BOISE, Idaho — Sophomore Benthe Versteeg finished with a team-high 19 points to lead three Hornets in double figures, but the Sacramento State women's basketball team's run in the Big Sky Conference Tournament came to an end on Sunday, falling to second-seeded Northern Arizona, 81-63, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.
The Hornets finished their 2023-24 season with a 6-25 overall record and a 4-14 mark in Big Sky play in the first season under Head Coach Aaron Kallhoff, opening the postseason with a win over Idaho State before falling to the Lumberjacks on Sunday.
Northern Arizona improved to 24-8 overall and advances to face either No. 3 Montana or No. 6 Idaho in the semifinals on Tuesday (March 12).
Versteeg, an All-Big Sky second team selection, scored 14 of her team-high total in the second half while adding three rebounds and seven assists — the latter extending her school single-season record total to 208. She finished the season scoring in double figures in each of her last three games and 17 times overall, posting her highest point total since she scored a career-high 26 against Weber State on Feb. 10.
Big Sky Freshman of the Year Summah Hanson collected her league-best 14th double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds — seven of those double-doubles coming in her last 12 games — while scoring 10-or-more points for the 12th consecutive contest to close the season.
Sophomore Irune Orio wrapped up the trio of double-digit scorers, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field while reaching double figures in each of her final five games of the year.
Northern Arizona jumped out to a quick six-point lead, but Sacramento State was keen to hang around, never letting the Lumberjacks pull away and answering every short run with one of their own to trail by only two after one quarter.
Hanson and NAU traded baskets to start the second period, tying the game at 23-all with 6:11 to play in the half before Orio hit a pull-up off a turnover to give the Hornets their first lead of the game. The two teams then went basket-for-basket before a nifty bounce pass inside by Hanson found a cutting Versteeg for a lay-up, giving Sacramento State a 29-28 lead at the break.
Neither team led by more than three points to start the third quarter, but Northern Arizona was quick to grab a lead it would not relinquish out of the media timeout. Sophie Glancey went on a personal 10-1 run that put the Lumberjacks up eight with 1:34 to play in the period and a 10-0 run spanning the two quarters built the NAU lead to 16 points at 62-46 with just 62 seconds gone in the fourth on its way to the win.
Overall, Northern Arizona shot 46 percent from the field for the game, including a 60 percent clip in the second half after hitting just 3-of-15 (.200) in the second quarter, and 63 percent in the fourth quarter alone. Meanwhile, Sacramento State's offense picked it up in the second half, shooting 43 percent over the final 20 minutes and 6-of-15 (.400) in the fourth.
