SACRAMENTO — Having won two of their last three, the Sacramento State women's basketball team looks to close out a busy week on a winning note, hosting Weber State on Saturday (Feb. 10) at 2 p.m. at The Nest. Saturday is the program's annual "Pink Night" as well as Faculty/Staff Night.
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GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Weber State | Big Sky Conference
GAME #23
WHAT: Weber State (7-17, 4-7) at Sacramento State (3-19, 2-9)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 10, 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
• Weber State head coach Jenteal Jackson is in her first season at the helm of the Wildcats, entering the weekend at 41-38 overall when you include her two seasons as head coach at her alma mater, Westminster College, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
• Weber State enters the weekend with a 7-17 overall record and a 4-7 mark in Big Sky play
• The Wildcats posted a 67-46 win at Portland State on Thursday, snapping a four-game losing skid
• Of Weber State's 24 games this season, 16 of those have been played away from home
• The Wildcats are 3-12 in true road contests this year, having lost seven of their previous nine
• Senior forward Daryn Hickok leads the team in scoring at 12.4 ppg while grabbing 4.8 rpg, shooting .375 from the field overall
• Senior forward Jadyn Matthews is also in double figures at 11.4 ppg to go along with a team-high 5.3 rpg, shooting .405 from the floor
• As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 57.9 ppg and shooting .381 from the field, while opponents are averaging 65.9 ppg and shooting .425 from the floor
SERIES NOTABLES
• Weber State leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 35-20 count according to records dating back to the 1996-97 season
• The Wildcats won the first meeting of the year in Ogden, Utah, back on Jan. 11 by an 81-61 score after the Hornets had swept the regular season series in 2022-23
• Of Sacramento State's 20 wins in the series, 11 of those have come at The Nest where the Hornets are 11-13 in the history of the series
• Last season's 70-44 win at home over Weber State was the third win at home in the last four meetings in Sacramento
• The Wildcats won 23 of the first 24 meetings between the two programs prior to Sacramento State answering by winning 13 of the next 15 from 2009-15
LAST TIME OUT: WEBER STATE 81, SACRAMENTO STATE 61
• Two big second-half runs helped lift the Wildcats past the Hornets in Ogden back on Jan. 11
• Sacramento State trailed by just one at the break and briefly led to start the second half before Weber State used a 13-2 run over a three-minute span to take control
• The Hornets answered with their own run, scoring nine of the next 11 to make it a three-point game two minutes later, but the Wildcats closed the third on a 10-2 burst to lead by 11 heading to the fourth
• Another 10-2 run by Weber State in the fourth extended the lead to 16 and they never looked back
• The Wildcats shot 51 percent from the field and 60 percent in the second half alone
• Freshman Summah Hanson finished with a career-high 28 points to go with 10 rebounds for her then-sixth double-double of the year, hitting 10-of-17 from the field while scoring the most points by a freshman in a game in the program's Division I history
• Benthe Versteeg finished with 15 points and Solape Amusan added 11 more
• Weber State's Jadya Matthews finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds -- then the most points scored by a player in the Big Sky this year
A SHOT IN THE ARM
• Sacramento State shot just under 41 percent from the field against Idaho State on Thursday night -- a season-best third consecutive game that the Hornet offense has shot better than 40 percent
• It's the longest such streak since Sacramento State went 11 consecutive games of 40 percent or better from the floor from Feb. 4-March 8 of last season
• During their most recent run, the Hornets are shooting a collective .430 (68-for-158) from the field
• Prior to this run, the last time Sacramento State shot better than 40 percent as a team was on Jan. 3 on the road at St. Thomas (.436)
• The .479 field goal percentage against Portland State at the start of this streak was the team's best since the Hornets shot .568 against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
• Meanwhile, the Hornets have seen a significant uptick in success at the line, shooting 75 percent or better in five of their last six games (71-for-92, .772) and raising their overall free throw percentage by nearly 40 points in the process
MAKING THEIR POINT
• The 61 points against Idaho State marked the sixth time this season that the Hornets have topped 60 points in a game this year -- four of those coming in their last six outings
• Sacramento State's 72 points in the win over Portland State on Feb. 3 are a season high
• That total surpassed the previous high of 66 scored against Northern Arizona on Jan. 20
ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
• Thanks to her 11-point night against Idaho State on Thursday, freshman Summah Hanson solidified her spot in the top five in points scored by a freshman in the program's Division I history with 304 -- the most since Gigi Hascheff scored a record 344 points in 2013-14
• Hanson's total moved her to within one point of Sarah Craig (305 in 2002-03) for third and 32 shy of Hallie Gennett (336 in 2013-14) in second
• Hanson is only the fourth Hornet to reach the 300-point plateau in her rookie season along with Hascheff, Gennett, and Craig, as well as the 11th Sacramento State freshman to score at least 200 points
• If the season ended today, Hanson's 13.8 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 8.5 rpg, passing Margaret Huntington's 7.5 rpg
• Hanson also stands 16 makes behind Craig's record of 127 field goals and is 38 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. Hallie Gennett 336 (2013-14)
3. Sarah Craig 305 (2002-03)
4. Summah Hanson 304 (2023-24)
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)
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)
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
• Finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Idaho State on Thrusday, Hanson's nine double-doubles remain the gold standard in the Big Sky and are tied for No. 38 in the NCAA entering the weekend
• Hanson is one of only two freshmen (Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray the other with 10) -- and one of nine underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least nine double-doubles as of Feb. 8
• Hanson is one of 28 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year, but one of only 15 to have multiple double-doubles
• Of Hanson's nine double-doubles, three have included 20-point performances which are also the most in the league
• Her eight double-doubles this season are 10th on the program's Division I single-season list and already tied for 14th on the school's career list in that same span
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Hanson enters the weekend ranked second in the Big Sky in both rebounding (8.45 rpg) and total rebounds (186)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is third among freshmen in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (10.8 rpg) and Iowa State's Addy Brown (8.52 rpg)
• Hanson also ranks third in total rebounds (186) among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 227 boards
• She ranks No. 79 in the nation overall in rebounds per game
• Hanson has led or shared the team lead in rebounding in 16 of the team's 22 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) categories, joining Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (4th & 3rd), Northern Arizona's Sophie Glancey (3rd and 4th), and Idaho's Kennedy Johnson (8th and 7th)
• Among that group, Hanson is the only freshman as the others are, at least, sophomores
SOLO ACT
• With her game-high 18 points against Idaho State on Thursday, senior Solape Amusan has now finished in double figures in five of her last eight contests
• The run includes a career-high 23 points to go with nine rebounds in a win over Portland State on Feb. 3 at The Nest
• Of her last 20 made field goals, 14 of those have come from beyond the arc
• In her last eight, Amusan is shooting .476 (30-for-63) overall and .455 (20-for-44) from beyond the arc, while averaging 11.5 ppg (3.5 ppg better than her overall average) and 4.1 rpg
SHE GIVETH, SHE TAKETH AWAY
• Sophomore Benthe Versteeg enters the week leading the team in assists (132) and steals (38)
• 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 (6.00) and total assists (132) 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 (5.41)
• 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 14 games with at least six assists, including nine helpers for a fourth time this year against Idaho State, joining her performances against CSUN (Dec. 2), Oral Roberts (Jan. 6), and at Weber State (Jan. 11)
• Those 14 games are the most since Tillman had 18 such contests in 2021-22
• Versteeg's career-high 10 assists against Santa Clara (Nov. 29) is one of four double-digit assist totals in the Big Sky thus far: Loera (12 at Utah State on Nov. 10), Montana's Gina Marxen (10 against South Dakota on Jan. 3), and Idaho State's Kacey Spink (10 against Northern Colorado on Feb. 1)
• Her 16-point, 10-assist game against the Broncos is one of only three point-assist double-doubles in the league this year
• 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)
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 132 after nine assists against Idaho State on Thursday
• The total has her just 18 assists away from breaking into the all-time top 10 in a single-season (Fantasia Hilliard's 150 in 2011-12 is 10th) and 15 shy of the program's Division I top-10 list (Rexanne Rodriguez is 10th with 147 during 2000-01)
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 13-point effort against Idaho State, Versteeg has now reached double figures eight times in 11 conference contests
• Through 11 league games, Versteeg is the Hornets' leading scorer, averaging a solid 13.5 ppg (three points better than her overall season average), 6.00 apg, 3.7 rpg, and 2.0 spg
• Versteeg is one of three Hornets averaging double figures in conference play, joined by Hanson (12.7 ppg) and Amusan (10.0 ppg)
• She flirted with a triple-double against the Bengals, ending the night with 13 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, to go along with four steals
• Her 53 makes from the field are second on the team in league games behind Hanson's 54, while her 37 makes from the line lead the squad
JANUARY WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING
• Orio has provided the Hornets with a consistent offensive threat since the calendar turned to January
• Through her first 11 games of the season, Orio averaged 6.0 ppg and 2.3 rpg, while shooting .391 (27-for-69) from the field and .278 (10-for-36) from beyond the arc
• Since 2024 began, however, Orio has beefed up those numbers, averaging 10.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg over the last 11, shooting .395 (45-for-114) from the floor and .333 (14-for-42) from three-point range
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• Versteeg enters the week ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in minutes per game (38.33), standing behind only Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.39)υ Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in eight 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 33.91 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 12 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 Thursday night
• 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
SWIPER, NO SWIPING
• Versteeg has led or co-led the team in steals 10 times this season and 20 times overall in her career
• Versteeg enters the week with 38 steals on the year and 1.73 spg -- ranking fourth in the league in each category
• The 38 steals are six 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 eight of her last 10 games and averaging 2.30 spg in that span, with her 23 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 12 times
BREATH OF "FRESH" AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 22 games this season and has listed at least two true freshman in the starting five in 15 of those games
• 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
• 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 22 games, 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
• That lineup is also the more used lineup by Sacramento State this season, listed six times overall after Thursday's game against Idaho State
• 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 22 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
• Sacramento State's starting five was responsible for all 72 points -- a season-high by the starters -- in the win over Portland State, and 61 of the 64 points at Idaho on Feb. 5
• The previous high for a starting five was 58 against Weber State (Jan. 11)
• Forty-two of the the team's 48 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 Bengals marked the 13th time overall -- and the eighth time in the last 11 games -- that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points in a game
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for more than 79 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 938 of the 1188 total points thus far
