SACRAMENTO — Coming off an upset of league-leading Northern Arizona on the road for its fourth win in its last five outings, the Sacramento State women's basketball team puts its three-game winning streak on the line in Greeley, Colo., on Saturday (Feb. 17), making the trek to Northern Colorado for a 1 p.m. PT tip-off at Bank of Colorado Arena.
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GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Northern Colorado | Big Sky Conference
GAME #25
WHAT: Sacramento State (5-19, 4-9) at Northern Colorado (11-12, 6-6)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
TIME: 1 p.m. PT
WHERE: Greeley, Colo.
ARENA: Bank of Colorado Arena
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: UNCBears.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
• Northern Colorado head coach Kristen Mattio is in her third season at the helm of the Bears, posting a 39-36 overall record in her two-plus seasons. Prior to her arrival in Greeley, she won 154 games in six years as head coach at West Texas A&M
ABOUT THE BEARS
• Northern Colorado enters the weekend with an 11-12 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the Big Sky
• The Bears snapped a brief two-game skid with a 65-48 home win over Portland State on Thursday
• Thursday's win over the Vikings was only UNC's second in the last seven games overall
• Northern Colorado is 6-4 at home after the win over Portland State, losing two of its last three
• Senior forward Delaynie Byrne leads the team in scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg), while shooting .480 from the field and .404 from beyond the arc
• Senior guard Hannah Simental is also in double figures (12.6 ppg), while shooting .417 from the floor, .400 from three-point range, and .868 from the line
• As a team, the Bears rank second in the league with a .435 field goal percentage and a .368 three-point percentage, while allowing the fewest rebounds in the conference (31.91 rpg)
SERIES NOTABLES
• Northern Colorado leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 22-13 count
• The Bears snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with a 72-59 win at The Nest on Jan. 18
• Sacramento State is just 4-12 on the road against UNC, but has won the last two trips to Greeley with regular season wins in 2022 (65-55) and 2023 (73-41), snapping a run of 10 consecutive road defeats dating back to the 2009-10 season
• The Hornets' 32-point win in Greeley last season was the team's largest margin of victory and the largest by Sacramento State in the history of the series
• Sacramento State's four straight wins from 2022-23 was tied for its longest in the history of the series and snapped a run of 10 straight wins by the Bears
PREVIOUSLY: NORTHERN COLORADO 72, SACRAMENTO STATE 59
• The Hornets nearly erased a 19-point deficit, but the Bears finished on a 14-3 run en route to the win
• Benthe Versteeg finished with a team-high 14 points, while Solape Amusan (12) and Irune Orio (12) also finished in double figures
• The two teams opened the game a combined 9-for-10 from the field
• Sacramento State trailing by 11 at the half, the Hornets won the third quarter and scored the first six points of the fourth to make it a 59-56 game with 7:28 to play
• The Bears then limited Sacramento State to just one field goal and a free throw the rest of the way, outscoring the Hornets by 11 en route to the win
WE'RE GOING STREAKING!
• Sacramento State's win at Northern Arizona was the team's third consecutive victory -- its longest winning streak of the 2023-24 season
• During its run, the Hornets are averaging 72.7 ppg while shooting .458 (82-for-179) from the floor and grabbing 40.3 rpg
• Defensively, the Sacramento State defense is holding opponents to just 56.0 ppg, .319 (53-for-166) shooting from the floor and .283 (17-for-60) from beyond the arc, as well as just 36.3 rpg
• That defensive effort also limited Northern Arizona, which entered the night ranked No. 24 in the NCAA in scoring offense, to 12 points below its season average
MAKING THEIR POINT
• The 82 points at Northern Arizona on Thursday were a season high and marked the eighth time this season that the Hornets have scored more than 60 points in a game this year -- including each of the last five
• The 82 points were the most since the Hornets finished off an 82-73 win over Montana State on Feb. 23 of last season
• Sacramento State finished with 26 points in both the first and second quarters in Flagstaff, surpassing the 23-point fourth quarter at Montana State on Jan. 25 for the most in any quarter this year
• The 52-point first half was also a season high and the most since they scored 57 in the first half at Weber State on Jan. 11, 2020, as part of a 91-67 win
A SHOT IN THE ARM
• Sacramento State has shot better than 41 percent in each of its last five games following its 49 percent showing at Northern Arizona
• It's the longest such streak since Sacramento State went 11 straight games of 40 percent or better from the floor from Feb. 4-March 8 of last season
• During the run, the Hornets are shooting a collective .452 (128-for-283) from the field
• The .492 field goal percentage against Northern Arizona is the team's best since they shot a season-high .568 against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
• Thanks to her 14-point night at Northern Arizona, freshman Summah Hanson moved into second place in the program's Division I history for points scored by a freshman with 337 -- the most since Gigi Hascheff scored a record 344 points in 2013-14
• Hanson's total moved her past Hallie Gennett (336 in 2013-14)
• Hanson is only the fourth Hornet to reach the 300-point plateau in her rookie season and the 11th Sacramento State freshman to score at least 200 points
• If the season ended today, Hanson's 14.0 ppg would be the best by a freshman in the school's Division I history, passing Craig's 12.2 ppg in 2002-03, as would her 8.7 rpg, passing Margaret Huntington's 7.5 rpg
• Hanson also stands four makes behind Craig's record of 127 field goals and is 15 rebounds back of Huntington's record-setting total (224).
MOST SINGLE-SEASON POINTS BY A HORNET FRESHMAN
(Division I era only)
1. Gigi Hascheff 344 (2013-14)
2. Summah Hanson 337 (2023-24)
3. Hallie Gennett 336 (2013-14)
4. Sarah Craig 305 (2002-03)
t5. Fantasia Hilliard 274 (2011-12)
t5. Julie Wastell 274 (1995-96)
7. Maranne Johnson 268 (2014-15)
8. Sami Field-Polisso 230 (2007-08)
9. Sarah Stapp 226 (1992-93)
10. Tiara Scott 221 (2016-17)
MESSED AROUND AND GOT THREE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
• Not only did all five Hornet starters finish in double figures at NAU on Thursday, but three of those players collected double-doubles in the process
• Benthe Versteeg finished with 18 points and 13 assists, Summah Hanson added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Irune Orio added 13 points and 12 boards
• Versteeg's double-double was her third, Orio's was the first of her career, while Hanson posted her Big Sky-best 11th (more on that in a minute)
• The last time Sacramento State had three players post double-doubles in a single game came against Northern Arizona on Dec. 29, 2011, when Emily Christensen (13 points, 12 rebounds), Kylie Kuhns (20 points, 15 rebounds), and Fantasia Hilliard (17 points, 10 rebounds) accomplished the feat in a 91-85 victory
GIMMIE FIVE
• Thursday marked the third time this season that the Hornets had at least four players finish in double figures and the first time with five
• The last time five players finished with 10-or-more points came against Montana in the team's first game of the Big Sky Tournament on March 8, 2021, when Summer Menke (18), Jordan Olivares (15), Tiana Johnson (11), Milee Enger (10), and Sarah Abney (10) accomplished the feat
LIKE A RECORD, BABY
• Sophomore Benthe Versteeg had her self an opportunity -- 14 of them, in fact -- that she couldn't pass up against Weber State on Feb. 10, setting the school Division I Era single-game record with 14 assists in the win over the Wildcats
• The performance surpassed the previous Division I Era record of 13 set by Justyce Dawson at Southern Utah on Feb. 25, 2017, and fell just one assist shy of the all-time record of 15 held by Tina Gray during the 1985-86 season
• Her 14 assists are the most in a game in the Big Sky -- and tied for seventh in the NCAA -- entering the weekend and marked the second time she has finished in double figures along with her 10 against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
• Five days later, Versteeg nearly equalled that mark with 13 assists at Northern Arizona her league-best third game with 10-or-more assists on the year
CAN'T PASS THIS UP
• Thanks to her 13 assists at Northern Arizona, Versteeg's 159 assists for the year moved her into a tie for seventh on the both school's all-time and Division I Era single-season lists, matching Tika Koshiyama-Diaz's total in 2010-11
• She needs just one more to match Heather Baker's 1991-92 total and nine more to match Kahlaijah Dean's total of 168 in 2022-23 for fifth place
ON FIRE IN FEBRUARY
• With its win over Northern Arizona on Thursday, Sacramento State improved to 4-1 in the month of February
• The Hornets are averaging 70.8 ppg and shooting .452 (128-for-283), while holding opponents to 60.6 ppg and .354 (102-for-288) from the floor
IS THERE A LID ON THAT BASKET?
• Sacramento State's defense has limited opponents to under 40 percent from the field in four of its last five games, holding the opposition to just .354 (102-for-288) from the floor and .280 (30-for-107) from three-point range in that stretch
• The defense clamped down against Weber State on Feb. 10, holding the Wildcats to a .283 field goal percentage overall and just 3-of-17 (.176) from three
• The field goal percentage was the lowest since the Hornets held Weber State to the same percentage in a 70-44 win on Jan. 21 of last year
• The Wildcats' three-point percentage was the lowest since Sacramento State held Montana to just 1-of-14 (.071) from three-point range on Jan. 25
YOU CAN COUNT ON THEM
• Both Versteeg and Hanson have been on an offensive roll as of late, extending their individual double-digit scoring streaks to five games following Thursday's game at Northern Arizona
• During her run, Versteeg is averaging a double-double with 17.2 ppg and 10.0 apg, to go along with 4.6 rpg and 1.8 spg, while shooting .449 (31-for-69)
• Hanson is also averaging a double-double over her last five, scoring 16.0 ppg and grabbing 10.4 rpg, while shooting .492 (29-for-59) from the field and .444 (8-for-18) from beyond the arc
FALK THIS WAY
• Freshman Lina Falk collected a career-high 15 points on a career-best 7-of-10 from the field at Northern Arizona
• Of her 15 points, 13 came in the second half, helping the Hornets hold off any Lumberjack rally
• It was Falk's third double-digit scoring performance of the year, surpassing her previous career high of 12 at Montana State on Jan. 25
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds at Northern Arizona, Hanson's 11 double-doubles remain the gold standard in the Big Sky and are tied for No. 29 in the NCAA entering the weekend
• Hanson is one of only two freshmen (Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray the other with 12) -- and one of nine underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least 10 double-doubles as of Feb. 15
• Hanson has posted a double-double in each of her last three games and in four of her last five
• Hanson is one of 29 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year, but one of only 17 to have multiple double-doubles
• Of Hanson's 11 double-doubles, three have included 20-point performances which are also the most in the league
• Her 11 double-doubles this season are eighth on the program's Division I single-season list and already tied for 11th on the school's career list in that same span
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Following her 10 rebounds at Northern Arizona, Hanson ranks second in the Big Sky in both rebounding (8.71 rpg) and total rebounds (209)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is second in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (10.7 rpg)
• Hanson also ranks second in rebounds among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 257 boards
• She ranks No. 64 in the nation overall in rebounds per game
• Hanson has led or shared the lead in rebounding in 17 of the team's 24 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)
SHE'S KIND OF A BIG (SKY) DEAL
• Hanson is one of only four players in the Big Sky to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding (6th and 2nd, respectively), joining Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (3rd and 4th), Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (4th & 3rd), and Idaho's Kennedy Johnson (7th and 7th)
• Among that group, Hanson is the only freshman as Glancey is a sophomore, Johnson is a junior, and Byrne is a senior
PUTTING THE "OH!" IN ORIO
• Sophomore Irune Orio wrapped up her first collegiate double-double with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds at Northern Arizona
• She became the fourth Hornet to post a double-double this year along with Hanson, Versteeg, and freshman Ayanna Jackson
• The 13-point performance was her eighth double-digit scoring game in her last 13 outings, averaging 10.5 ppg in that stretch and raising her overall season average more than two points in the process
SOLO ACT
• Senior Solape Amusan has done a little bit of everything for the Hornets this season, ranking fourth on the team in scoring (8.3 ppg), third in rebounding (3.7 rpg), and third in steals (1.13 spg)
• Her 15 points at Northern Arizona marked her sixth double-digit scoring performance in her last 10, averaging 11.5 ppg in that stretch including a career-high 23 points against Portland State on Feb. 3
• Her five steals against Weber State on Feb. 10 marked the second time a Hornet has had that many in a game this year (Versteeg vs. Cal Poly on Dec. 21)
• Of her last 28 made field goals, 21 of those have come from beyond the arc
• In her last nine, Amusan is shooting .452 (38-for-84) overall and .443 (27-for-61) from beyond the arc
SHE GIVETH, SHE TAKETH AWAY
• Sophomore Benthe Versteeg enters the weekend leading the team in assists (159) and steals (41)
• Should she remain atop the list in both categories, it will mark the fourth straight season that a Hornet has led the team in both categories, joining Summer Menke (56 and 43) in 2020-21, Lianna Tillman (179 and 34) in 2021-22, Kahlaijah Dean (168 and 44) in 2022-23
SHE'S A GIVER
• Versteeg remains atop the Big Sky in both assists per game (6.63) and total assists (159) 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 (5.33)
• If the season ended today, Versteeg's 6.63 apg would be the highest single-season mark in the program's history
• Should she end the year atop the Big Sky list, Versteeg would become the first Hornet to lead the league in assists since Lianna Tillman averaged 6.04 apg in 2021-22 en route to league player of the year honors
• Versteeg would be the fifth Hornet overall to lead the league in assists, joining Tillman, Rexanne Rodriguez (5.65 apg) in 2000-01, Tika Koshiyama-Diaz (5.48 apg) in 2010-11, and Fantasia Hilliard in 2012-13 (5.9 apg), 2013-14 (6.5 apg), and 2014-15 (5.8 pg)
• She has 16 games with at least six assists
• Those 16 games are the most since Tillman had 18 such contests in 2021-22
• Her double-doubles against Northern Arizona (18 points, 13 assists), Weber State (26 points, 14 assists), and Santa Clara (16 points, 10 assists) are three of only five point-assist double-doubles in the league this year
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
• Following her 18-point effort against NAU, Versteeg has now reached double figures 10 times in 13 conference contests
• Through 13 league games, Versteeg is the Hornets' leading scorer, averaging 14.8 ppg (more than three points better than her overall season average), 7.15 apg, 3.8 rpg, and 1.92 spg
• Her 71 makes from the field are the most on the team in league games ahead of Hanson's 66, while her 44 makes from the line lead the squad
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• Versteeg enters the weekend ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in minutes per game (38.32), passing Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.28) for the top spot
• Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in nine other games and has played 37-or-more minutes in all but four games this year
• Hanson, meanwhile, is fifth in the Big Sky at 33.98 mpg -- including a season-high 39:47 at Idaho on Feb. 5
• After playing in only 20 minutes at Washington in the opener, Hanson has played 35-or-more minutes 13 times
NO REST FOR THE WEARY
• Versteeg played all 40 minutes in a regulation game for the eighth time this year against Idaho State on Feb. 8
• It also marked the ninth time in her career that she has gone the distance, joining a "complete game effort" at Cal State Fullerton last year
• Versteeg's eight "complete games" this season are the most since Lianna Tillman did so nine times during the 2021-22 campaign
• Only two other Hornets have gone the distance this year: Solape Amusan vs. Portland State (Feb. 3) and Lina Falk at Montana State (Jan. 25)
SWIPER, NO SWIPING
• Versteeg has led or co-led the team in steals 11 times this season and 21 times overall in her career
• Versteeg enters the week with 41 steals on the year and 1.71 spg -- ranking fourth and fifth in the league, respectively
• The 41 steals are five shy of Kahlaijah Dean's team-high 44 from 2022-23
• 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 nine of her last 12 games and averaging 2.17 spg in that span, with her 26 steals in that stretch accounting for more than half of her season total
• Versteeg has a steal in all but five games and multiple steals 13 times
BREATH OF "FRESH" AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 24 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in 17 of those
• The Hornets have started three true freshmen four times at Washington (Nov. 6), against Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 12), at Montana State (Jan. 25), and at Montana (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
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
• Sacramento State's starting five was responsible for a season-high 75 points in the win at Northern Arizona
• Fifty of the the team's 56 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
• The game against the Lumberjacks marked the 15th time overall -- and the 10th time in the last 13 games -- that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points in a game
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for just over 80 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 1,082 of the 1,345 total points thus far
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT COMBINATION
• Through 24 games, Sacramento State has put 13 different starting lineups on the floor
• 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
• That lineup is also the more used lineup by Sacramento State this season, listed eight times overall after Thursday's game at Northern Arizona
• 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 23 games
