A Look Back
Sheehy led the Hornets with 15 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor, knocking down three three-pointers in the win over the Eagles. The Santa Fe, N.M., native also added a career-high seven rebounds. Also scoring in double figures was Alldrin with 13 points and junior forward Lindsey Heard with 10. Senior Kristine Knowlton, playing in her last game at the Hornets Nest, blocked a season-best five shots and also brought down seven rebounds. Sacramento State erased an 25-23 halftime deficit by shooting 42.9 percent from the floor in the second period. The Hornets took their first lead in the second half on a layup from Alldrin with 15:12 to go. A layup from junior forward Ashley Cadotte gave the Hornets a 36-33 lead with 13:55 to go, sparking a 17-4 run that extended the team’s lead to 53-37 lead with five minutes remaining. Heard sank three three-pointers during that run.
THE SERIES
Northern Arizona bested Sacramento State in both of the teams'' Big Sky meetings this season. In Flagstaff, Ariz., Kim Winkfield, Megan Rice and Wahl all scored in double figures as the Lumberjacks pulled out a 55-49 win. The Hornets, who were led by Alldrin and Heard, had a 23-15 advantage at halftime but allowed NAU to score 40 second-half points as the the Lumberjacks shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
At the Hornets Nest, it was NAU''s Nicky Eason, Natalie Metz and Wahl, who finished in double figures en route to a 60-50 win on Feb. 26. Cadotte was just short of a double-double, leading Sacramento State with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Hornets were down by just three at the break, but another second half of lights-out shooting led to the Lumberjacks 2-0 sweep. In the second half, NAU shot 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from behind the arc and 52.5 percent from the floor. Alldrin also added 11 points in that game, while the Lumberjacks used a seven-player rotation.
Record Breakers
Sacramento State''s eight wins are the most since the 1995-96 season...the team''s eight wins over Division I teams are the most since the 1995-96 season... the Hornets'' four Big Sky wins are the most since the 1999-00 season...the team''s three road wins are the most since the 1993-94 season...the Hornets'' five home wins are the most since the 1999-00 season...the team''s two Big Sky home wins are the most for the program since the 1999-00 season...the Hornets'' two Big Sky road wins are the most in program history...when Sacramento State defeated Montana State, on Jan. 20, it was their first Big Sky win at the Nest since the 2000-01 ...Sacramento State also swept Eastern Washington this season, it was only the second time the Hornets swept a team since joining the Big Sky Conference...Brown, who has a team-high 59 steals, is now tied for eighth in program history for steals in a single season...Sheehy has sunk 53 three-pointers this season, placing her second in program history for three-pointers made in a single season.
Defense, Defense, Defense
Sacramento State''s aggressive defense is paying off in a big way. The Hornets are averaging a Big Sky-leading 10.56 steals per game. The squad''s ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end of the floor extends to the entire team, with five players averaging at least 1.1 steals per game, led by Brown''s 2.5. The Vallejo, Calif., native has tallied a team-high 59 steals this season, ranking her second in the Big Sky.
Clackamas Contingent
Alldrin and Cadotte teamed together last season at Clackamas CC, winning the NWACC championship. Cadotte, one of only two players to start every game this season, is pulling down a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game. She also has three 10+ rebounding games with two double-doubles. Alldrin leads the team in assists with 2.2 per game while averaging 8.9 points.
Back on Track
With Brown sitting out the last three games, Cherry and Sheehy have been seeing the majority of the time in the backcourt. Sheehy leads the team with 53 three-pointers and, in Big Sky play, is second in the conference with 33 three-pointers. Sheehy has stepped up her play in conference games, averaging 10.1 points per game. Prior to Big Sky play, Sheehy was averaging 7.3 points per game.
Cherry is averaging 7.2 points per game and has shown ability on the defensive end of the floor. In Big Sky games, the Suisun, Calif., native is third in the conference with 30 steals (2.14 per game). Cherry has led the team in scoring five times this year and has also improved her scoring average from 6.2 points to 8.1 points per game in Big Sky play.
Under the Rim
Junior forward Katelyn Ciampi has tallied 24 steals this season and has scored in double figures eighth times. The Martinez, Calif., native has now set or matched single-game career highs in minutes (39), rebounds (13), free throws attempted (9), assists (4), steals (4), blocks (3) and three-pointers made (1).
Knowlton, the only four-year student-athlete on the team, scored a season-high eight points against Idaho State on Feb. 12. Knowlton, who ranks first in Sacramento State Div. I program history with 155 career blocks, had a season-high five in the team''s win over Eastern Washington.
Heard, a Kodak All-American at Umpqua CC last season, has come off the bench in all 27 games this season and is currently averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The Roseburg, Ore., native has also led the team in scoring four times this season and led the team in rebounding five times. Heard was key in the Hornets'' win over the Eagles, knocking down three three-pointers in a 17-4 run by Sacramento State.
Free Throw Woes
The Hornets have yet to get on track with their free-throw shooting this season, averaging 62.6 percent from the charity stripe, ranking them last in the Big Sky.
Head Coach Dan Muscatell
Dan Muscatell became the sixth Sacramento State women''s basketball head coach in the program''s 38-year history last season, after spending four seasons as an assistant at Oregon (1999-03). He earned his first win with the Hornets on Jan. 14, 2004, with a 56-50 win at Portland State. On March, 5, 2005 he coached the Hornets toa 57-41 win over Eastern Washington marking the first time since the 1996-97 season that the team has made the playoffs.
Last season Muscatell''s squad finished third in the Big Sky conference, averaging 8.67 steals per game. Sacramento State also finished fourth in conference with 3.44 blocked shots per game.
While at Oregon, Muscatell was involved in all aspects of the program, including the coordination of recruiting efforts and the coaching of offense and defense. He also worked with both the perimeter and post players.
While at Oregon, the Everett, Wash., native was responsible for bringing in one of the nation''s top recruiting classes in 2001, a six-member class that was ranked 17th in the nation by All-Star Girls Report. Muscatell also coached or recruited current and former WNBA players Edneisha Curry, Jenny Mowe, Angelina Wolvert and Shaquala Williams.
During his four years at Oregon, the Ducks were ranked in the top 25 during three of those seasons, including two top-10 finishes in 2000 and 2001. The program also combined to post a record of 74-49 while capturing two NCAA Tournament berths (2000 and 2001), a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title (2002) and a Pac-10 crown (2000).
