The Hornets steamrolled the Elks Tuesday evening, scorching them in a historic 124-39 victory to open up the inaugural season of hoops in the Hornet Pavilion.
Stanton held their first and only lead, scoring one free throw to open the game in the first 30 seconds. Sac State guaranteed that this early lead would be the only one their visitor would have.
Including the first, the Hornets doubled the Elks’ total score in three of the four quarters, controlling the game from the jump.
Sac State throttled Stanton’s offense at the point of attack, recording a staggering 26 team steals and scoring 51% of their 124 points off turnovers.
The Hornets suffocated the Elks’ offense, swarming the ball handlers and displaying defensive plasticity. Their ability to apply pressure anywhere on the court led to a staggering 26 team steals that resulted in 51% of their 124 points off turnovers.
“I felt like we had a bunch of people that played really unselfish basketball,” head coach Aaron Kallhoff said. “It helps when you have a backcourt like Picton and Benthe that can bring the defense and push the pace.”
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Both senior guard Natalie Picton and redshirt senior guard Benthe Versteeg could make a case for this game’s Iron Hornet. Kallhoff announced before the season that the Iron Hornet, a WWE-style belt, will be awarded to the player “that embodies toughness on both ends of the court.”
The defense was spearheaded by the backcourt duo, who project to be among the stronger backcourts in the Big Sky. Versteeg got involved on both sides, manipulating Stanton’s offense with seven steals. Likewise, Picton scored 18 points and contributed to the blowout with five steals.
“I’m playing my game,” Picton said. “Coach ‘AK’ puts confidence into every single player on the court. We’re doing it all for him.”
Ultimately, the game’s Iron Hornet was granted to sophomore center Ajong Lual. The center towered over the defense, using her 6’5” frame and physicality to generate easy looks. Lual contributed 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Our Iron Hornet of the Game! ️ AJ IS THAT DAWG!!! #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/5qwjqjQd5x
— Sac State WBB (@SacStateWBB) November 4, 2025
Kallhoff utilized the depth that he acquired in the offseason to bolster the bench’s performance. Sophomore forward Brooklyn Taylor led the team in points, with 19 off the bench. She played a crucial role in the defense as well, getting vertical to contest shots and leading the team in blocks.
Despite a dominant performance on offense, Taylor said she’s staying defensively minded.
“Points are going to come,” Taylor said. “Playing defense is something that my coaches and I focus on, so I make sure my defense will lead to my offense.”
The Hornets closed the game with a margin of victory of 85 points, cementing the record-breaking win as the first in Hornet Pavilion history.
Freshman guard Jaety Mandaquit made her Hornet debut for the second time this year after beginning the year on Sac State’s women’s soccer roster. She joins an exclusive club, becoming the third dual-sport athlete to compete in women’s basketball for Sac State. Mandaquit played 10 minutes, scoring two points and snagging three rebounds.
Sac State will stay home to face the Nevada Wolfpack on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 11 a.m.
“They have good guard play. They have bigs that match up with our size a little bit,” Kallhoff said. “In order for us to take a step forward as a program and get where we want to go, we have to win games like the one on Thursday.”
