WOMEN’S HOOPS CAN’T BREAK ROAD JINX IN LOSS AT NORTHERN ARIZONA

1/13/2007

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Sacramento State has yet to win a road game this season, and nothing changed on Saturday night during the Hornets’ 83-46 Big Sky Conference loss to Northern Arizona at Walkup Skydome.

Senior Ashley Storms scored a career-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while sophomore Becca Reams reached double figures for the second time this year adding 10 points, but it was not enough for Sacramento State  (3-14, 1-3) to overcome its 27-point halftime deficit.

Northern Arizona (10-7, 3-1) guard Sade Cunningham led four Lumberjacks in double figures. Cunningham produced 14 points and a game-high five assists to go along with three steals. Laura Dinkins and Kim Winkfield added 13 points apiece, while first team all-Big Sky forward Alyssa Wahl chipped in 11.

The game started with a flurry of buckets, as both teams combined for 12 points before two minutes ticked off the clock. It was then when the defending league champions staged a 12-4 run that enlarged their two-point lead to double-digits, 19-9, by the 11:12 mark. The Hornets were held scoreless for the next five minutes, turning the ball over seven times in that span and allowing the Lumberjacks’ lead to climb to 21.

For the game, Sacramento State committed 30 turnovers, leading to 29 points for Northern Arizona.

The Lumberjacks also shot 57.1 percent from the floor, while the Hornets shot just 36 percent. Storms and Reams combined to shoot 10-of-13 from the floor, but the rest of the team put together just an 8-of-38 performance.

Northern Arizona also outscored Sacramento State 46-20 in the paint and received 30 points from players off the bench, compared to 10 from the Hornet’s bench.

Sacramento State takes a break from conference competition next week, but will travel to Kansas on Wednesday for a game with the Jayhawks. It is the second meeting between the two programs in Division I history. The game is set for a 5:05 p.m. PST tip and can be watched on kuathletics.cstv.com. The team returns to conference action on Thursday, Jan. 25 at Portland State.