The Sacramento State women’s basketball team changed its road fortunes this weekend and ended the first half of conference play in a big way.

Despite a 1-9 record away from home going into the weekend, the Hornets were able to sweep a pair of games on the road for the first time since joining the Big Sky and the first time overall since the 1995-96 season. The wins gave the Hornets, now 3-9 on the road, a big boost for a team seeking a conference tournament berth.

“I’ve been saying all season that our record on the road does not reflect how we have been playing and I think that this really shows what we are capable of,” Hornets coach Dan Muscatell said.

The Hornets have spent most of their early season on the road, playing only eight games at the Hornets Nest to date.

They are 4-4 at home versus 3-9 away from Sacramento. Five of the Hornets final seven games in the Big Sky come at home as they try to qualify for the Big Sky tournament.

Team making moves in Big Sky Conference

If the regular season ended today, the Hornets would be tied for fifth in the Big Sky conference and would go to the conference tournament for the first time since 1997.

After going 1-13 in conference play last year, the Hornets are now enjoying life out of the cellar.

One reason, head coach Dan Muscatell said, is that the team as a whole is more comfortable with the conference.

“I think part of it is being more familiar with the venues and the players that we are playing,” Muscatell said. “Familiarity has also given our staff some confidence and I think that our players have been able to feed off of that.”

Junior guard Cindy Alldrin is confident in the Hornets chances as the second round of conference play starts.

“I think we know what to expect,” Alldrin said. “We know what he have to do.”

Built overtime tough

The Hornets have already played in three overtime games this season.

While Montana State, who has also played in three overtime contests, it is only 1-3 in the extra period, Sac State is 3-0, with wins over UC Irvine, the Bobcats and Eastern Washington, respectively.

“We’ve played virtually all year in good stretches in a given 20 minute half,” Muscatell said. “When that five goes up on the clock for overtime, we just seem to play well.”

Sheehy from three

Sophomore point guard Kim Sheehy was named Big Sky Conference Co-Player of the Week for her part in the Hornets road sweep of Eastern Washington and Portland State.

She averaged 16 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for the week.

Sheehy also averaged three 3-pointers per game.

It is the first time that a Hornet has won that honor since Diane Peterson won it for the week of Jan. 13, 2003.

Sheehy, a transfer from San Jose State, has been on fire from the three point line of late.

In the win over Portland State, she sank three 3-pointers, scoring 11 total points.

Against Eastern Washington, she scored 21 points and equaled her career-high with five treys.

Sheehy has now made a 3-pointer in 13 straight games and leads the Hornets in shooting from beyond the arc, making 35.6 percent of those shots.

Shaking it up

During the past three-game road trip, the Hornets took two new lineups with them, replacing Alldrin and senior guard Samania Black with senior guard Tyeisha Brown and sophomore guard Stephanie Cherry, with good results.

“We needed more energy to start the game,” Muscatell said. “Tyeisha and Stephanie give us that spark.”

Against Portland State, Muscatell inserted senior center Kristine Knowlton into the lineup for junior center Katelyn Ciampi.

Knowlton, a native of Cornelius, Ore., a suburb of Portland, will complete her eligibility this season and played in her hometown for what is likely the last time.

“It was simply the right thing to do for her,” Muscatell, an Oregon native himself, said.

Coming attractions …

This week, the Hornets play at home Thursday at 7:05 p.m. against Weber State (14-6, 5-2) and Saturday at 1:05 p.m. against Idaho State (8-12, 3-4). Weber State is coming off a 73-60 win over Montana State. They beat the Hornets 66-49 in Ogden, Utah on Jan. 15.

Idaho State is currently tied with Sac State (7-13, 3-4) in conference standings and beat the Hornets 63-57 earlier this season in Pocatello, Idaho.