WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS IN NON-CONFERENCE FINALE TO PORTLAND
12/30/2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento State women’s basketball team fell to the visiting Portland Pilots by a score of 74-61 on Sun., Dec. 30, at the Hornets Nest.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 2-10 on the season, while the Pilots improve to 10-5.
The homestanding Hornets were forced to play catch-up from the onset, as a 14-2 Portland run in the contests opening three and a half minutes of the contest gave the Pilots a lead they would never relinquish. The Pilots would find their biggest lead of the game at the 10:01 mark remaining in the first half, a 28-9 advantage, before Sacramento State would begin to claw back.
The Hornets outscored Portland 20-13 during the remaining 9:59 of the half to cut the deficit to 12 at intermission, 41-29. Keeping the Hornets alive in the half was the play of junior Becca Reams (Foresthill, Calif.), who tallied a season-high 10 points in the half, including 3-of-5 shooting from the field, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line.
The second half started with a Sacramento State rally, as they cut the deficit to seven points at 43-36, on a 7-2 half opening run. The Hornets would again cut the Pilot lead to seven at 45-38, but would get no closer in the contest, as Portland embarked on a 12-2 run that would eventually spell the doom of the Hornets. The nearest Sacramento State was able to pull within was a 10 point margin at 66-56 with 5:29 remaining, but were unable to get the Pilot lead back to single digits.
Reams finished the contest with a team leading 14 points, while sophomore Erika Edwards (Redmond, Wash.) contributed 11 points. Three Hornets tallied seven rebounds, as Reams, Edwards, and junior Atty Boyer (Sacramento, Calif.), who was held to eight points which marked just the third time all season she was held under double figures, each posting the team-leading mark.
Sophomore Charday Hunt (Oregon City, Ore.) finished just out of double figures with nine points and six rebounds, while freshman Jasmine Cannady (Sacramento, Calif.) added a career-high tying six points.
Portland had four players reach double-figures, with Rachel Warren and Laiken Dollente each posting a team-high 16 points. Warren posted her second straight double-double, and third of the season, grabbing a game-high 13 boards, including seven on the offensive end. Allyson Sievers (12) and Meagan Bermingham (10) closed out the Pilots who scored in double-figures, with both players knocking down 4-of-4 from the foul line, as Portland shot 90.9 percent from the charity stripe (20-of-22)
The Hornets continue the back end of a three-game homestand as they host Portland State and Eastern Washington to open up Big Sky Conference action. Sacramento State plays host to the Vikings on Thu., Jan. 3 at 7:05 p.m., before facing the Eagles on Sat., Jan. 5 at 2:05 p.m.
