Freshman Tamica Estrella

Sacramento State fell at home to Northern Arizona, 72-40, last week and has now lost 33-straight games dating back to last season. That marks the seventh-longest losing streak in NCAA Div. I history. The record for most consecutive losses is 58, set by Long Island (1986-89). In addition, the Hornets have been mathematically eliminated from making the Big Sky postseason tournament for the fifth-consecutive season.

Montana (17-7, 9-2 Big Sky) enters the week having lost two of its last four games on the heels of a seven-game winning streak. The Grizzlies defeated Idaho State, 74-61, and lost to Weber State in overtime, 76-65, at home last week. Montana defeated the Hornets, 79-56, earlier this season in Missoula. The Grizzlies, who were picked to finish first in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll, are 11-0 all-time against the Hornets.

Montana State (15-9, 9-2 Big Sky) has won each of its last four games, and six of the last seven. The Bobcats defeated both Weber State (68-62) and Idaho State (94-75) last week at home. MSU defeated Sacramento State, 82-47, earlier this season in Bozeman. Sacramento State is 2-10 all-time against Montana State, including a win during the 1999-00 season.

Head Coach Carolyn Jenkins

On May 30, 2000, Carolyn Jenkins became the fifth Sacramento State women’s basketball coach in the program’s 35-year history. Jenkins, now in her second season, owns a career 3-46 record. The Fresno, Calif., native came to the Hornets after serving four years (1996-2000) as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State. Prior to the that, the 32-year old Fresno Basketball Hall of Fame electee was an assistant at Stanford from 1991-95.

While at Michigan State, the 1990 graduate of UC Berkeley spearheaded a recruiting class that was ranked among the top-25 in the country on three occasions (1996-97 through 1998-99). During her stint at Stanford, the team reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament all four years including two Final Four appearances (1991-92 and 1994-95) and a national championship in 1991-92.

A Look at Last Week

Northern Arizona outscored the Hornets, 40-15, in the first half and four Lumberjacks scored in double figures on the way to a 72-40 victory over Sacramento State Saturday in Hornet Gym.

Northern Arizona, which shot 40.5 percent (30-74) from the field, was led by Lacey Tolbert’s 15 points while Lynsie Blau (12), Jen Snitker (11) and Constance Richard (11) also chipped in. Richard added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.

The Lumberjacks broke open an early 4-4 tie by going on a 14-0 run to lead, 18-4, with 13:35 remaining in the first half. Sacramento State would get no closer than nine points of the lead the rest of the way. NAU held the Hornets to 20.7 percent (6-29) shooting in the first half and 27.8 percent (15-54) for the game.

The Lumberjacks also outrebounded Sacramento State, 50-36, and forced the Hornets into 20 turnovers. In addition, Sacramento State went 0-of-10 from beyond the three-point line and recorded a season-low one steal. Sacramento State was led by Danielle Iceman’s game-high 18 points as the sophomore went 7-of-14 from the field. Freshman Kristine Knowlton finished with eight points and game highs in both rebounds (11) and blocked shots (three). Sophomore Sydney Gatson, who played all 40 minutes of the contest, finished with seven points and four rebounds.

Injuries Never Cease

After Sacramento State players missed a combined 66 games due to injury last season, the Hornets have had to deal with the same problem this year. So far this season, Hornet players have missed a combined 58 games due to injury or otherwise. Tola Tallman, who averaged 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds last season as a freshman, had to take a redshirt this year for medical reasons. Tallman had been penciled in as the team’s starting small forward. Junior guard Dolores Olivarez, who transferred from Sacramento City College, tore her ACL and meniscus in a scrimmage against Stanislaus State one week before the season started. Olivarez was slated to start alongside Sydney Gatson in the backcourt.

Gatson, who did not even practice with the team during the fall, has managed to miss just one game this season despite chronic back problems that forced her to redshirt last season. Sophomore forward Alyson Thurman, who was the team’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, suffered a lower back injury against Idaho State on Feb. 9 and will likely miss the rest of the season. Junior forward Crystal Conley has missed eight games this year, six with walking pneumonia and two with the flu. Senior guard Ciara Jenkins severely sprained her ankle three minutes into the Weber State game (Feb. 7) and has yet to return to the lineup. Jenkins, however, is expected back this weekend.

To top that off, junior forward Samantha Miller has been playing with a groin injury for the past two weeks and broke the tip of her right index finger in Saturday’s game against Northern Arizona. Miller is also expected to play this weekend. If you weren’t counting at home, the Hornets were forced to play with just seven healthy players against NAU, and are hoping Jenkins is healthy this weekend so they can suit up eight players.

Prior to the season, the team’s projected lineup was: Gatson and Olivarez at the guard positions, Kendra Yancey and Tallman at the forward slots, and Kristine Knowlton at center. Three of those five starters are not playing now as Yancey was suspended from the team after the Jan. 19 Northern Arizona game.

Syd Vicious

Sophomore point guard Sydney Gatson has been playing her best basketball of the season over the past six weeks. During her last 11 games, the Concord, Calif., native has scored in double figures eight times after doing so just once in the first 38 games of her career. She is averaging 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during that span while posting career highs in points (17 vs. Gonzaga), rebounds (nine at Montana) and assists (seven, twice against Montana and Eastern Washington).

She narrowly missed a triple-double (10 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) at Montana and recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and six steals at Idaho State on Feb. 9. Gatson, who missed the Northern Arizona game (Jan. 19) with a viral infection, has started all but one game in which she has played, and leads the team with 33.9 minutes per game. She has played all 40 minutes in two of the team’s last three contests.

Gatson redshirted last year with a back injury and sat out the entire offseason (including fall practices) with the same injury, leaving coaches and trainers uncertain if she would return. She hadn’t played in any organized game since March 4, 2000, before stepping back on the floor in the team’s season opener against Colorado State. Although Gatson is still battling the pain in her back on a constant basis, she is tied for second on the team in scoring (8.4 ppg) and first in assists (60).

First Half Woes

Sacramento State has struggled mightily in the first half of games this season. That was never more evident than last week’s game against Northern Arizona when the team was outscored, 40-15, in the first half and just 32-25 in the second half. The Hornets have yet to hold a halftime lead this season and are being outscored by an average of 18.1 points during the first half. Conversely, Sacramento State has been outscored by an average of 13.6 points in the second half.

Knowl on a Roll

Freshman Kristine Knowlton has been playing her best basketball of the season over the past month. The center has averaged 9.4 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots over the last seven games and scored a career-high 10 points at Idaho State. She posted career highs in both rebounds (14) and blocked shots (six) against Portland State on Feb. 1. Knowlton has now recorded double figures in rebounds in three of her last five games after not doing so the first 18 games of the season. The Cornelius, Ore., native has recorded at least three blocked shots nine times and currently averages 2.09 per game, tops in the Big Sky and 30th in the nation.

Tough Times

It’s no secret that the Hornets are in a rebuilding process and have struggled to find their form this season. The team has lost each of its 23 games and has dropped 33-straight dating back to last season. The 0-23 start and the losing streak are both program worsts as the Hornets have not won since defeating Portland State at home on Jan. 27, 2001. Sacramento State has lost by an average of 31.8 points per game and has yet to hold a halftime lead this season. The Hornets’ largest lead of the season (five points) came in the first half against Air Force. Besides a five-point loss to Army, the Hornets have been outscored by at least 11 points in every other contest.

The team has allowed three opponents to score over 100 points (Colorado State, Wyoming and Northern Arizona) after not allowing an opponent to reach the century mark in each of the previous six seasons. Sacramento State currently ranks last in the Big Sky in 11 categories including scoring offense (49.1 ppg), scoring defense (80.9 ppg), field goal percentage (.316), rebounding margin (-7.5) and turnover margin (-10.61).

The Hornets’ most glaring weaknesses have been their field goal percentage and turnovers. The team has converted on just 394 of its 1,248 field goal attempts. Sacramento State has shot above .400 on three occasions while recording more than 20 field goals on five occasions. Additionally, the team has turned the ball over 609 times, which breaks down to an average of 26.5 miscues per game. The Hornets committed 18 turnovers vs. Idaho State and 17 at Montana, marking the only times this year they had turned the ball over less than 20 times.

Fresh Faces

Unbelievably, the Hornets return zero players from last season’s roster as the 2001-02 team features a school-record 10 newcomers. Sydney Gatson, who redshirted last year, returns to the active roster after playing all 27 games during the 1999-00 campaign. Besides Gatson, no other player on this year’s active roster played on last season’s team.

Other Notables

Sophomore Danielle Iceman’s 18 points against NAU marked her team-best 13th time in double figures and 11th time leading the team in scoring...Sacramento State has missed 18-consecutive three-pointers over the last three games. The team missed its final opportunity against Weber State and went 0-for-7 at Idaho State and 0-for-10 vs. Northern Arizona...the Hornets are sixth in the conference in free throw percentage (.690).