SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With the longest road trip of the season now behind them, the Sacramento State women's basketball returns to Hornet Pavilion for a pair of games this week, hosting Northern Colorado (Feb. 12) and Northern Arizona (Feb. 14).
The Hornets and Bears tip-off on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., before the Lumberjacks come to town for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. It is the penultimate homestand for Sacramento State, which plays three of its final five games away from the friendly confines after this week.
GAME #25
WHAT: Northern Colorado (17-8, 8-4 Big Sky) at Sacramento State (11-13, 5-6 Big Sky)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026
TIME: 6:30 PM PT
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
ARENA: Hornet Pavilion
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: HornetSports.com
TICKETS: HornetSports.com
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Northern Colorado | Big Sky Conference
THE COACHES
• Sacramento State's Aaron Kallhoff enters his third year at the helm of the Hornets' program, posting a 32-56 mark and a 110-132 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
• Kristen Mattio is in her fifth season in charge of the Northern Colorado program, entering the week with a 74-75 record with the Bears
ABOUT THE BEARS
• Northern Colorado enters the week with a 17-8 overall record and an 8-4 mark in Big Sky play to stand fourth in the league and 2 1/2 games back of conference-leading Idaho
• The 17 wins by the Bears rank tied for second in the conference with Montana State, trailing the Vandals, who have 19
• UNC is one of three schools in the Big Sky which has won 10 games at home (10-4) and enters the week with a 6-4 mark in 10 true road contests this year
• Northern Colorado split its two games last week, winning at home against Weber State (55-41) before falling to Idaho State (73-69)
• Thursday marks the first road game for UNC since a 71-62 at Eastern Washington -- its only road game in the last five outings
• The Bears, however, have won three of their last four on the road dating back to trips to Pocatello, Idaho, and Ogden, Utah, during the second week of conference play
• Sophomore guard Neenah George is one of four Northern Colorado players in double figures (13.2 ppg) along with Heather Baymon (12.0 ppg), Tatum West (10.6 ppg), and Aniah Hall (10.4 ppg)
• Only two of those players are starters as Baymon and Hall have come off the bench in all 25 games for the Bears this year
• West also leads the team -- and ranks third in the Big Sky -- in rebounding at 8.6 rpg
• As a team, Northern Colorado averages 70.1 ppg and shoots .420 from the field while limiting opponents to just 60.4 ppg and a .397 field goal percentage
SERIES NOTABLES
• Northern Colorado leads the all-time series with Sacramento State, 25-14
• The Bears have won the last two straight -- and four of the last five -- in the series dating back to the 2023-24 campaign, including a 68-46 triumph in Greeley, Colo., earlier this year
• Of the Hornets' 14 wins in the series, 10 of those have come on their home floor where they are 10-8 all-time
• Sacramento State won the last meeting in Northern California, 51-48, in the first meeting between the two schools last year and has won three of the last four played in Sacramento
• The Hornets have won four straight twice in the series, the latter coming after the Bears won 10 straight from 2016-21
LAST TIME OUT
• Sacramento State had four players in double figures, but couldn't get a game-tying shot to fall at the buzzer as the Hornets dropped a 64-62 heartbreaker at Portland State on Feb. 7
• The quartet accounted for all but three of the team's points as a basket and free throw by Keanna Salave'a were the only other points
• Junior guard Natalie Picton finished with a team-high 17 points and was joined by Rubi Gray (16), Benthe Versteeg (14), and Fatoumata Jaiteh (12) in double figures
• The Hornets rallied from down eight early in the fourth quarter, using a 10-4 run to make it a one-possession game with 5:17 to play and then taking the lead on a triple by Gray and Salave'a's basket inside
• Sacramento State answered a 7-2 spurt by the Vikings to make it a one-point game and were down two with 5.1 to play, but a shot from close-in rolled off the front of the rim as time expired
• The game had eight ties and 11 lead changes
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 a season 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
WELL, IT'S A START...
• The Hornets have gone with four guards (Benthe Versteeg, Natalie Picton, Rubi Gray, and Jaety Mandaquit) and senior Fatoumata Jaiteh in each of the team's last three games, marking the ninth different starting line up this season
• In that stretch, those five have accounted for more than 91 percent (173-of-190) of the team's total offense, including 59 of the team's 62 points (95.2 percent) at Portland State
• That lineup also accounted for 58 of the team's 64 points in a win at Montana (Jan. 31) and 56 of 64 points against Weber State (Feb. 2)
• Add in last Saturday's game in Portland and the Hornet starters have accounted for 50-or-more points in five of the last six games and 13 times overall this year
• In those 13 games, Sacramento State is 9-4
HERE'S A QUARTER
• Versteeg had 10 of her 14 points at Portland State in the second quarter alone on Saturday -- her third double-digit scoring quarter of the year
• In all, the Hornets have had a total of 14 double-digit scoring quarters this year as Gray has six (last at Weber State on Feb. 2), Picton has four (last at Weber State on Feb. 2), and sophomore forward Pinja Paananen (last vs. Stanton on Nov. 3) has won
EASY AS 1-2-3
• Sacramento State enters this week's game with its top three scorers all ranked among the top 20 in the Big Sky in scoring average: Rubi Gray (6th), Natalie Picton (15th), 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
FEARSOME FOURSOME
• Sacramento State finished with four players in double figures for the third time this season on Saturday at Portland State, but could not capitalize on the scoring avalanche, falling to 1-2 in those games this year
• Four players in double figures usually portends success for the Hornets, who are 12-6 in such games over the last two-plus seasons -- including seven wins in 11 such contests in 2024-25
AND I'M THREEEEE... THREE FALLIN'
• The 1-2 punch of Gray and Picton have been among the most consistent shooters from beyond the arc in the Big Sky this year, ranking tied for second and sixth, individually, in makes entering this week's contests
• Gray, who has 54 makes from beyond the arc, is one of five with 50-or-more three-pointers along with Northern Arizona's Naomi White (71), Weber State's Lanae Billy (54), Northern Colorado's Heather Baymon (52), and Idaho's Kyra Gardner (50)
• As a duo, the Sacramento State pair ranks second among sharp-shooting tandems in the league (102 makes), trailing only Northern Arizona's tandem of White (77) and Audrey Taylor (38), who had 115 combined three's
• Picton's 48 makes from beyond the arc are a career high, surpassing the 31 she drained while with Montana State last year as a sophomore
• Meanwhile, Gray's 54 makes are the most by a Hornet since Solape Amusan finished the 2023-24 season with 61
JAITEH IS OKAY
• Senior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh put forth her best statistical performance since her return to the Hornets' rotation a month ago, finishing with 12 points and eight boards in 28 minutes at Portland State
• Jaiteh's 12 points tied her season high in scoring that was set against UC Davis in the game in which she was injured and sidelined for 10 games back on Nov. 24
• Meanwhile, the eight boards marked the third time in the last four games that she has finished with at least that many rebounds -- just one shy of her season best against UC San Diego (Nov. 12) and Montana (Jan. 31)
• Jaiteh has started each of the team's last five games (averaging nearly 22 minutes per), averaging 7.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg while shooting .435 overall
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 this week's game at Portland State, Versteeg now has collected 1,077 career points, 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 14 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 229 points to reach the mark, accumulating 771 points in her three-year collegiate career -- including a career-high 314 this season with Sacramento State
MORE MARKS AHEAD
• The scoring list isn't the only one that Versteeg has her sights set on
• Her 412 field goals are 18 back of Alle Moreno (2010-14) and Julie Wastell (1995-99) for 10th on that list
• Versteeg's 159 steals are four behind Kris Karley (1994-97) for 10th
• Her 118 games are now tied for fifth with Natasha Torgerson (2009-13) and are three back of Kylie Kuhns (2009-13) for fourth
• With her start on Saturday in Portland, Versteeg became only the fourth Hornet to start 100 career games, needing two more to match Wastell and Kristy Ryan (1990-94) for second
• With 3,715 minutes, Versteeg is now second on the all-time list, trailing record-holder Kylie Kuhns (2009-13) by 89 minutes
STAYING ACTIVE
• Versteeg's 555 career assists has her ranked ninth among active players for a career, trailing Texas' Rori Harmon (894) and seven other players various "Power 4" conferences, while her career average of 4.70 apg is No. 12 among active players entering the week
HISTORIC HELPING HANDS
• Entering the weekend, Versteeg has a solid grasp on 10th on the Big Sky all-time assist list with 555
• 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 19 more helpers to catch Weber State's Tonya Schnibbe (574 from 2006-10) for ninth and 32 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)
"PIC"-KING IT UP
• A game-high 17 points in Portland last Saturday now has Natalie Picton in double figures in each of her last three games and eight of her last 10 overall dating back to Jan. 3 against Weber State
• During her most recent run, Picton is averaging a robust 18.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 2.3 apg while shooting .449 (22-for-49) from the field overall
• Over her last 10, she is averaging 14.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 2.1 spg
• Her 22-point effort at Weber State on Feb. 2 marked Picton's fourth 20-point game of the year -- and the fifth of her collegiate career -- along with games against UC Davis (24), Simpson (27), and Portland State (21)
• She also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds at Montana (Jan. 31) and tied her career high with her nine makes from the field against the Wildcats that was originally set in a 27-point outburst against Simpson on Dec. 15
NO GRAY AREA
• Thanks to her 16 points on Saturday at Portland State, Gray has now finished in double figures in each of her last three games, averaging 15.7 ppg in that stretch
• Gray has led, or shared the team lead, in scoring in 14 of the team's 24 contests -- including eight of the last 13
MISS CONSISTENT
• Last Saturday's performance continues a stellar sophomore season for Gray, who has hit for 10-or-more points in a game in 18 of her last 21 -- including 11 straight from Nov. 12 to Jan. 1
• Of those 18 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
WHAT SOPHOMORE SLUMP?
• Following her 16 points at Portland State, Gray continues to lead the Hornets with 354 points this season -- the most points by a Sacramento State sophomore since Versteeg finished with 360 in 2023-24
• Entering this week's contests she ranks among the top 10 in the Big Sky in eight major offensive categories including scoring (6th), total points (8th), field goals made (9th), three-pointers made (t2nd), three-pointers per game (4th), and minutes per game (7th)
THESE THREE'S ARE NOT FREE
• Anything outside of 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches and the Hornets have it covered
• Sacramento State continues to lead the Big Sky -- and ranks No. 37 in the NCAA -- in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to just .274 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 in a single-season since the 1991-92 campaign
• 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 eight of their last 10 opponents to less than 30 percent from beyond the arc, while Weber State's .529 from three-point range on Feb. 2 marked only the third time this year that an opponent has shot better than 40 percent
• Montana's 11 makes from three-point range on Jan. 31 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 (60.1 ppg), third in field goal percentage defense (.383), and fourth in rebounding defense (35.6 rpg)
• Opponents have even struggled from the free throw line against the Hornets, shooting just .694 this year which ranks as the second-lowest in the league behind only Northern Colorado (.686)
• 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
• At the other end of the court, Picton has been in the pockets of opposing offenses all season, posting multiple steals in 19 of the team's 24 games -- including 10 games with three or more
• She enters this week's contests ranked fourth with 59 steals overall and fifth at 2.5 spg in the Big Sky, while standing No. 45 and No. 59 in the NCAA, respectively
• Her four steals at Northern Arizona (Jan. 15), marked her fifth game with at least four swipes in a game this season
• Her 59 swipes this year are the most by a Hornet since Maranne Johnson ended the 2017-18 campaign with 77 -- a total that ranks seventh on the school's single-season list
• Picton's total surpassed 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 32 steals, including 10 games with two or more, setting her career high with four swipes at Portland State on Feb. 7
• Having logged a steal in each of her last 11 games, Mandaquit is averaging 2.3 spg in that stretch, while posting multiple steals in six of her last seven
• Of her 32 steals, 25 of those have come during that 11-game stretch
APPLE, CHERRY... BASKETBALL FLAVORED?
• Sacramento State's defense has forced opponents into an average of 18.58 turnovers per game this season, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Sky -- and No. 90 in the NCAA -- entering this week's games
• That average ranks behind only Montana State (No. 4 in the NCAA at 26.35 pg), Northern Colorado (No. 36 in the NCAA at 20.68 pg), and Idaho State (No. 81 in the NCAA at 18.74 pg)
• The Hornets have turned opponents over 20-or-more times in a game nine times, the last a 20 turnover night at Weber State on Monday
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, seven of the team's 13 defeats have been by eight points or fewer, including three of those seven by a single possession
• 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 9-2 this year when outscoring its opponents in the paint, snapping a four-game winning streak when doing so on Feb. 2 at Weber State
• 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 10-3 record when scoring 60 or more points
NOT HALF BAD
• Sacramento State suffered only its second defeat when leading at the half this season, falling to 9-2 after holding a two-point, 28-26, advantage at the break on Saturday at Portland State
• The Hornets are a combined 22-6 when winning the first 20 minutes under Head Coach Aaron Kallhoff over the last two-plus years
• Last season, Sacramento State was 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
