With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Sacramento State’s starting backcourt was in trouble.
On a contentious reach foul, redshirt junior guard Benthe Versteeg was whistled for her fourth foul of the game. Just 15 seconds later, the whistle blew again, and sophomore guard Lina Falk was called for her fourth foul as well.
As Weber State shot free throws to bring their deficit to just three, Sac State’s frontline headed to the bench. For a team whose season has been partially defined by reliance on their starters, this was a nightmare deep into a game Sac State couldn’t afford to lose.
Off the bench came redshirt sophomore guard Madison Butcher and freshman guard Rubi Gray, a pair that immediately set the tone. Butcher has stepped up as a secondary ball handler as of late and Gray, a steadying defensive force.
Dribbling down the floor after the free throws, Butcher snaked her way through multiple defenders, finding a window and burying a midrange jumper.
Gray is the perfect counter for a physical Weber State team, as she relentlessly worked the perimeter as the point-of-attack defender.
“Weber is a physical team,” Gray said. “I feel like my game is quite physical. It’s fun.”
The two lifted the Hornets on both ends of the floor, powering a 13-2 run that lasted deep into the fourth quarter. Weber State couldn’t mount a comeback, and Sac State secured a pivotal 56-45 win on Thursday.
“We got each other’s backs,” Butcher said. “We know we can come together, whatever five are on the floor.”
Sac State wins 56-45!
A massive underdog victory at home was the perfect remedy to the homesickness we saw on the road.
Jaydia Martin: 16 points
Benthe Versteeg: 12 points
Madison Butcher: 8 points, 5 rebounds
Rubi Gray: 8 points, 3 steals pic.twitter.com/sULq2Vz6zh— Jack (@JackDannKF) February 21, 2025
The Hornets put on a defensive clinic, breaking program records for opposing field goal percentage. They limited the Wildcats to just 21% shooting, the lowest number in Sac State’s Division I history by 30%.
Gray and Versteeg hunted on the perimeter, grabbing five combined steals and causing countless deflections. Senior forward Katie Peneueta battled a tough Weber State backline and blocked four shots.
It was a defensive and physical affair, and both teams spent plenty of time at the charity stripe.
This is usually a strong suit for Weber State, who shoots 79% from the line as a team, but they struggled to get their free throws to fall. They missed as many free throws as they made shots, only 12.
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The Hornets not only settled into their strong defensive identity but supported it with a balanced offense that created open, high-percentage looks.
“We wanted to get in the paint early and establish it,” Sac State head coach Aaron Kallhoff said. “That doesn’t mean through the post, it could be off a dribble, but that’s what I wanted to establish, inside and out.”
The highest percentage shots in basketball are layups and free throws, and the Hornets emphasized getting into the paint early and often. Weber State’s physicality worked to their disadvantage, racking up shooting fouls and constantly rewarding Sac State with trips to the line.
The primary beneficiary of this was senior forward Jaydia Martin, who lived at the line, shooting 9-of-10 from the stripe. Her tenacity was on full display, driving through multiple defenders while sporting a visible knot on her forehead she sustained from a nasty collision in the first quarter. She finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, leading both teams in scoring.
Sac State is still locked into a tie at the eighth seed with Idaho State, who prevailed in a double overtime win against Portland State on Thursday. This only raises the stakes for their matchup on Saturday, as Sac State hosts Idaho State at 2 p.m.
