SACRAMENTO — The first round of Big Sky Conference play for the Sacramento State women's basketball team comes to an end this weekend as the Hornets play host to Portland State on Saturday (Feb. 3) at 2 p.m., at The Nest.
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GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Portland State | Big Sky Conference
GAME #20
WHAT: Portland State (5-15, 0-8) at Sacramento State (1-18, 0-8)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
TIME: 2 p.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
• Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg is in her third season at the helm of the Vikings' program, posting a 25-55 record in her two-plus years at the helm and an 8-38 mark in Big Sky play.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
• Portland State enters the week with a 5-15 overall record and an 0-8 mark in Big Sky play
• The Vikings have lost their last 12 consecutive contests dating back to a 69-60 win over Bushnell on Dec. 12, but they also own wins over UC Davis, Warner Pacific, SeattleU, and Fresno State in non-conference play
• During its recent skid, only two of the 12 consecutive defeats have come by fewer than 10 points
• The Vikings are 2-8 on the road this season, losing their last six straight dating back to their 72-61 victory at Fresno State on Nov. 29
• Junior guard Esmeralda Morales leads the Big Sky in scoring at 17.3 ppg, ranks second on the team with 53 assists, and is tied for second on the team with 24 steals
• Her 111 field goals made and 62 three-point makes are third in the league
• Junior center Rhema Ogele leads the team on the glass (5.4 rpg) to go along with 9.1 ppg
SERIES NOTABLES
• Portland State leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 33-24 count according to records that date back to the 1991-92 season
• The Hornets, however, have won the last five straight meetings with the Vikings, including a 60-42 win in the semifinals of last year's Big Sky Tournament
• Sacramento State has swept the regular season series from Portland State in each of the last two years, including 11-point and 26-point wins at The Nest in that stretch
• The current five-game winning streak is tied for the longest in the history of the series by the Hornets, matching the run from 2014-16
• Four of the last five wins by Sacramento State have come by double digits
• Portland State's last win in the series came in Jan. 9, 2021, by a 74-64 score in Sacramento, which is also the Vikings' last road win against the Hornets
• Sacramento State is 12-16 at home with the last two wins putting an end to a five-game skid at The Nest against Portland State
• The Hornets' 24 wins against the Vikings are the most against any current Big Sky opponent
ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
• Freshman Summah Hanson added eight more points to her season total at Montana, solidifying her spot in the top 10 in points by a freshman in the program's Division I history with 257 -- the most since Maranne Johnson finished with 268 in 2014-15
• Hanson is the highest scoring freshman in the Big Sky entering the week, with the next closest first-year scorer being Montana's Macey Huard at 7.95 ppg
• Hanson is now just 11 points shy of Johnson's total for sixth and 17 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 19 games, Hanson's 13.5 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 8.3 rpg, passing Margaret Huntington's 7.5 rpg
• Hanson also stands 33 makes behind Craig's record of 127 field goals and is 67 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 257 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
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Hanson enters the weekend ranked second in the Big Sky in both rebounding (8.26 rpg) and total rebounds (157)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is fourth among freshmen in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (10.6 rpg), Iowa State's Addy Brown (8.8 rpg), and Army West Point's Kya Smith (8.5 rpg)
• Hanson also ranks fourth in total rebounds (157) among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 201 boards
• She ranks tied for No. 87 in the nation overall in rebounds per game
• Hanson has led or shared the team lead in rebounding in 14 of the team's 19 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
• Hanson's seven double-doubles remain the most in the Big Sky entering the weekend and are tied for 47th 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. 27
• Hanson is one of 27 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 five 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 (3rd & 3rd), Montana's Carmen Gfeller (4th & 10th), Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (5th and 6th), and Montana State's Katelynn Limardo (8th and 4th), and
• 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 the above linked PDF release)
AMUSAN STRIKES GOLD IN MONTANA
• Senior Solape Amusan REALLY likes playing in the "Treasure State" after a stellar showing against the Grizzlies on Jan. 27
• Amusan's 19 points against Montana tied her career high set, coincidentally, against the Grizzlies in last year's regular season meeting when she hit 6-of-10 from beyond the arc
• Of her 19 points, 10 of those came in the opening quarter against the Grizzlies -- the fourth double-digit scoring quarter of the year by a Hornet
• In three career games against the Montana schools IN Montana (she missed this year's game at Montana State due to illness), Amusan has averaged 18.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg, shooting .543 (19-for-35) from the floor and .615 (16-for-26) from beyond the arc
PUTTING THE "O" IN ORIO
• Sophomore Irune Orio has been on a roll as of late, finishing with double-digit points in five of her last seven contests
• Ranking third on the team in scoring at 7.6 ppg, Orio is averaging 10.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg during her most recent run, which includes 14 points against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6 and three 12-point performances
• The 74 points over her last seven are just better than half of her season total of 145 entering the week
• In addition to her scoring exploits, Orio finished with a career-high eight rebounds at Montana State on Jan. 25, surpassing her previous high of six against Oral Roberts on Jan. 6
• Orio's career high in scoring still stands at 16, which came earlier this year against CSUN on Dec. 2
SHE'S A GIVER
• Versteeg remains atop the Big Sky in both assists per game (5.74) and total assists (109) entering the week
• She is one of only two players in the Big Sky to average better than 5.0 apg, joining Eastern Washington's Jamie Loera (5.58)
• She also ranks fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28) and is among the NCAA's top 100 in assists (25th) and assists per game (23rd)
• 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 eight league games, Versteeg is the Hornets' leading scorer, averaging a solid 13.4 points (three points better than her overall season average), 5.38 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.00 steals per game, while leading the team with 40 field goals made
• In those eight league contests, Versteeg has scored in double figures in five of them
VERSTEEG KEEPING IT "100"
• Thanks to her eight assists at Montana State on Jan. 25, Versteeg topped the century mark for the season and enters the week with 109
• The total has her just 41 assists away from breaking into the all-time top 10 in a single-season (Fantasia Hilliard's 150 in 2011-12 is 10th) and 38 shy of the program's Division I top-10 list (Rexanne Rodriguez is 10th with 147 during 2000-01)
SWIPER, NO SWIPING
• Versteeg has led or co-led the team in steals eight times this season and 18 times overall in her career
• Versteeg enters the week with 32 steals on the year and 1.68 spg -- ranking fifth and fourth in the league, respectively
• The 32 steals are 12 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 six of her last seven games and averaging 2.43 spg in that span, with her 17 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
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)
• It was the ninth double-double by a Hornet this year along with Hanson's seven and Versteeg's one
ALL GO, NO QUIT
• Both Falk and Versteeg played all 40 minutes at Montana State on Jan. 25, 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 Jan. 27 at Montana marked the seventh time this season that she has gone the distance in a game
• The sophomore has gone the distance in five of her last seven 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 (38.26), 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 33.31 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
LET'S GO HALVSIES
• Sacramento State's 35-point first half at Montana on Jan. 27 were the most points scored in the opening 20 minutes by the Hornets this season
• The total is also 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 on Jan. 25 -- 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
HERE'S A QUARTER...
• Statistically, the second quarter has been the best for Hornet shooters, who are making baskets at a season-best 41 percent (101-for-245) clip overall and .356 (31-for-87) clip from beyond the arc in the second period
• The third quarter is the Hornets' high-scoring period, scoring 271 points after the break for a season-high average of 14.3 ppg
• Sacramento State's defense has clamped down in the fourth, allowing opponents a season-low 15.9 ppg in the period, but the offense has sputtered, shooting just .191 from the field in the quarter (12.3 ppg)
• The fourth quarter has been the team's best on the glass, however, averaging a season-best 8.4 rpg
BREATH OF "FRESH" AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 19 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in 12 of those games
• The Hornets have started three true freshmen four times at Washington in the season opener on Nov. 6, against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 12, at Montana State on Jan. 25, and at Montana on Jan. 27
• Sacramento State listed a starting five comprised completely of underclassmen in each of the first four games and again in back-to-back games at Montana State and Montana
• 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 19 games this season, Sacramento State has put 13 different starting lineups on the floor after freshman Ayanna Jackson made her third career start at Montana on Jan. 27
• 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 19 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-two of the the team's 38 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 three times with 11 against UC Davis, 18 against Santa Clara, and 19 at Montana, 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 eight games -- that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points in a game
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for nearly 76 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 749 of the 991 total points thus far
