HORNETS SECOND-HALF COMEBACK FALLS SHORT DESPITE COMBINATION EFFORT OF CHERRY AND SHEEHY

2/17/2007

Ogden, Utah - In search of its first win on the road this season, Sacramento State made a tremendous comeback in the second half against Weber State, but time ran out for the Hornets in a 79-75 loss to the Wildcats at the Dee Events Center on Saturday.

Weber State (16-11, 11-3) remains in second place of the Big Sky Conference standings, while Sacramento State (3-23, 1-11) remains in the ninth spot and on the outside of the postseason tournament.

For one of the few times this year, the Hornets' backcourt of all-conference guards Kim Sheehy and Stephanie Cherry each were able to contribute offensively.

For the second consecutive game, Cherry led the team in scoring with a game-high 20 points on a 7-of-15 shooting performance. The Suisun, Calif., native, who was playing in Ogden for the final time in her career, made her way to the free-throw line six times and converted five. Cherry also dished out a career-high tying seven assists and added two steals, in what could arguably be her best-played game of the season.

Sheehy added a season-high 18, knocking down two three-pointers and adding five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Also scoring in double figures was freshman Erika Edwards with 10, while sophomore forward Becca Reams added nine points and a team-leading seven rebounds.

Weber State's Sara Tuomi was a rebound short of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Chelsey Warburton added 15 points and four assists.

Three Sacramento State three-pointers in the first 10 minutes of the game had the Hornets trailing Weber State 23-17 with 9:48 remaining until the break. But a lapse by Sacramento State allowed the Wildcats to end the first half on a 24-14 run as the Hornets turned the ball over three times, and missed seven attempts as time ran out.

Senior Ashley Storms cut the Wildcats halftime lead to, 47-31, knocking down one of her two three-pointers, five seconds before the halftime buzzer sounded.

Sacramento State shot 43.1 percent in the game, and in the second half, outscored Weber State 44-32. In fact, the Hornets' 75 points was the most the team has scored this season.

The Wildcats maintained its double-digit lead until the 6:21 mark of the second half, when a Jourdan Willard basket cut Weber State's lead to 60-51.

For another two minutes, the Hornets could come no closer than nine, until Willard converted a layup to bring the Hornets within seven with 4:11 left in the game. While Weber State continued to score, Sacramento State continued it success offensively as well. Led by Cherry in the possessions following Willard's layup, the senior point guard assisted on a Reams' jumper, knocked down a three-pointer, converted two free throws and sank one last jumper.

With the defense focused on the hot hand and less than 30 seconds left on the clock, Sheehy drained her second trey of the game to bring the score to 75-72.

But the Wildcats hit all four of their free throws until the buzzer sounded to keep the game out of reach.

Next week Sacramento State returns to the Hornets Nest for the final time this season. The Hornets host Portland State at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, and on Saturday, will play Eastern Washington at 2:05 p.m. Cherry, Sheehy and Storms will be honored prior to the game in the annual Senior Day honors.

Notes: Weber State was 26-of-34 from the stripe compared to Sacramento State (11-of-15)...the Hornets knocked down eight three-pointers in the game, but were outrebounded 47-30...Cherry scored 40 points in two games this week, making a push to finish her career as one of the program's all-time top scorers; her 825 career points are just 15 shy of cracking the top 10...her 186 career assists are 16 short of cracking the all-time top 10...Cherry already ranks in two additional categories; her 97 career three-pointers rank fifth-all-time - she needs three more to jump to fourth place...in steals, Cherry's 159 rank fifth all-time and two will move her into fourth place, 10 more by the end of the year will move her ranking to third...Sheehy is also in top 10 contention...in career scoring, her 813 career points are 27 short of moving into the top 10...Sheehy's 165 career three-pointers rank second in program history - 11 more and Sheehy will own the title...she also needs eight more assists this season to reach the top 10 for single season assists.