Riding a breakthrough win against Weber State, the Hornets hosted Portland State for their third Big Sky Conference matchup in the Hornet Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 10.
Aiming to start the game strong, the Hornets packed the first punch, suffocating the Vikings’ attempts at the rim.
Sophomore center Ajong Lual got the nod to start, her first for the Hornets. Lual made her presence known, accumulating four rebounds, all on the offensive glass.
Junior forward Elizabeth Abiara also crashed the boards, tallying 12 rebounds with five on the offensive side.
While Lual and Abiara extended plays in the paint, junior guard Natalie Picton launched air strikes beyond the arc.
Picton and sophomore guard Rubi Gray led the team in scoring, taking open mid-range shots that helped the Hornets build a six point lead entering halftime.
As the final seconds melted from the second quarter, Picton released a mid-range shot as the clock ticked to zero. Silence fell on the crowd only to be interrupted by the buzzer.
As the ball sank through the net, the only thing louder than the horn of the scoreboard was the roars from the crowd, filling the Hornet Pavilion with ecstasy.
“I got into my pull-up game more,” Picton said. “When I’m watching film, I watch the other team but I also watch myself. When I watch myself I learn more.”
Picton attributes the win to her team’s unity, saying it couldn’t have been done without the team flowing on both sides of the ball.
“We had to stay together. We’re gonna win it on defense first and then lead into our offense,” Picton said. “Staying together is our main thing.”
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With the sun beaming through the windows near the locker room, head coach Aaron Kallhoff highlighted his team’s grit.
“I’m feeling good because we just find a way,” Kallhoff said. “Jaety Mandaquit does not turn the ball over.”
Freshman guard Jaety Mandaquit, who started her second game of her collegiate basketball career, was not only a key contributor to the win but someone Kallhoff mentioned frequently as a difference maker.
Scoring a career-high 10 points, Mandaquit hit back-to-back threes, critical to carry momentum for the Hornets.
“I knew I had to shoot it when I’m open and shoot it with confidence,” Mandaquit said.
Kallhoff expressed appreciation for Mandaquit’s contributions, saying her attitude encourages him as a leader.
“You’re talking about a kid who just makes winning plays,” Kallhoff said. “Her GPA is almost a 4.0 and that’s the kind of character that I love to have and play for me for the next four years.”
With the win at home, the Hornets advance to 8-8 (2-1 in the Big Sky) and travel to the woodlands of Flagstaff, Arizona to face Northern Arizona University on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 5 p.m.
“We’re just going to keep trying to build it here,” Kallhoff said.
