As the Sacramento State Hornets came out of the locker room for the second half, the tension in The Nest was palpable.
Sac State was amidst a four-game losing streak, and the frustration for the players, coaches and fans was beginning to mount. To end the slide, the Hornets would have to take down the Big Sky Conference heavyweight Idaho Vandals, who led by just two at the break.
These are the games where experience on the biggest stages rises to the top. Senior forward Jaydia Martin, one year removed from being a key piece on an Eastern Washington team that won the Big Sky, put on a show.
Her 12 second-half points included two threes, a physical Euro step two and a putback layup in the waning moments of the fourth quarter that secured a Hornet victory, 56-53.
With three minutes left, Martin facilitated an open layup for freshman guard Rubi Gray and hit another three, this one an audacious through-the-legs step back that sent The Nest into a frenzy.
“My team has full confidence in me, and that’s what gives me the confidence to be able to shoot those shots,” Martin said, who finished with 18 points and five rebounds.
With 30 seconds left, redshirt junior guard Benthe Versteeg was left alone at the top of the arc. As The Nest held its collective breath as the high-arcing ball flew towards the basket, but it careened off the side of the iron.
Before the crowd could react, Martin crashed down, out-rebounding the Idaho frontcourt, getting a clean look from the dunker’s spot and banking it in.
The Hornet bench exploded, the compounded pressure from three consecutive losses on the home floor lifted in a moment of ecstasy.
JAYDIA MARTIN!!!
She grabs a clutch rebound and gets the score to give Sac State the lead with 17.8 seconds to go!! pic.twitter.com/43wu7QGTfU
— Jack (@JackDannKF) February 8, 2025
Sac State head coach Aaron Kallhoff was prepared for Idaho’s last gasp and blitzed the baseline in-bounds, swarming the Idaho handlers with intense ball pressure. The ball was knocked loose and out of bounds, and after a video review, awarded to the Hornets.
Redshirt sophomore guard Madison Butcher was fouled and hit both to extend Sac State’s lead to 56-53, icing the game.
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Sac State’s defense in the first half was rock solid and gave the Hornets the chance to win it late. They forced 16 turnovers and held the usually potent Vandals offense to a meager 29.2% from the field.
The Hornets continued this strong defense in the pivotal fourth quarter, holding the Vandals scoreless until the sixth minute.
Senior forward Katie Peneueta, junior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh and sophomore guard Lina Falk made the paint inhospitable for the visiting Vandals, with the trio combining for five steals and three blocks.
Versteeg’s early foul trouble meant Kallhoff had to lean on his bench guards, and Gray stepped up to the plate. Gray, who contributed 7 of Sac State’s 10 bench points, outworked the Vandals on both ends of the floor, grabbing rebounds and racking up deflections.
“I’ve been trying to have an impact with the team and helping them in every way I can,” Gray said. “For it to finally click over and be able to help them… yeah, it was awesome.”
Saturday’s game bucked a worrying trend that had emerged in the Hornets’ recent stretch. They were able to win the turnover battle 15-24 and out-rebounded the Vandals 34-33.
“It was huge,” Kallhoff said. “It gave us a chance to be in the game early and stay in the game. It’s about limiting their possession. So if you can win the turnover battle and the rebounding battle, you’re gonna get more shot attempts, and you’re going to be successful.”
This game doesn’t affect either team’s seed in the conference due to other Big Sky results, but Martin said the win was exactly what the squad needed to gel before the final stretch of the season.
“I think that we were just able to come together a lot more tonight,” Martin said. “Just figure out what we needed to do to be able to come out with the win at the end of the game.”
The Hornets will hit the road and take on Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
