SACRAMENTO — Championship season begins this weekend for the Sacramento State women's basketball team, which heads to Boise, Idaho, for the 2024 Big Sky Conference Tournament presented by Idaho Central Credit Union at Idaho Central Arena. Action begins on Saturday (March 9) and runs through the championship game on Wednesday (March 13).
The reigning conference tournament champions, the Hornets enter this year's postseason event as the No. 8 seed, opening play against No. 7-seeded Idaho State on Saturday (March 9) at 1:30 p.m. PT, with the winner advancing to face No. 2 Northern Arizona on Sunday (March 10), also at 1:30 p.m. PT. The championship will be played on Wednesday (March 13) at 2 p.m. PT and broadcast on ESPNU
GAME #30
BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
WHAT: No. 8 Sacramento State (5-24, 4-14) vs. No. 7 Idaho State (11-18, 7-11)
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 2024
TIME: 1:30 p.m. PT
WHERE: Boise, Idaho
VENUE: Idaho Central Arena
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Big Sky Conference
BUY TICKETS: All-Session | Single-Session
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Big Sky Conference
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Idaho State | Big Sky Conference
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 9 (First Round)
#9 Weber State vs. #10 Portland State, 11 AM - Watch Live | Live Stats
#8 Sacramento State vs. #7 Idaho State, 1:30 PM - Watch Live | Live Stats
Sunday, March 10 (Second Round)
#1 Eastern Washington vs. WSU/PSU, 11 AM
#2 Northern Arizona vs. ISU/SAC, 1:30 PM
Monday, March 11 (Quarterfinals)
#4 Montana State vs. #5 No. Colorado, 11 AM
#3 Montana vs. #6 Idaho, 1:30 PM
Tuesday, March 12
EWU/WSU/PSU winner vs. MSU/UNC winner, 11 AM
NAU/ISU/SAC winner vs. UM/UI winner, 1:30 PM
Wednesday, March 13
Championship Game, 2 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
All times Pacific... All games on ESPN+
BE A FOLLOWER
• All games on the women's side leading up to the championship game will be streamed via ESPN+
• Links to watch as well as live stats will be posted on the women's basketball schedule page as they become available
• The Big Sky Conference has also set up a tournament page on its website: https://bigskyconf.com/tournaments/?id=635 for more information
HANSON NAMED BIG SKY'S TOP FRESHMAN
• Sacramento State freshman Summah Hanson was named the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year following her stellar collegiate debut
• She becomes only the second Hornet to win the league's top freshman honor, joining Fantasia Hilliard who won the award in 2011-12
• Hilliard averaged 8.8 points (274 points total) and 3.1 rebounds per game in her rookie season, while dishing out 4.84 assists per game
DOUBLE HONORS FOR VERSTEEG
• Sophomore Benthe Versteeg picked up a pair of postseason honors from the coaches
• Versteeg earned her first career All-Big Sky honor with a second-team nod, while also earning one of six spots on the inaugural All-Defensive Team
HORNETS IN THE TOURNEY
• Sacramento State has qualified for the Big Sky's postseason event for the 13th consecutive season and the 17th time overall since joining the league in 1996-97
• The Hornets are a combined 8-15 in Big Sky Tournament play and are riding a three-game winning streak at the event after defeating Idaho, Portland State, and Northern Arizona en route to last year's tournament title
• The Hornets are 2-5 in first-round tournament games, last falling to Weber State, 74-64, in 2022
• Sacramento State is 4-7 in the quarterfinal round, 1-3 in the semifinal round (winning its first in 2023), and made its first championship game appearance last year
HOW SEED IT IS
• This is the first year that Sacramento State has ever been a No. 8 seed and its lowest since coming in as a No. 11 seed in 2021 and upsetting No. 6 Montana in the opening round, 65-58
• The Hornets have been a top-three seed only three times: No. 3 in 2010 (lost in the quarterfinals to No. 6 Montana State, 89-66; No. 2 in 2015 (defeating No. 7 Montana State before falling to No. 4 Northern Colorado); and No. 3 in 2023 en route to the championship
HORNETS AGAINST THE FIELD
• Sacramento State split the regular season series with Weber State, Idaho State, Northern Arizona, and Portland State, while falling in both meetings against the rest of the league
• Saturday marked the fourth-ever meeting between the Hornets and Idaho State in the conference tournament with the Bengals posting wins in the 2009 quarterfinals (78-76 in OT) and the 2012 semifinals (70-57), while Sacramento State posted a win in the 2013 quarterfinals (73-60)
• The Hornets have faced all nine current Big Sky members in the conference tournament after first-ever postseason meetings with Idaho and Portland State in 2023
• In tournament play, Sacramento State is 1-0 against both the Vandals and Vikings, 1-1 against Eastern Washington, 1-2 against Northern Arizona, Idaho State, and Montana, 1-3 against Montana State, and 0-2 against both Northern Colorado and Weber State
• The Hornets are also 1-1 against former league member Southern Utah
ABOUT THE BENGALS
• The No. 7 seed in this year's tournament, Idaho State finished off its 2023-24 regular season with an 11-18 overall record and a 7-11 mark in Big Sky play, just one game away from the No. 6 seed
• The Bengals enter the postseason tournament on a three-game losing streak -- and having lost eight of their last nine -- falling at Northern Arizona (89-74), at Northern Colorado (63-51), and at home against Montana (67-65) to close out the year
• Idaho State's last win came on Feb. 24, downing Weber State on the road, 72-57
• Eight of the team's 11 wins came at home as the Bengals were 2-12 in true road game and 1-1 in a pair of neutral site games against Washington (L, 57-37) and Air Force (W, 55-52) in Hawai'i
• Junior guard Maria Dias is averaging 10.5 ppg and 4.2 rpg to go along with 2.45 apg and shooting 38 percent from the field
• Dias ranks second on the team with 20 three-pointers made, trailing only the 25 makes from beyond the arc by Sophia Covello
• Junior forward Laura Bello leads the team on the glass at 8.4 rpg to go along with her 6.4 ppg, shooting .405 from the field and leading the team with 30 blocked shots
SERIES NOTABLES
• Sacramento State is a combined 11-46 in the series against Idaho State dating back to the 1996-97 season
• The Hornets have won four of the last six meetings with the Bengals following this year's regular season split, a run that followed nine straight wins in the series by ISU
• Seven of the team's 11 wins in the series have come at The Nest
• Idaho State won the first 27 meetings in the series from 1997-2009, until the Hornets picked up an 80-71 triumph in 2010 for their first-ever win against the Bengals
THANKS, I'LL PASS
• A huge night assist-wise at Eastern Washington has sophomore Benthe Versteeg closing in on a single-season record
• The sophomore racked up her fourth career double-double thanks (in part) to a 10-assist performance against the Eagles, growing her Big Sky-leading total to 189 for the year
• Versteeg's total moved her into third place on the school's single-season list, needing just six more helpers to match Fantasia Hilliard's 2013-14 total (195) for second and eight more to tie Hilliard's single-season record of 197 set in 2014-15
• Versteeg has 18 games with at least six assists this year, including a program Division I Era record of 14 against Weber State on Feb. 10 and 13 more at Northern Arizona five days later on Feb. 15
• Those 18 games are the most since Tillman had 18 in 2021-22
A "FRESH" FACE ATOP THE LIST
• With 11 points at Northern Colorado on Feb. 17, freshman Summah Hanson became the highest-scoring freshman in the program's Division I history, reaching 348 points in her debut season to pass Gigi Hascheff (344 points in 2013-14)
• Hanson's 10 points at Eastern Washington gave her 407 points, which stand 95 shy of breaking onto the school's single-season top-10 list for the Division I era and 111 shy of the all-time single-season chart for total points
• Her seven baskets against Montana on Feb. 22 gave her 131 for the season, which supplanted Sarah Craig (127, 2002-03) atop the single-season freshman list for that category, while her 12 rebounds against Montana State gave her 236 rebounds, which broke a tie with Margaret Huntington's for the top spot
• 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 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
MOST SINGLE-SEASON POINTS BY A HORNET FRESHMAN
(Division I era only)
1. Summah Hanson - 407 (2023-24)
2. Gigi Hascheff - 344 (2013-14)
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)
MORE MILESTONES FOR SUMMAH
• Hanson now holds single-season Division I era freshmen records for minutes played (999:04), breaking Sami Field-Polisso's mark of 908 in 2007-08
• Hanson now owns the record for both field goals made (150) and field goal attempts (350) in a season by a freshman in the program's Division I history, supplanting Sarah Craig (127 in 2002-30) in the former and Hallie Gennett (323 in 2013-14) in the latter
• En route to the rebounding record, Hanson's 184 defensive rebounds far surpassed Margaret Huntington's 128 in 2013-14
• She needs five more makes from the line to best Fantasia Hilliard's mark of 76 in 2011-12
PERFECT 10
• Hanson extended her double-digit scoring streak to 10 games following her 10-point effort against Eastern Washington on March 4
• The freshman is averaging nearly a double-double over that stretch, putting up 15.6 ppg and 9.60 rpg while shooting .444 (56-for-126)
• Hanson has shot better than 45 percent in seven of those 10 contests
• She has also grabbed 10-or-more rebounds six times in that stretch
THAT'S WHAT HANSON'S ALL ABOUT
• Borrowing from a famous hamburger chain's jingle, Hanson's 13 points and 12 rebounds against Montana State on Feb. 24 gave the freshman her 13th double-double of the season, remaining the gold standard in the Big Sky and tied for 31st in the NCAA heading into the weekend
• Hanson is one of only two freshmen (Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray is the other with 16) -- and one of eight underclassmen overall -- in the nation with at least 13 double-doubles as of March 5
• Hanson has posted a double-double in six of her last 10 games
• Hanson is one of 30 players in the Big Sky to post a double-double in a game this year, but one of only 18 to have multiple double-doubles
• Of Hanson's 13 double-doubles, four have included 20-point games which are the most in the league
• Hanson's five 20-point games are tied for fourth in the league
• Her 13 double-doubles this season are tied for sixth on the program's Division I single-season list alongside Kylie Kuhns (13 in 2010-11) and are already tied for seventh on the school's career list with Hannah Friend and Atty Boyer
QUEEN OF THE BOARD ROOM
• Following her eight rebounds at Eastern Washington, Hanson ranks second in the Big Sky in both rebounding (8.72 rpg) and total rebounds (253)
• Among qualifying freshman across the country, Hanson is second in rebounding behind Northern Kentucky's Carter McCray (11.1 rpg) and ranks No. 63 in the nation overall in rebounds per game
• Hanson ranks second in rebounds among the nation's freshmen, trailing McCray's 332 boards
• Hanson has led the team in rebounding 21 times
• Her 16 rebounds at Fresno State (Dec. 16) were the most since Isnelle Natabou grabbed 18 against Weber State on Jan. 21 last season
SHE'S KIND OF A BIG (SKY) DEAL
• Hanson is one of only five players in the Big Sky to rank in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding (4th and 2nd, respectively), joining NAU's Sophie Glancey (2nd and 4th), Idaho's Kennedy Johnson (5th and 6th), Northern Colorado's Delaynie Byrne (6th & 3rd), and Montana's Carmen Gfeller (7th & 9th)
• Among that group, Hanson is the only freshman as Gfeller is a graduate student, Glancey is a sophomore, Johnson is a junior, and Byrne is a senior
SHE'S A GIVER
• Following Monday's 16-point, 10-assist performance at Eastern Washington, Versteeg remains atop the Big Sky in both assists per game (6.52 apg) and total assists (189)
• She is one of only two players in the Big Sky to average better than 5.0 apg, joining Eastern Washington's Jamie Loera (5.47 apg)
• If the season ended today, Versteeg's 6.52 apg would be the highest single-season mark in the program's history, edging out Hilliard's mark of 6.50 apg in 2013-14 (195 assists in 30 games)
• Should she end the year atop the Big Sky list, Versteeg would be the first Hornet to lead the league since Lianna Tillman (6.04 apg) in 2021-22
• 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)
• Including her double-double against the Eagles on Monday, Versteeg owns four of the six point-assist double-doubles in the Big Sky this year along with her games against Northern Arizona (18 points, 13 assists), Weber State (26 points, 14 assists), and Santa Clara (16 points, 10 assists)
LIKE A RECORD, BABY
• Versteeg had herself 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
• The performance surpassed the previous Division I Era record of 13 set by Justyce Dawson at Southern Utah on Feb. 25, 2017, and fell one assist shy of the all-time record of 15 held by Tina Gray in 1985-86
• Her 14 assists are the most in a game in the Big Sky -- and tied for seventh in the NCAA -- entering the week and marked the second time she has finished in double figures along with 10 against Santa Clara on Nov. 29
• Five days later, Versteeg nearly equalled that single-season record with 13 assists at Northern Arizona -- her league-best third game with 10-or-more assists and the second-most in a game by a Big Sky player
HORNET 1-2 PUNCH
• Sacramento State's tandem of Hanson and Versteeg rank among the Big Sky's top 1-2 scoring punches entering this weekend's tournament
• Hanson and Versteeg have combined to score 735 total points thus far this year, ranking fifth among league duos:
1. Aaliyah Alexander (465) & Jamie Loera (399), EWU - 864 points
2. Sophie Glancey (471) & Leia Beattie (362), NAU - 833
3. Esmeralda Morales (510) & Mia 'Uhila (256), PSU - 766
4. Delaynie Byrne (393) & Hannah Simental (366), UNC - 759
5. Summah Hanson (407) & Benthe Versteeg (328), SAC - 735
6. Carmen Gfeller (390) & Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw (343), UM - 733
7. Daryn Hickok (382) & Jadyn Matthews (337), WSU - 719
8. Kennedy Johnson (410) & Sarah Schmitt (248), UI - 658
9. Madison Hall (313) & Marah Dykstra (327), MSU - 640
10. Maria Dias (305) & Laura Bello (244), ISU - 549
TALENTED TRIO
• Sacramento State is one of five schools to have three players averaging double figures in Big Sky play this season
• Hanson and Versteeg lead the way at 13.5 ppg, followed by Solape Amusan at 10.1 ppg
• That trio joins a quartet of players from Montana and three each from Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, and Northern Colorado.
SHE GIVETH, SHE TAKETH AWAY
• Sophomore Benthe Versteeg enters the weekend leading the team in both assists (189) and steals (55)
• 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
FALK THIS WAY
• Freshman Lina Falk has been a mainstay in the Hornets starting five since late January, starting the team's last 12 games
• During that stretch, she has accounted for better than two-thirds of her season point total (95 of 138), averaging nearly eight points per game -- which would be three points better than her overall average (4.8 ppg)
• Falk has also totalled double digits in four of those games, including a career-high 15 at Northern Arizona on Feb. 15
• She is also averaging 4.5 rpg -- including a career-high eight rebounds at Montana on Jan. 27 -- and shooting .415 (34-for-82) from the field
PUTTING THE "OH!" IN ORIO
• Sophomore Irune Orio has shined since the calendar turned over to 2024, averaging 11.2 ppg in the 17 games since, compared to just 6.0 ppg in the first 11 games of the year
• Orio has scored double-digit points 10 times since Jan. 1, including a career-high 22 points against Portland State on Feb. 3
• The sophomore has reached double figures in each of her last three games, averaging 13.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg in that stretch while shooting .485 (16-for-33) from the field
• She 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
SWIPER, NO SWIPING
• Versteeg has led or co-led the team in steals 16 times this season and 26 times overall in her career
• Versteeg enters the week with 55 steals on the year and 1.90 spg -- ranking third in the league in both categories
• The 55 steals are the most by a Hornet since the 2018-19 campaign when Hannah Friend led the team with 55 steals
• Versteeg set a career high with five steals against Cal Poly on Dec. 21, and finished with four for a fourth time this year against Montana State on Feb. 24, joining her two performances against Idaho State and her game against Montana on Feb. 22
• The sophomore has been a pest as of late, posting multiple steals in 14 of her last 17 games and averaging 2.35 spg in that span, with her 40 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 18 times
NO REST FOR THE WEARY
• Versteeg played all 40 minutes in a regulation game for the ninth time this year at Northern Colorado on Feb. 17
• It also marked the 10th time in her career that she has gone the distance, joining a "complete game effort" at Cal State Fullerton last year
• Versteeg's nine "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 has done it twice against Portland State (Feb. 3) and Montana (Feb. 22), while Lina Falk did so at Montana State (Jan. 25) and vs. Montana (Feb. 22)
• Overall, Versteeg's 1,112 minutes played this year are third on the school's single-season list, just 18 minutes behind Isnelle Natabou's 2022-23 total for second (1,130 minutes)
• Kahlaijah Dean holds the record with her 1,191 minutes played in 2022-23
HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE
• After leading the nation in minutes per game for three straight weeks, Versteeg slipped to No. 2 in the NCAA in minutes per game (38.35) entering Monday's regular season finale, but has jumped into a tie with Duquesne's Megan McConnell (38.35) entering this weekend's tournament
• Aside from her marathon efforts detailed above, Versteeg has played at least 38 minutes in 11 other games and has played 37-or-more minutes in all but five games this year
• Hanson is fifth in the Big Sky at 34.45 mpg -- including a season-high 39:47 at Idaho (Feb. 5)
• After playing in only 20 minutes at Washington in the opener, Hanson has played 35-or-more minutes 17 times
BREATH OF "FRESH" AIR
• Sacramento State has started at least one true freshman in all 29 games this season and has listed at least two freshman in the starting five 22 times
• The Hornets have started three true freshmen five times at Washington (Nov. 6), against Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 12), at Montana State (Jan. 25), at Montana (Jan. 27), and at Eastern Washington (March 4)
• 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-nine of the team's 66 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, J'yana Salton added 10 points against Idaho, and Irune Orio came off the bench to score 11 at Eastern Washington
• The game against Portland State on March 2 marked the ninth consecutive game -- and the 14th time in the last 18 games -- that the starting five has accounted for at least 40 points in a game
• Overall, Hornet starters have accounted for just under 82 percent of the team's points this year, scoring 1,328 of the 1,622 total points thus far
COMBINATION UNLOCKED
• The Hornets look as if they have settled in on a rotation, using the same starting lineup in nine of their last 10 games: Benthe Versteeg, Irune Orio, Lina Falk, Solape Amusan, and Summah Hanson
• That combination has been used 12 times overall, with Sacramento State posting a 4-8 record in those contests
• The Hornets used a different starting lineup in each of their first eight games and have used 14 different starting lineups through 29 games
• Sacramento State used the same lineup (Versteeg, Orio, Falk, Amusan, and Hanson) in back-to-back-to-back games for the first time this season against Fresno State, Cal Poly, and Idaho
• 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 18 games
