As most of California was battered Saturday afternoon by powerful storms, the Sacramento State women’s basketball team was likewise battered by Wyoming, losing 58-36.

The Hornets’ (4-8) first half woes continued, as the Cowgirls (9-4) built up a 32-13 lead before the break. In 12 games this season, Sac State has been outscored by an average of 10.1 points in the first half. The 13 points in the first half points were a season-low Sac State and 36 total points is also a season low.

“Quite frankly, we just did not do a good job of blocking out all night long, as so they got 13 more shots than we did, and that makes it very had to win,” Sac State coach Dan Muscatell said. “I thought our effort on the defensive end until the shot went up was really good. But when the shot went up, we were just elsewhere when it came to the concept of blocking out.”

“We have a game plan and we need to follow it from the get-go or else it digs us a hole,” junior forward Ashley Cadotte said. “We just didn’t come out and block out and we just waited until it was too late.

“It was just too late by the time we started doing it.”

Cadotte, who scored 10 points, was one of two Hornets that scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Stephanie Cherry led all Hornet players with 11 points. Cherry also had four rebounds and a steal, while Cadotte added six boards and a steal.

“At times, our heads just aren’t in it,” Cherry said. “As a team, I think we’ll be more into it once we all get our heads into it.”

Injuries have plagued the Hornets recently. True freshman guard Ali Mollet started her second game in a row as senior guard Samania Black sat due to an ankle injury. Another of the Hornets’ starting guards, junior transfer Cindy Alldrin, left the game after playing just six minutes when she injured her knee while scrambling for a rebound.

For Wyoming, freshman forward Hanna Zavecz lead the team with 19 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Ashley Elliot contributed 15 points and five boards. The Cowgirls were dominant on the glass, leading the Hornets 40-32 in rebounds, with 14 of those 40 coming on the offensive end. They were also more careful with the ball than Sac State, giving up only 12 turnovers while taking it away from the Hornets 10 times. Sac State gave up 17 turnovers, compared with only five steals.

“We are not big enough, we’re not tall enough, we’re not fast enough, nor do we jump well enough to just say that we are just going to rebound the ball,” Muscatell said. “I think it is just a matter of the players playing more attention to detail. But the bottom line is that we just didn’t get it done.”

Sac State now enters Big Sky conference play, opening up on the road at Idaho State on Thursday, and then traveling to Weber State on Saturday. The Hornets open their home conference schedule against Montana State on Jan. 20.