Sacramento State’s performances in the FIU tournament were about as divergent as you could get.

In game one against the Abilene Christian Wildcats on Friday, the Hornets couldn’t find the cap to the offensive explosion from the Wildcat guards and were trounced 75-53.

A familiar face led the way to a colossal bounce back 73-34 win over the Wagner Seahawks on Sunday to lift Sac State out of a three game losing streak and bring them to 5-3 on the season.

The season of giving

Sac State felt extra festive in the tournament opener against Abilene Christian, gifting them multiple turnovers with errant passes and an array of mental mistakes.

The Wildcats packed the paint and forced the Hornets into uncomfortable looks early on. Sac State’s offense stalled under the constant pressure and piled up 23 turnovers.

The mental lapses piled up quickly, as the Hornets attempted to break through the Wildcats’ full-court press. Countless passes were airmailed over players in the post or corner, and when they finally did connect, the Hornets’ erratic style of play resulted in costly traveling violations.

RELATED: Stacking Days: Weathering the storm is key for the Hornets to get back on track

Abilene Christian took advantage of the errors and punished Sac State by turning those 23 turnovers into 30 points. The Hornets only mustered 13 points off of opponent miscues.

Abilene Christian’s top two guards, senior Bella Earle and sophomore Payton Hull took advantage of Sac State’s sloppy play, resulting in easy buckets. Earle knocked down her two 3-pointers in the first half after turnovers, en route to a 17-point outing while Hull added in 25 points on a near-perfect night from the field.

Lighting the Bat Signal

The best 3-point shooter in Sac State women’s basketball history made her return from injury against Abilene Christian, but shook off the rust in a complete domination of the Wagner Seahawks.

Senior forward Katie Peneueta was a flamethrower against Wagner, racking up 20 points and nine rebounds in her second game back.

Peneueta lit up the Seahawks and tallied eight quick points after coming off the bench halfway through the first quarter.

SHE’S SO BACK!!! pic.twitter.com/hlH5y2x9Cx

— Sac State WBB (@SacStateWBB) December 1, 2024

Off the back of a frenzied start, the Hornets led 21-4 after the first quarter and never looked back. Peneueta’s potent offense led the way, finishing 70% from the field.

Sac State’s defense suffocated Wagner, forcing them to 30% or worse from the field every quarter. The unbreakable defense held Wagner to four points in two quarters, the first and third.

The overwhelming win over the Seahawks also flashed a promising improvement in the Hornets’ 3-point shooting, where they shot 11-of-25.

Sac State’s 44% from three is their highest percentage of knocked down shots from beyond the arc all season, and most of the success can be directed to this week’s hot hand.

This week’s hot hand

It’s no surprise that the long-awaited return of Peneueta was exactly what this year’s Hornets team was missing.
Coming off the bench during the FIU tournament in Miami, Peneueta attempted to get back in the groove of things against the Wildcats.

Her first game wasn’t anything special, only playing 16 minutes and recording six points on just four shots in the blowout loss. Though the Hornets didn’t get the win, having the opportunity to get Peneueta on the floor and get shots up was monumental.

Peneueta found her rhythm in Sunday’s contest against Wagner, catching fire from downtown.

The 20-point performance off the bench proved Peneueta is ready to pick up where she left off in 2023, before she transferred to North Carolina State.

Of the 11 threes made against Wagner, five came from Peneueta. Sac State’s 3-point shooting is sitting below 33% on the year but should see a significant boost with the addition of Peneueta, a career 46.1% 3-point shooter.

As Peneueta continues to get acclimated to heavy minutes, Sac State’s offense will blossom with her ability to stretch the floor. Paint touches should come easier for redshirt junior guard Benthe Versteeg and senior forward Jaydia Martin, both of whom tend to gravitate toward that area of the court.

A look ahead

Sac State will welcome the Kansas City Roos to The Nest on Wednesday before hitting the road for three of their next four games.

Kansas City currently sits at 3-5 on the season and comes into Sacramento off the heels of a 94-60 win over the University of Texas, Dallas.

With Peneueta’s return to form, Sac State should challenge Kansas City to a 3-point contest, as the Roos shoot an abysmal 15% from deep this season.

The Roos only have two players in double-figure scoring, with averages of 12.5 and 11.5, making this a favorable matchup for the Hornets.

Before Big Sky Conference play kicks off in January, Sac State will play Omaha, San Jose State, New Mexico and have a rematch with Abilene Christian to wrap up December’s games.