SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State defense limited visiting Weber State to just 21 percent shooting from the floor — the lowest mark in the program's Division I era — while senior Jaydia Martin and junior Benthe Versteeg each finished in double figures, helping the Hornets stifle the Wildcats en route to a 56-45 win on Thursday night at The Nest.
The victory improved Sacramento State to 12-15 overall and 5-9 in Big Sky Conference play, while Weber State fell to 10-14 overall and 7-7 in league play.
The Wildcats' shooting percentage of .211 surpassed the .245 shot by Wagner back on Dec. 1 for the lowest in the program's Division I era and marked the fourth time this season that the Hornets have held an opponent to just 30 percent from the field this year. Weber State's 12 makes from the field also tied a season low by a Hornet opponent, matching the Seahawks' 12 makes in that December clash.
According to available records, to find a lower single-game field goal percentage in school history, one would have to go all the way back to the 1978-79 season when the Hornets held Stanislaus State -- which was playing with only six players -- to .177 (14-for-79) from the field in a 93-29 victory.
Martin made her night from the line, hitting 9-of-10 from the charity stripe en route to her game total — her sixth-straight game with double-digit points, averaging 16.2 ppg over that stretch. Junior Benthe Versteeg also finished in double figures with 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field, adding two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Freshman Rubi Gray tied her career high with eight points and added three steals, while senior Katie Peneueta grabbed six rebounds and four blocked shots. The four swats gave her 95 for her career, just five shy of making her only the sixth Hornet to reach the century mark in school history.
Both teams came out of the gate slowly over the first 10 minutes of the contest with Weber State grabbing a two-point lead at the end of one period. Neither team was able to pull away in the second until the Hornets found a groove near the end of the period, turning a 15-all tie into a four-point lead at the break after closing the half with an 8-4 burst.
The third quarter is where Sacramento State put the game away, opening the period with back-to-back buckets by Versteeg and Fatoumata Jaiteh and led by as many as eight at the end of the quarter powered by its defense, which held the Wildcats to just 1-of-12 (.083) from the floor and six free throws while forcing five turnovers.
That advantage was pushed to as many as 14 points after the Hornets opened with six straight points to start the fourth, hitting all five of their shots from the field and 8-of-11 from the line while holding Weber State to just 29 percent in the quarter.
At the other end, Sacramento State finished the night shooting 42 percent from the floor — including a 58 percent clip in the second half — while its 18 makes from the line were the most since the Hornets finished 25-of-29 at Portland State in an overtime win on the road on Jan. 4.
Sacramento State closes out its week on Saturday (Feb. 22) at 2 p.m., hosting Idaho State at The Nest. The Bengals outlasted Portland State for an 89-80 double-overtime victory on Thursday night to keep pace with the Hornets in the Big Sky standings.
