Before the buzzer went off in pregame warmups, a familiar face stood in the tunnel separating the locker rooms and the Big Sky Conference’s biggest stage. 

Typically a very animated presence on the sideline, head coach Aaron Kallhoff stood still. With headphones in his ears, he stared at the top-seeded Idaho Vandals warming up. 

Disappearing into the tunnel, his team followed suit, preparing themselves for the biggest game they’ve played all year. 

Within those tunnel walls, Kallhoff saw the game for what it had potential to be; one last ride with two of his premier players. 

It would be those same tunnels that the Hornets would walk through after the final buzzer, with their heads hanging low after a 59-51 defeat on Tuesday. 

A somber tone filled the room as Kallhoff, redshirt senior guard Benthe Versteeg and senior forward Fatoumata Jaiteh took their seats for a postgame press conference. 

Both Versteeg and Jaiteh held on to one another the whole time, with Kallhoff’s eyes building up tears as he recalled the significance of having both seniors on the team. 

“It takes a lot of character and integrity by these young ladies during their time at Sacramento State,” Kallhoff said, stumbling over his words as emotions got the best of him. “It’s a lifelong relationship.” 

With red eyes showing traces of tears already shed, both Jaiteh and Versteeg faced the tenderness of the moment, reflecting on their time in Sacramento through their own lenses. 

“It’s awesome to play for Sac State,” Versteeg said, thinking about the past five years spent in the gold and green. “This was a special group.”

Jaiteh shared the same sentiment, reminiscing on her journey of falling in love with the game of basketball again. 

“When we banded together, that’s what made these games mean so much more,” Jaiteh said. “The connection was there. I think it meant that much more because we knew what we were capable of.” 

Versteeg spent her whole college basketball career with the Hornets, being the first player in program history to record a triple-double last season and ranks second in career assists with 614. 

Jaiteh, transferring from Northern Arizona two years ago, was an essential cog in the Hornets’ 2025-26 campaign. Her absence from an injury left an impact midway through the season until she eventually recovered. 

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The Vandals had the Hornets number all season, winning the series 3-0, utilizing their size and physicality to score at will in the paint. 

Contrary to past clashes, the Hornets’ defense kept the Vandals away from their bread and butter, leaving them hungry for points beyond the arc. 

The Hornets stayed in the Vandals’ rear view throughout the first half, closing it 25-30. 

The Hornets recalibrated, entering a 13-0 run with three consecutive threes by Jaiteh and junior guard Natalie Picton, swinging momentum back into their favor. 

“I think we did a better job of putting up more of a fight,” Jaiteh said. 

Entering the fourth, the heartbreak for the Hornets turned inevitable as the Vandals went 17-19 from the free throw line, relying on the bonus and their defense to maintain their ten-point lead. 

The defeat closed the chapter on another Hornets season, ending Kallhoff’s third year at the helm with a 15-18 overall record and 8-10 in the Big Sky Conference. 

With the Hornets moving to the Big West next season, the epilogue in Idaho serves as its last ride in Starch Madness. 

“You can’t replace what these players brought to this team. It’s bigger than basketball, these kids have been to my house, my kids love them and my family loves them,” Kallhoff said. “These two are going to be successful in whatever they do.”