WOMEN'S HOOPS HOSTS MONTANA, MONTANA STATE THIS WEEKEND AT THE NEST
2/8/2011
Sami Field-Polisso has made 150 3-pointers in her career and needs 27 to break the school record.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State women's basketball team will host Montana at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday and Montana State at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday at The Nest in a pair of Big Sky Conference games.
The Hornets enter the weekend with a 3-19 (0-9 Big Sky) record while the third-place Lady Grizz are 11-11 (6-3) and the first-place Bobcats are 14-9 (8-1).
For a full set of game notes, click the link above the photo.
MONTANA BREAKDOWN
Last Game: Sacramento State lost 78-35 on the road in their last game on Jan. 8.
All-Time Series: Montana leads, 28-1
This Year: Montana is tied for third place in the Big Sky with Portland State, each holding a 6-3 league record. The Lady Grizz feature the No. 2 scoring defense in the conference.
MONTANA STATE BREAKDOWN
Last Game: Sacramento State lost 106-55 on the road in their last game on Jan. 6.
All-Time Series: Montana State leads, 25-6
This Year: Montana State leads the Big Sky with an 8-1 conference record and have won two straight games. The Bobcats have the largest positive scoring margin in the league at +5.7.
THE HORNETS IN THE TOP 25
The Hornets entered the weekend ranked in the NCAA top-25 in two statistical categories. Sacramento State is No. 8 in 3-point field goals attempted per game (7.9) and No. 17 in assists per game (16.9).
THE BIG SKY’S BEST IN ONE BUILDING
In this weekend’s games at The Nest, the top four rebounders in the Big Sky Conference will be going head-to-head. Sacramento State’s Kylie Kuhns leads the league with 11.2 rebounds per game, while Montana State’s Sarah Balian is No. 2 at 9.2 rpg and Montana’s Katie Baker is third at 8.6 rpg. MSU’s Rachel Semansky comes in at No. 4 with 8.1 rpg. Great shooters will also be battling against one another, as Semansky leads the Big Sky in FG% at .557 while Kuhns is No. 3 in the league at .485. The league’s top-3 in blocked shots will all be on the floor on Thursday night as Balian, Natasha Togerson and Kuhns are 1-3 in the league in blocks.
KUHNS NO. 11 REBOUNDER IN NCAA
After leading the nation in rebounding for three consecutive weeks, from 11/28 through 12/12, sophomore Kylie Kuhns now ranks No. 11 in the NCAA with 11.2 rebounds per game. The current leader is VCU’s Courtney Hurt at 12.9 rpg. Kuhns was tied with Hurt at No. 1 during one of her three weeks atop the rebound rankings. Kuhns is also No. 1 in the Big Sky Conference in offensive (4.9) and No. 2 in defensive (6.3) rebounding. Kuhns has 457 career boards after posting 211 as a freshman.
CANNADY SETS CAREER-HIGH
Senior Jasmine Cannady set a new career best with 21 points at Idaho State on 1/27. She knocked down 9-of-20 shots from the floor, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range. She went 2-of-3 at the free throw line. Cannady also set a new career-high with 11 rebounds against Seattle U on 12/17.
KUHNS BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD
Kylie Kuhns snapped the single-game school record with 23 rebounds in a 106-88 victory over San Francisco (12/1). The previous single-game rebound record of 22 was held by Kellie Kuelper, which she set at home versus Saint Mary’s on Dec. 6, 1996. Her 23 boards also tied the Big Sky Conference record, previously set by Northern Arizona’s Michelle Kirby on Nov. 28, 1989. She is the only play in the Big Sky to grab more than 20 rebounds in a game this season.
KUHNS’ EIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Kylie Kuhns leads the Big Sky Conference with eight double-doubles this season. Montana’s Katie Baker has five for second. Kuhns opened up the 2010-11 season with double-doubles in three straight games against Pacific, Fresno State and Nevada. She then posted a double-double against Cal State Bakersfield before tallying 10+ points and 10+ boards in games at Oregon and at home versus San Francisco. Against USF she had a school-record 23 rebounds and 23 points for her first ever 20-20 game. She went seven games without a double-double after breaking the school record against USF before recording 15 points and 16 rebounds at home vs. Eastern Washington (1/13). Kuhns had her second double-double in conference play when she posted 20 points and 10 rebounds at Portland State (2/3).
TIKA MOVING UP THE CAREER LIST
Tika Koshiyama-Diaz is now third all-time in school history with 340 career assists. She sits 26 dimes behind Julie Watsell for second place and more than 100 behind Heather Baker in first place. She is second in the conference with 5.4 assists per game.
HORNETS ON THE BLOCKS
Sophomore center Natasha Torgerson is No. 2 in the Big Sky Conference with 33 total blocks and tied for first with 1.5 blocks per game. Kylie Kuhns is No. 3 with 28 total rejections, averaging 1.3 per game. Torgerson had a then single-game conference-best six rejections against Nevada (11/17) but bettered that with seven blocks against UC Davis (12/19). Torgerson had just four blocks all last season.
FIRST CAREER STARTS
Mallorie Franco made her first career-start in the season-opener at Pacific. The sophomore scored eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Natasha Torgerson replaced Emily Christensen in the lineup against Fresno State (11/14), making her first career start. In the game against the Bulldogs, Togerson sank her first career 3-point basket en route to five points and three rebounds. Freshman Sadie Clements made her first collegiate start against Nevada on (11/17), scoring 10 points. Se’nyce Parrish made her first career start on Jan. 8 against Montana.
KUHNS BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Kylie Kuhns earned her first ever Big Sky Player of the Week Award, the league announced on Monday, Dec. 6. Kuhns set a new school record with 23 rebounds in a Dec. 1 victory against San Francisco and was the No. 1 rebounder in the NCAA that week at 13.4 per game. She also helped the Hornets to a win at Santa Clara with 24 points and eight rebounds.
INJURY UPDATE
In the first game of her senior season at Pacific on Nov. 12, Emily Christensen injured her knee and has not been in the line-up since. She plans to redshirt this season and return for 2011-12.
SCORING RECORD SUCCUMBS
Sacramento State and Fresno State combined to score 213 (L, 120-93) on Nov. 14, setting a new program record for total points in a game. The previous was 211 points in the Hornets’ 111-110 OT win over San Jose State on Dec. 10, 1993.
SLIPPING PAST THE SHOTS RECORD
Prior to the season, the school record for field goals attempted in a single game was 89 vs. San Jose State, set last year. Sacramento State eclipsed it with 90 FGs vs. Idaho (11/27).
