SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Winners of two of its last three contests, the Sacramento State women's basketball team ends a run of three games in five days on Monday night (Feb. 2) at 5 p.m. PT, trekking to Ogden, Utah, to take on Weber State. The Hornets hope to not see their shadow as they tip-off the second go-round in Big Sky Conference play against the Wildcats, whom they defeated earlier in the year at home during the opening weekend of league play.

GAME #23
WHAT: Sacramento State (11-11, 5-4 Big Sky) at Weber State (6-16, 0-9 Big Sky) 
WHEN: Monday, Feb. 2, 2026
TIME: 5 PM PT
WHERE: Ogden, Utah
ARENA: Dee Events Center
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: WeberStateSports.com
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Weber State | Big Sky Conference

THE COACHES
• Sacramento State's Aaron Kallhoff enters his third year at the helm of the Hornets' program, posting a 32-54 mark and a 110-130 overall record in seven-plus seasons as a head coach
• Kallhoff claimed his 100th career win as a head coach in Sacramento State's 2025-26 season-opening win over Stanton University
• Weber State's Jenteal Jackson is in her third season as head coach of the Wildcats, posting a 27-57 record in her two-plus years leading the program

ABOUT THE WILDCATS
• Weber State enters Monday night's game as one of the unluckiest teams in the conference, posting a 6-16 overall record and losing all nine of its league tilts thus far
• The Wildcats haven't won since closing out non-conference play against Omaha with a 74-61 victory at a tournament hosted by LMU prior to the Christmas holiday
• Four of the team's six wins have come at home this year, however, posting a 4-6 record at the Dee Events Center while going 1-10 in true road contests
• Weber State is coming off a 65-54 loss to Idaho State on Saturday
• Senior forward Antoniette Emma-Nnopu, who missed the first meeting with the Hornets back on Jan. 3 in Sacramento, leads the team in both scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg) while shooting .552 from the floor
• Senior guard Lanae Billy (12.0 ppg) and junior guard Hannah Robbins (10.7 ppg) are also averaging double figures this season, standing as the only two Wildcats to start all 22 games this year
• As a team, Weber State averages 63.8 ppg and shooting .401 from the field, while opponents are averaging 67.6 ppg and shoots .398 from the floor overall

SERIES NOTABLES
• Weber State leads the all-time series with Sacramento State, 36-23
• All but two meetings between the two programs have come in Big Sky play since 1997 -- both of those coming during the league's postseason tournament in 2017 and 2022
• Barring a date in the Big Sky Tournament in March, Monday marks the final meeting between the two schools as Big Sky rivals as the Hornets make their way to the Big West Conference for 2026-27
• Of Sacramento State's 23 wins in the series, 14 of those have come at home where they are 14-13 all-time in the history of the series
• The Hornets have won the last two straight in the series, posting a 56-45 win at home on Feb. 20 of last year and a 60-39 victory in Northern California earlier this season
• It marks the first back-to-back wins in the series for Sacramento State since it swept the regular season series in 2022-23
• Overall, Sacramento State has won five of the last seven -- and 22 of the last 35 dating back to 2009 -- after Weber State won 23 of the first 24 meetings against the Hornets
• A win on Monday would give the Hornets their longest winning streak in the series since they won four straight in 2018-19 and 2019-20
• Sacramento State is just 7-21 on the road against Weber State, losing its last two trips to Ogden since a 66-52 win on Feb. 16, 2023
• Each of the last nine meetings between the two programs have been one-sided affairs with the winner posting double-digit victories in each of those contests
• The last single-digit decision came in 2022 with the Wildcats edging the Hornets, 79-76, in Utah

LAST TIME OUT
• Sacramento State finished with three players in double figures and used a dominant third quarter to break away from a tie game at the break to defeat Montana, 64-57, in Missoula on Saturday night (Jan. 31)
• Sophomore guard Rubi Gray finished with a game high 18 points, while senior guard Benthe Versteeg and junior guard Natalie Picton added 17 points apiece
• The Hornets never trailed by more than three, but led by as many as 11 points after doubling-up the Grizzlies, 20-10, in the third
• Montana opened the fourth with an 11-2 run and closed to within a single point twice in the final 10 minutes, but Picton drained a turnaround jumper in the lane with 32 seconds left and added another on a drive to the basket to make it a five-point game with 13 seconds remaining
• Sacramento State then went 4-for-4 from the line for the final tallies en route to the win
• The Hornets outrebounded the Grizzlies, 41-32, and shot 43 percent from the field while limiting Montana to 35 percent overall and 27 percent from beyond the arc on 41 attempts

LONG TIME COMING
• Saturday's victory in Missoula was a special one for the Hornets, who won on Montana's home court for only the second time in 32 tries against the Grizzlies
• Prior to Saturday, Sacramento State hadn't won in Missoula since a 73-60 triumph in 2017
• The win was only the 10th in 61 all-time games against Montana dating back to 1997
• Saturday snapped a four-game skid in the series overall and put an end to a nine-game losing streak on the road against the Grizzlies
• It was the latest in a number of lengthy droughts that have been put to an end this year
• The win over Long Beach State back on Nov. 15 was the first by Sacramento State in the series dating back to a 74-67 triumph in 2011
• The Hornets put an end to a 30-year drought against Nevada with a 65-45 win on Nov. 6 -- their first since a 64-60 victory in 1995
• Although the Hornets have now won three of the last four against Cal State Fullerton, they won their first against the Titans at home on Nov. 21 in a series that dates back to the 1976-77 season

WELL, IT'S A START...
• Going with four guards (Benthe Versteeg, Natalie Picton, Rubi Gray, and Jaety Mandaquit) and senior Fatoumata Jaiteh in the win over Montana marked the ninth different starting line up for the Hornets this season
• Sacramento State's starting lineup accounted for 58 of the team's 64 points against the Grizzlies
• That performance marked the third time in the last four games -- and 11 times overall -- that the Hornets' starting five has finished with 50-or-more points in a game this year 
• In those 11 games, Sacramento State is 9-2

EASY AS 1-2-3
• Sacramento State enters Monday with its top three scorers all ranked among the top 20 in the Big Sky Conference in scoring average: Rubi Gray (6th), Natalie Picton (16th), and Benthe Versteeg (19th)
• Although all 10 league representatives have at least one player among the top 20, Eastern Washington -- which has four among the top 20 -- is the only school with more than the Hornets

THE HORNETS' NEWEST MILLENNIAL
• Senior guard Benthe Versteeg became the 19th Hornet to collect 1,000 career points on Jan. 22 against Idaho after needing just two points to reach the plateau entering the day, finishing the game with a career-high tying 26 points against the Vandals
• Versteeg became the first Sacramento State women's basketball player to accomplish the feat since Summer Menke did so in 2022
• The senior reached the mark on a right-handed floater with 3:06 remaining in the second quarter against the Vandals
• Entering Monday at Weber State, Versteeg now has collected 1,057 points for her career, placing her 17th on the school's all-time scoring list
• Versteeg now has her sights set on Menke, who had 1,078 points from 2018-22 for 16th and Hannah Friend, who had 1,079 points from 2016-18, for a spot in the top 15
• The senior has reached double figures 13 times this season while collecting the sixth 20-point game of her career against Idaho and posting her highest single-game point total since scoring 26 against both Northern Arizona (Jan. 20) and Weber State (Feb. 10) in 2024

WHO'S NEXT?
• After Versteeg surpassed the 1,000 career-point plateau, we now keep our eye on a pair of Hornets also making their way toward the milestone
• Picton enters the weekend needing 268 points to reach the mark, accumulating 732 points in her three-year collegiate career -- including a career-high 275 this season with Sacramento State
• A little further away is senior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh, who has 654 career points, but would need to average 34.6 ppg over the team's final 10 possible games to get to 1,000 points this year

MORE MARKS AHEAD
• The scoring list isn't the only one that Versteeg has her sights set on
• Her 404 field goals are 26 back of Alle Moreno (2010-14) and Julie Wastell (1995-99) for 10th on that list
• Versteeg's 155 steals are eight behind Kris Karley (1994-97) for 10th
• Her 116 games are now tied for seventh on the school's all-time list with three other Hornet greats, with an appearance on Monday moving her into a tie with Sadie Clements (2010-14) for sixth
• Her 98 starts are already fourth and she needs four more starts to match Wastell and Kristy Ryan (1990-94) for second
• With 3,660 minutes, Versteeg is now second on the all-time list, trailing record-holder Kylie Kuhns (2009-13) by 144 minutes

HISTORIC HELPING HANDS
• Entering the weekend, Versteeg has a solid grasp on 10th on the Big Sky all-time assist list with 550
• The total remains second on the Sacramento State all-time list, trailing only record-holder Fantasia Hilliard -- whose 726 career assists from 2011-15 rank second in league history -- on that chart
• Versteeg needs 24 more helpers to catch Weber State's Tonya Schnibbe (574 from 2006-10) for ninth and 37 assists to move into a tie for seventh alongside the Montana duo of Skyla Sisco (587 from 1994-98) and Mandy Morales (587 from 2005-09)

DELICIOUS DISH
• Versteeg has posted five-or-more assists in 14 of the team's 22 games
• Her total of 104 assists and her 4.73 assists per game puts her atop the Big Sky in both categories entering the Weber State game, while ranking No. 46 and No. 53 in the NCAA, respectively, as of Jan. 31
• With her seven assists at Montana on Saturday night, Versteeg tied her season high which was set against Stanton in the season opener and matched against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 21
• Saturday's performance was her 33rd career game with seven-or-more assists -- all of those coming in the last two-plus seasons

JAITEH IS OKAY ON THE GLASS
• Playing in only her fifth contest since returning from an injury that sidelined her for 10 games, senior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh has been steadily rounding back into playing form for the Hornets
• The senior's latest step forward came on Saturday night at Montana when Jaiteh finished with a game-high nine rebounds in 16 minutes, matching her season high set at UC San Diego back on Nov. 12
• In the five games since her return, Jaiteh has been a catalyst for the Hornets on the glass, averaging 6.2 rebounds per contest, including a six-point, seven-rebound afternoon in a win over Eastern Washington and eight boards at Montana State on Jan. 29

NO GRAY AREA
• Despite leading the team in scoring at Montana State last Thursday, Gray finished with only eight points in the defeat -- the second time in the last three games that she has been held to single digits after scoring in double figures in 14 of her previous 15 contests
• Things all returned to normal on Saturday at Montana as the Tasmanian finished with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 from the field -- four of those coming from distance
• She has now scored in double figures in 16 of her last 19 games and is still averaging 15.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg over her last seven outings
• Of those 16 double-digit performances, Gray has reached 20 points four times, including a career-high 26 points against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 21 and 26 more (to go with 11 rebounds for her first double-double) at Northern Arizona on Jan. 15
• Gray has led, or shared the team lead, in scoring in 14 of the team's 22 contests -- including eight of the last 11

WHAT SOPHOMORE SLUMP?
• Following her game-high 18 points at Montana on Saturday, Gray continues to lead the Hornets with 325 points this season -- the most points by a Sacramento State sophomore since Versteeg finished with 360 in 2023-24
• Entering Monday's contest she ranks among the top 10 in the Big Sky in scoring (6th), total points (6th), field goals made (7th), three-pointers made (4th), and minutes per game (7th)

HELPING HERSELF
• When she's not dishing to her teammates for easy buckets, Versteeg has been finding her own ways to score as of late, hitting for double-digit points in six of her last eight games
• In that stretch, the senior is averaging 14.4 ppg while shooting .413 (45-for-109) from the field -- including a season-high nine makes against Idaho (Jan. 22) -- and dishing out 3.88 apg
• In that stretch, Versteeg has also sighted in from distance, draining 11 of her 14 three-pointers this season, and has converted 11 consecutive free throws dating back to a miss on her last attempt against Weber State at home on Jan. 3
• While tying her career high, Versteeg's 26 points against Idaho surpassed her previous season high of 18 points set against Weber State and Northern Arizona during her recent run

SHE'S A "NAT"URAL
• Picton has now reached double figures in six of her last eight contests, averaging 13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 2.25 spg in that stretch
• Amidst that run, Picton's seven rebounds at Northern Colorado on Jan. 17 were a collegiate high until her eight-rebound performance on Saturday at Montana, while her eight makes against Portland State a week earlier are tied for her second-most in a game this season

THESE THREE'S ARE NOT FREE
• Anything outside of 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches and the Hornets have it covered
• Sacramento State leads the Big Sky -- and ranks No. 19 in the NCAA -- in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to just .264 from long range this year
• If the season ended today, that mark would be the first time that the Hornets have held an opponent to under 30 percent from distance for a season since 2005-06 (.285)
• It would also be a Division I era program record and the fifth time an opponent has failed to crack 30 percent from three-point range since the 1991-92 season
• Since the NCAA adopted the three-point line in 1987-88, the all-time school record for three-point defense came in 1988-89, when opponents shot just .218 against the Hornets
• The Hornets have held each of their last four opponents -- and seven of their last eight -- to less than 30 percent from beyond the arc
• Montana's 11 makes from three-point range on Saturday marked only the second time this year that an opponent has made 10-or-more, but it came on 41 attempts by the Grizzlies
• Those attempts were the most by a Hornet opponent since Montana let fly 41 times from beyond the arc on Jan. 27, 2024

DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP)...
• Aside from its defensive exploits from beyond the arc this year, Sacramento State also stands second in scoring defense (59.4 ppg), second in field goal percentage defense (.375), and fourth in rebounding defense (36.1 rpg)
• Opponents have even struggled from the free throw line against the Hornets, shooting just .677 this year which ranks as the second-lowest in the league behind only Northern Colorado (.671)
• Montana became the 10th Hornet opponent this year to be held under 60 points in a game on Jan. 31, with Sacramento State winning nine of those 10 contests
• It's a continuation of a trend that has seen the Hornets post two of the stingiest scoring defenses in school history in the last three years as they allowed 59.9 ppg in 2022-23 (second in school history) and gave up 63.6 ppg in 2024-25 (fourth in school history)
• The all-time school record is 56.8 ppg allowed over 23 games in 1984-85

"PIC"-POCKET
• Picton has been in the pockets of opposing offenses all season, posting multiple steals in 18 of the team's 22 games -- including 10 games with three or more
• She enters Monday's contest at Weber State ranked fifth with 56 steals overall and 2.55 spg, but was held to without a steal for only the second time this season at Montana, instead contributing 17 points and eight rebounds in the win over the Grizzlies
• Her four steals at Northern Arizona (Jan. 15), marked her fifth game with at least four swipes in a game this season
• Aside from her standing in the Big Sky, Picton's 56 steals rank No. 41 in the NCAA, while her 2.55 spg are No. 59
• Prior to Saturday in Missoula, Picton has swiped multiple steals in each of her previous five games, averaging 3.0 spg in that stretch
• Her 56 swipes this year are the most by a Hornet since Versteeg had 58 in 2023-24
• Picton's 56 steals are just one short of her single-season career best of 57 set as a sophomore at Montana State last year
• After setting her Hornet career high with five in the regular season opener against Stanton, Picton finished with back-to-back five-steal performances against San Jose State (Dec. 21) and Idaho State (Jan. 1)

NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T
• Picton isn't the only one with the quick hands for the Hornets this year as redshirt freshman Jaety Mandaquit has been a menace on the defensive end in her first year with the program
• She is second on the team with 27 steals, including nine games with two or more, setting and tying her career high of three swipes on four different occasions -- all coming in her last nine outings
• In that nine-game stretch, Mandaquit is averaging 2.22 spg, while posting multiple steals in each of her last five games, averaging 2.4 spg in that run

APPLE, CHERRY... BASKETBALL FLAVORED?
• Sacramento State's defense has forced opponents into an average of 18.55 turnovers per game this season, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Sky entering Monday's game
• That average ranks behind only Montana State (No. 4 in the NCAA at 26.71 pg), Northern Colorado (No. 38 in the NCAA at 20.65 pg), and Idaho State (18.60 pg)
• The Hornets have turned opponents over 20-or-more times in a game eight times, the last coming in a 21 turnover night against Idaho

IN THE MARGINS
• When Sacramento State wins this season, it usually wins big
• Of the team's 11 victories this season, seven have come by double-digits
• Five of the seven have been by 20-or-more points: Stanton (+85), Nevada (+20), Cal State Fullerton (+20), Simpson (+60), and Weber State (+21)
• On the other side, five of the team's 11 defeats have been by seven points or fewer, including a three-point overtime loss
• Sacramento State's 60-point margin of victory over Simpson on Dec. 15 is the fourth-largest in the program's history, trailing the school-record 85-point win over Stanton earlier this year, a 71-point win over San Francisco State in 1974 and a 64-point victory against Stanislaus State in 1979

ATTACKING THE PAINT
• Sacramento State is a combined 9-1 this year when outscoring its opponents in the paint
• The Hornets have scored 30-or-more points in the key in all nine of those wins, including 86 points in the season opener in a lop-sided win over Stanton, 54 against Simpson on Dec. 15, and 44 more in a 20-point victory against Cal State Fullerton

HITS OF THE 70s
• During the Aaron Kallhoff era, 70 points seems to be the magic number for the Hornets
• Over the last two-plus seasons, Sacramento State is 17-3 when scoring 70-or-more points, while winning just 11 times when held under that mark since 2023-24
• This year, thanks in part to their stingy defense, the Hornets have usually needed only 60 points to bring home the win, posting a 10-1 record when scoring 60 or more points

NOT HALF BAD
• Sacramento State is 9-1 this season when leading at the half and a combined 22-5 when winning the first 20 minutes under Head Coach Aaron Kallhoff over the last two-plus years
• Last season, the Hornets were 10-1 when leading at the break
• The 58 first-half points on Dec. 15 against Simpson were the second most in a single half this year, trailing only the 71-point opening half against Stanton, and the third half with at least 50 points

HOME, SWEET HOME
• The Hornets have certainly adjusted well to their new digs at Hornet Pavilion, winning seven of their 10 home contests thus far
• Over the last two seasons, Sacramento State is a combined 16-9 at home, already surpassing its win total from the previous two years (15-14) with four home games remaining
• Even though it is still in progress, it is also the most home wins in back-to-back years since the Hornets finished 17-9 at The Nest in 2021-22 and 2022-23