Sacramento State walked into the locker room with their backs against the wall at halftime, struggling to break open a stifling Eastern Washington defense.
The Hornets had 12 turnovers in the first half, and fouls had piled up for them, with five different players going into the second half with two. The Hornets trailed by ten, 32-42.
“We weren’t playing Sacramento State basketball,” Sac State head coach Aaron Kallhoff said in his postgame interview with ESPN+. “I gathered them together and said, ‘you guys are going to make the decision whether we stay or not.’”
As the third quarter opened, the Hornets looked like a different group. They rallied as a unit, re-finding their identity to overcome their early struggles and hold Eastern Washington to single digits in the third quarter, outscoring the Eagles 20-9.
The Hornets slowly clawed their way back into the game. Senior forward Jaydia Martin, redshirt junior guard Benthe Versteeg and junior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh took over in the second half.
The trio combined for 29 points in the second half, with their experience in big games evident against a younger Eagles squad. The Hornets took their first lead since the opening of the game, as Versteeg nailed a runner with four minutes remaining in the third.
Sac State controlled the lead through the end of the third even as the fouls continued to stack against them. Eastern Washington wouldn’t go quietly though, keeping pace with Sac State the whole way and forcing a tie to close the period.
With three of his five starters in foul trouble, Kallhoff leaned on his bench early in the fourth. Redshirt sophomore Madison Butcher and freshman guard Rubi Gray answered the call, with the former knocking down a crucial midrange to break the 52-52 tie early in the quarter.
After Butcher’s bucket, both teams showed off their elite defenses, with neither side allowing a field goal for the next three minutes. The Hornets managed to avoid fouling by leaning into their defensive principles.
“It’s all about attention to detail,” Kallhoff said. “I needed us to stay locked in and focused on our identity and principles.”
Kallhoff has said that, besides senior forward Katie Peneueta and Jaiteh, they are not a shot-blocking group, so playing disciplined defense and drawing charges is essential to protect the rim. Two Hornets drew their first charges of the season in the game, with Jaiteh’s first coming in the momentum-shifting third quarter.
The Eagles had answers, turning two Hornet miscues into quick back-to-back scores and re-taking the lead, 62-61 with two minutes to play.
Martin willed herself into an open look on the next two Hornet possessions, fighting through intense contact to drill a fadeaway jumper in the paint. She did it again after EWU drilled a critical three,tying the game with only a minute remaining.
Martin scored a game-high 26 points and pulled in 10 rebounds, making a statement against her former team. EWU and Martin traded baskets again, battling against time with the game tied.
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Eastern Washington called a timeout, hoping to regroup and take advantage of the waning clock. The Eagles settled into their sideline out-of-bounds play but threw the ball away, right into the waiting hands of Versteeg.
Kallhoff called a timeout after Versteeg’s driving layup attempt careened off the iron and into the hands of Martin, and the Hornets had an opportunity to end what had turned into a chess match.
The Hornets inbounded the ball as the clock wound down. Versteeg calmly dribbled at the logo, surveying the defense and waiting for the perfect time to run Kallhoff’s play.
Martin feigned a screen and cleared out, leaving the whole right side of the floor for Versteeg to drive. Her quick first step caught the Eagle defense on their heels, as she gunned towards the dunker’s spot. She turned and flipped a floater up off of one leg, falling through the net.
STARCH. MADNESS. https://t.co/WXvpacVkZb pic.twitter.com/FkNyV3p8Fx
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) March 8, 2025
“I thought about running a post through Martin, but they didn’t expect a clearout for Versteeg,” Kallhoff said. “It’s a big-time shot from a big-time player.”
Eastern Washington immediately called a timeout, searching for one final play to keep their season alive.
Howard isolated, dribbled and spun off of a defending Martin to get an open look, but Peneueta had other plans.
Legendary players do legendary stuff.
Katie Peneueta with a CLUTCH block! https://t.co/YVEdKVZRG6 pic.twitter.com/izbK1RKcyB
— Jack (@JackDannKF) March 8, 2025
Leaping into the air, Peneueta swatted the ball away for her fourth block, icing the game for Sac State, 71-67, and securing a date with 2-seeded Northern Arizona tomorrow at 1:30 pm..
The Hornets caught fire at the right time, winning their third straight game after a dismal 2-7 February.
NAU, their next opponent, is a steep challenge. Led by junior guard Taylor Feldman and junior forward Sophie Glancey, both of whom average over 17 points a game, the Lumberjacks have the best offense in the Big Sky.
“They’ve got a great team with Glancey and Feldman, and we’ve had some battles with them,” Kallhoff said. “I’ve got to watch some film and figure them out.”
