The Hornets improved to 4-6 on the season after holding NMSU (4-7) to 15 second-half points. Down 24-19 at the half, Sacramento State responded quickly in the second half with three three-point plays in the first five minutes. Junior forward Katelyn Ciampi started things off by sinking a lay-up and then connecting on the free throw after the foul.

Junior guard Cindy Alldrin and sophomore guard Kim Sheehy then nailed two-straight three-pointers with both assists coming from junior forward Ashley Cadotte, giving Sacramento State a 28-26 lead with 16:21 left on the clock.

For the second time this season, Alldrin led the team in scoring with a game-high 13 points in her best performance from behind the arc this season going 3-of-4. The Vancouver, Wash., native also added six rebounds (three offensive), and five assists.

Also in double figures was Sheehy, who nailed three three-pointers and and contributed three rebounds and two assists.

The Aggies’ 39-point output was the third time this season the team had fallen below the 40-point mark. The Hornets forced NMSU into 17 turnovers, creating 11 steals. Six of those steals belonged to senior guard Tyeisha Brown, a new career high. The Vallejo, Calif., native came up with five steals in the second half including one that resulted in breakaway and jumper for Brown, pushing the Hornets’ lead to 40-34 with 6:10 left in the game.

In the final six minutes of the game, the Aggies missed 12 of their final 15 shots, while the Hornets managed the clock, but only went 3-of-8 from the charity stripe.

NMSU outrebounded the Sacramento State 42-37, including bringing down 15 second-chance attempts, but their rebounds were all for not, managing to shoot just 24.1 percent from the field in the second half and 28.8 percent for the game.

Sherell Neal led the Aggies with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds (seven offensive), while for the sixth time this season, Cadotte led Sacramento State in rebounding with nine. The Oregon City, Ore., native also added six points, two assists and one block.

Ciampi was limited to three points and three rebounds, but in the last eight minutes of the game recorded two blocks on consecutive Aggie possessions and added her second steal with less than four minutes remaining.

Sacramento State is now 3-2 at the Hornets Nest and for the fourth time this season, came back from a halftime deficit to get the win.

Sophomore guard Stephanie Cherry played considerable minutes down the stretch. In a nine-minute second half, the Fairfield HS graduate contributed across the scoreboard with two assists on Alldrin three-pointers, one steal, one made three-pointer one rebound and zero turnovers.

Sacramento State travels to Gonzaga for a game with the Bulldogs on Monday, Jan. 3, before returning to the Hornets Nest on Saturday, Jan. 8 for a 2:05 p.m. game against Wyoming.

Notes: The Hornets’ four wins are the most for the program since the 1999-00 season...The squad is also off to its best start (five wins in 10 games) since the 1995-96 season... It was the first this season Sacramento State has held a team under 40 points...the third time this season the Hornets have not broken the 50+ point mark.