SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Coming off a run of three games in five days on the road, the Sacramento State women's basketball makes a brief stop at home before heading back out for a single game this weekend at Portland State on Saturday (Feb. 7) at 1 p.m. The game marks the end of a season-long four-game road swing for the Hornets, who are looking to finish the stretch with a .500 record. Following this weekend, Sacramento State plays four of its final seven regular season contests at home before making the trip to Boise, Idaho, for the Big Sky Tournament.
GAME #24
WHAT: Sacramento State (11-12, 5-5 Big Sky) at Portland State (5-17, 1-9 Big Sky)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026
TIME: 1 PM PT
WHERE: Portland, Ore.
ARENA: Viking Pavilion
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | Portland State | Big Sky Conference
THE COACHES
• Sacramento State's Aaron Kallhoff enters his third year at the helm of the Hornets' program, posting a 32-55 mark and a 110-131 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
• Karlie Burris is in her first season as head coach of the Vikings after spending the last four years as an assistant at UNLV, helping the Rebels to four Mountain West Conference titles
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
• Portland State enters the weekend with a 5-17 overall record and a 1-9 mark in Big Sky play, having lost its last nine consecutive games since opening league play with a 68-58 win over Weber State to start conference play
• Four of the Vikings' five wins this year have come at home, but they have lost their last three dating back to that win over the Wildcats
• Portland State is also coming off a stretch of three games in five days, falling to Montana (69-63), Montana State (91-43), and Idaho State (69-57) on the road
• Saturday's game against Sacramento State opens a stretch of three-straight home games for the Vikings, which includes visits from Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado
• Sophomore guard Kyleigh Brown leads Portland State in scoring at 18.0 ppg, shooting .433 from the field and adding 3.8 rpg
• Freshman forward Hannah Chicken has come off the bench in 16 of 22 games, but is second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg), while shooting .481 from the field
• Three others are averaging seven points per game or better, while senior forward Ajae Yoakum leads the team on the glass at 6.4 rpg
• As a team, Portland State is averaging 64.1 ppg and is shooting .390 from the field, while opponents are averaging 74.7 ppg and shooting .435 from the floor this year
SERIES NOTABLES
• Portland State leads the all-time series with Sacramento State, 34-28
• The Hornets, however, have won the last three straight in the series following a 68-64 win at home on Jan. 10
• Taking it a little further, Sacramento State has won nine of the last 10 dating back to the 2022-23 season
• Portland State's last win in the series came on March 2, 2024, with a 57-51 triumph in Portland -- ending a run of six-straight wins by the Hornets
• Those six consecutive victories marks the longest winning streak by Sacramento State in the head-to-head series
• The Hornets are 12-18 on the road against the Vikings, winning three of the last four trips to the Pacific Northwest since 2021-22
• Sacramento State's last win in the Rose City ended in overtime last season with the Hornets edging Portland State, 76-74
LAST TIME OUT
• Sacramento State completed the comeback from down 16 points in the third quarter, but host Weber State broke a 61-all tie with an 11-3 run over the final two minutes en route to a 72-64 win on Monday in Ogden, Utah
• Junior guard Natalie Picton finished with a game-high 22 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals
• Sophomore guard Rubi Gray added 13 points
• The Hornets clawed their way back into the game by scoring 10 of the final 11 points of the third quarter and extended the run to 18-3 midway into the fourth to tie the game at 57 with 4:58 remaining
• Sacramento State answered free throws with baskets by Picton and Jaety Mandaquit to keep things knotted at 61-all, but the Wildcats drained a three-pointer to key a game-deciding 7-0 burst
WELL, IT'S A START...
• The Hornets went with four guards (Benthe Versteeg, Natalie Picton, Rubi Gray, and Jaety Mandaquit) and senior Fatoumata Jaiteh in each of the team's last two games, marking the ninth different starting line up this season
• Sacramento State's starting lineup accounted for 58 of the team's 64 points against the Grizzlies and 56 of 64 points against Weber State
• Those two performances marked the third and fourth times in the last five games -- and 12 times overall -- that the Hornets' starting five has finished with 50-or-more points in a game this year
• In those 12 games, Sacramento State is 9-3
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 (20th)
• 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
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 third and tied for fifth in makes entering this week's contests
• Gray is one of four players with 50-or-more makes from three-point range along with Northern Arizona's Naomi White (71), Weber State's Lanae Billy (51), and Northern Colorado's Heather Baymon (50)
• Sacramento State is one of two schools who have a pair of sharpshooters among the top 10 in three-point makes along with Montana, which has three
• Picton's 46 makes from beyond the arc are a career high, surpassing the 31 she drained while with Montana State last year as a sophomore
HERE'S A QUARTER
• Gray scored 11 of her 13 points against Weber State as part of a big second quarter on Monday, while Picton finished with 11 of her game-high 22 during the Hornets' fourth-quarter comeback against the Wildcats
• The 11 points by Gray marked her team-high sixth double-digit scoring quarter of the year, while Picton's 11 was her fourth -- ranking her second on the squad behind her teammate
• Sacramento State has a total of 13 double-digit scoring quarters with senior guard Benthe Versteeg adding a pair and sophomore forward Pinja Paananen collecting one
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 1,063 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 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 246 points to reach the mark, accumulating 754 points in her three-year collegiate career -- including a career-high 297 this season with Sacramento State
• A little further away is senior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh, who has 663 career points, but would need to average 37.4 ppg over the team's final nine 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 406 field goals are 24 back of Alle Moreno (2010-14) and Julie Wastell (1995-99) for 10th on that list
• Versteeg's 158 steals are five behind Kris Karley (1994-97) for 10th
• Her 117 games are now tied for sixth with Sadie Clements (2010-14), with an appearance on Saturday tying her with Natasha Torgerson (2009-13) for fifth place
• Her 99 starts are already fourth and she needs three more starts to match Wastell and Kristy Ryan (1990-94) for second
• Versteeg would become only the fourth player in school history to start 100 career games along with Wastell, Ryan, and record-holder Fantasia Hilliard (117 from 2011-15)
• With 3,690 minutes, Versteeg is now second on the all-time list, trailing record-holder Kylie Kuhns (2009-13) by 114 minutes
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)
DELICIOUS DISH
• Versteeg has posted five-or-more assists in 15 of the team's 23 games
• Her total of 109 assists and her 4.74 assists per game puts her atop the Big Sky in both categories entering the Weber State game, while ranking No. 40 and No. 54 in the NCAA, respectively, as of Feb. 2
• 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
• That performance was her 33rd career game with seven-or-more assists -- all of those coming in the last two-plus seasons
ROLLING A "NAT" 20
• Picton's 22 points marked her fourth 20-point performance of the year -- and the fifth of her collegiate career -- along with games against UC Davis (24), Simpson (27), and Portland State (21)
• The junior has now reached double figures in seven of her last nine contests, averaging 14.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 2.2 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 last week at Montana
• Picton finished with nine makes from the field on Monday at Weber State, tying her career high set earlier this year in her 27-point outburst against Simpson on Dec. 15
"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 23 games -- including 10 games with three or more
• She enters Saturday's contest at Portland State ranked third with 58 steals overall and fifth at 2.52 spg in the Big Sky, while standing No. 36 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 58 swipes this year are the most by a Hornet since Versteeg had 58 in 2023-24
• A 59th steal on Saturday would be the most by a Sacramento State player 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)
NO GRAY AREA
• Thanks to her 13 points on Monday at Weber State, Gray has now finished in double figures in 17 of her last 20 contests
• After having her 11-game double-digit scoring streak snapped against Weber State in the first meeting between the two schools on Jan. 3, Gray has reached double figures in six of her last eight, averaging 15.0 ppg and 3.7 rpg
• Of those 17 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 23 contests -- including eight of the last 12
WHAT SOPHOMORE SLUMP?
• Following her game-high 13 points at Weber State, Gray continues to lead the Hornets with 338 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 scoring (6th), total points (5th), field goals made (t5th), three-pointers made (t3rd), three-pointers per game (2nd), and minutes per game (6th)
HOLD THE LINE
• Versteeg enters Saturday's game at Portland State on a bit of a roll at the charity stripe, going 13-for-13 at the line over her last seven games beginning with the Hornets' win at Northern Arizona on Jan. 15
• It is the third-longest such streak by a Sacramento State player this year, trailing only Gray's 20-for-20 from Nov. 28 to Jan. 3, and Picton's run of 15 straight from Nov. 12 to Dec. 17
• Gray's run of 20 consecutive makes from the line is tied for the 12th longest streak in school history according to available records
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. 42 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 seven of their last nine opponents to less than 30 percent from beyond the arc, while Weber State's .529 from three-point range on Monday 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 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 (60.0 ppg), second in field goal percentage defense (.379), and third in rebounding defense (35.8 rpg)
• Opponents have even struggled from the free throw line against the Hornets, shooting just .692 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
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 28 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 10 outings
• Having logged a steal in each of her last 10 games, Mandaquit is averaging 2.1 spg, while posting multiple steals in five of her last six games
JAITEH IS OKAY ON THE GLASS
• Playing in only her sixth 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 Monday at Weber State finishing with nine points -- the most since her return to play -- and five rebounds to go along with a pair of steals
• She also had a game-high nine boards in 16 minutes in a win at Montana, matching her season high set at UC San Diego back on Nov. 12
• In the six games since her return, Jaiteh has been a catalyst for the Hornets on the glass, averaging 6.0 rebounds per contest
APPLE, CHERRY... BASKETBALL FLAVORED?
• Sacramento State's defense has forced opponents into an average of 18.61 turnovers per game this season, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Sky entering this week's games
• 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 (18.76 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, six of the team's 12 defeats have been by eight 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 9-2 this year when outscoring its opponents in the paint, snapping a four-game winning streak when doing so on Monday night 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
• Sacramento State is averaging 32.3 ppg in the paint this year, outscoring opponents (27.6 ppg) by nearly five points per contest
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 10-2 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
