four Hornets rank among the top 10 in steals in the Big Sky entering the weekend: Alonso in fourth (2.17 spg), Jaydia Martin is fifth (2.00 spg), and both Fatoumata Jaiteh and Versteeg are tied for 9th (1.67 spg)
FATOU FANTASTIC
• Jaiteh tied her Sacramento State career high with a 10-point, six-rebound night at UC Davis on Nov. 20, hitting a season-high four baskets and draining a pair from the line
• It marked the second time in the last three games that Jaiteh finished in double figures
• Jaiteh has shot 40 percent or better from the field in five of her six games, including four games with 50 percent or better
SOFIA THE FIRST
• Alonso has been one of -- if not THE -- first option off the bench for the Hornets thus far this season, ranking second on the team in scoring at 10.2 ppg while averaging 27 minutes per game as a reserve in all six games
• The redshirt freshman is the highest scoring reserve in the Big Sky entering the weekend, edging out Northern Colorado's London Gamble (9.6 ppg in five games) and Weber State's Mata Peaua (9.2 ppg in six games)
• The Spaniard set a career high with 10 points in the opener against Jessup, topped that with 11 points against Lincoln University two games later, followed that with a career-best 13 points at Cal State Fullerton, and set a new career high with 17 against Long Beach State
• Alonso has finished in double figures four of the team's first six games, joining Lina Falk as the only Hornets to accomplish that feat this season
ROOM TO BOARD
• Every night it seems like there has been a different hero on the boards for the Hornets as six different players have combined to lead or share the team lead on the glass in Sacramento State's first six games
• Falk (9 vs. Jessup), Jaiteh (9 vs. UC San Diego), Taylor (10 vs. Lincoln), and the trio of Martin, Versteeg, and Alonso grabbed a team-high five boards each in the win at Fullerton, while Versteeg led the way against both Long Beach State (11) and UC Davis (7)
DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP)... DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP)
• Sacramento State ranks third in the Big Sky in scoring defense at 58.5 ppg, while outscoring opponents by an average of 11.0 ppg (second in the league)
• Opponents are shooting just .355 overall against the Hornets, which is second in the Big Sky, while the .321 against from three-point range ranks sixth in the league
• Sacramento State has also surrendered the fewest rebounds in the conference (31.17 rpg)
FALK THIS WAY
• Sophomore Lina Falk has picked up right where she left off last year in the scoring department, finishing in double figures in four of the team's first six games and leading the team in scoring at 13.5 ppg
• Falk became the first Hornet to hit the 20-point plateau this season, finishing with 20 points on the nose against Long Beach State
• She either tied or set a new career high in scoring three times in the first five games this season and has shot better than 40 percent from the field four times
• Falk's 8-of-10 performance from the field against Lincoln University marked the most field goal makes in a game by a Hornet since Benthe Versteeg finished 8-of-14 in a win at Northern Arizona on Feb. 15, 2024
• Falk's .800 field goal percentage in that same contest was the highest in a game by a Hornet (minimum of five attempts) since Summah Hanson was 4-of-5 (.800) against Idaho State in the first round of last year's Big Sky Conference Tournament
