SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Senior Benthe Versteeg and junior Keanna Salave'a each finished with double-doubles on the day and the Sacramento State defense limited visiting Weber State to just 13 second-half points on Saturday afternoon as the Hornets won their first Big Sky Conference game of the year, 60-39, at Hornet Pavilion.
The victory snapped a three-game skid for the Hornets, who moved to 7-8 overall and 1-1 in league play. The 39 points allowed are tied for the fewest surrendered this year and the fewest given up to a Division I opponent since defeating San Jose State, 66-39, on Dec. 15 of last season.
Led by 15 points from Sydney White, the Wildcats fell to 6-9 overall and 0-2 in league play, limited to just 29 percent shooting overall for the game and just 20 percent (6-for-30) in the second half.
Versteeg and Salave'a each posted their second double-doubles of the year, while Salave'a accomplished the feat for the second time in the team's last three games. The last time the Hornets finished with a pair of double-doubles was against Eastern Washington in last year's Big Sky Tournament when Versteeg and Jaydia Martin accomplished the feat.
Versteeg finished with a season-high 18 points to go with 10 rebounds for her 12th career double-double, adding five assists and a career-high six steals. The 18 points surpassed her previous high of 14 against Nevada, while the six steals were just one shy of the school single-game top five.
Salave'a finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds — both Sacramento State career highs — while the 13 rebounds were the most by a Hornet this year. Six of her 13 boards came on the offensive end while adding a pair of assists, two steals, and a block. Saturday marked her fourth double-digit performance in her last five games.
Junior guard Natalie Picton also finished in double figures, adding 12 points to go with three rebounds and a pair of steals.
Sacramento State, which never trailed in the game, threw the first punch out of the gates, opening the contest with a 13-2 run, including the last nine straight while holding Weber State scoreless for four minutes. The Wildcats answered by scoring seven of the final nine points of the first quarter, but still found themselves down eight after one.
After trading baskets to start the second and trailing by as many as 10 points twice, Weber State got as close as four points with just under three to play in the quarter before Jaety Mandaquit drained a three-pointer and Salave'a scored inside to give the Hornets some breathing room and an eight-point advantage at the break.
The Hornets then owned the second half, doubling up the Wildcats in the final 20 minutes while holding Weber State to just three field goals in the third and fourth quarters.
Sacramento State scored the first seven points of the third period to rebuild the lead back to 15, then led by as many as 16 in the early part of the fourth before pulling away. The Hornets finished the game on a 12-3 run en route to the victory.
Aside from a 38-31 advantage on the glass, Sacramento State turned the Wildcats over 24 times, turning those into 25 points to the good, while outscoring Weber State in the paint, 34-18.
The Hornets have only one game next week, hosting travel partner Portland State on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 1 p.m. to close out a three-game homestand.
