Schools from across Sacramento convened in Hornet Pavilion early Thursday morning, bringing the arena to life as they cheered the Hornets on.
A roaring crowd of 1,144 fans watched in delight as their home team put on a show.
“They are amazing,” redshirt senior guard Benthe Versteeg said. “It makes you more excited when you’re in the game and you hear that.”
The 20-point rout was nothing short of a thriller. The Nevada Wolf Pack quickly realized they had barked up the wrong tree, entering the Hornet Pavilion for an early morning beatdown.
The Hornets took advantage of a discombobulated Wolf Pack, who never held the lead throughout the contest.
Sacramento State displayed a smooth and synthesized level of teamwork, getting the ball to open teammates and utilizing open lanes for quick roads to the basket.
Embodying aggression and resilience on the court, Versteeg was awarded this game’s Iron Hornet.
Versteeg continuously sliced through the defense with her speed, stoking the fire that blazed within the Hornets’ offense.
“Really knowing what we want to accomplish in our offense will help us succeed,” Versteeg said. “I think it was an awesome game. Everybody worked really hard and I’m very proud of the team.”
The backcourt duo of Vertseeg and junior guard Natalie Picton worked in tandem throughout the game.
In the first minutes of the game, Versteeg launched a long inbound pass straight to Picton in the corner, splashing a three to land the first of the game.
Whether it was offense or defense, the Hornets brought the intensity.
Sac State choked out Nevada’s offense, allowing little breathing room when the Wolf Pack held the ball.
Junior forwards Keanna Salave’a and Elizabeth Abiara locked down the interior, using their size and strength to keep Nevada defenders out of the paint.
The guards followed suit, forcing Nevada to scramble outside the key.
In the second half, Nevada shrank the deficit to five, mostly through turnovers caused by a sense of urgency on defense. The urgency came with the use of a press defense they hadn’t used before.
This forced several shots taken out of desperation by the Hornets and several shot clock violations. Despite the momentum, Nevada increasingly built off their defense. Picton said her team set out to crush Nevada’s synergy.
“We locked in; our defense changed the momentum of the game,” Picton said. “Once we’re on that, our offense comes and flows.”
The Hornets were able to do just that. Several timeouts on both sides were enough time for the Hornets to hone in on maintaining the lead.
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Senior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh and Versteeg fought with grit in the paint, often drawing fouls that racked up points at the line, furthering the point deficit.
As a Hornet victory appeared to become a guarantee, head coach Aaron Kallhoff subbed in sophomore guard Rubi Gray. Moments later, Gray would drill a deep three, pushing the lead to 21.
The Hornets emptied their bench, holding the lead for the 65-45 victory.
“You should always have perfect effort with a perfect attitude,” Kallhoff said. “It’s great to get the win.”
On Thursday afternoon, Nevada head coach Amanda Levens said the loss had nothing to do with the Hornets’ performance.
“It has nothing to do with Sac State, but it’s a terrible loss,” Levens said. “The group that we have is not a group that should lose by 20 to anybody on our schedule.”
Sac State controlled the game early, winning in dominant fashion. On top of never letting go of their early lead, the Hornets forced 24 turnovers, more turnovers than Nevada had in made field goals (17).
Moreover, Sac State’s bench outscored Nevada’s bench 23-3, further showcasing the efficacy of players coming off the bench. Historically, Nevada has dominated the series, winning 14 straight games since 1995.
The Hornets will take a road trip down to the Bay Area, where they’ll face off against the California Golden Bears on Sunday at 7 p.m.
“We’ll be tested on Sunday because Cal plays out of transition,” Kallhoff said. “We need to look at film and see where we can get better, but I’m really confident in my players and staff.”
