"We had some serious jitters for a young team in a season opener, and that is to be expected," head coach Dan Muscatell said. "It is going to be a season of growth, and with that sometimes comes the pains of growing, but in the end we came out on the right side of the score."

Cherry led the Hornets with 12 points and five steals, while Sheehy added 10 points and knocked down two three-pointers in the second half. But with the two senior guards contributing on the offensive end, it was freshman guard Kelli Davis who added the extra spark that helped Sacramento State overcome a second-half deficit.

Trailing 34-27 with 10:28 remaining, Davis and Sheehy combined to convert on four consecutive possessions. Davis''layup started the Hornets 13-6 run, followed by Sheehy''s jumper. Davis then drained back-to-back three-pointers to cut the Bethany lead to 40-37 with 7:57 remaining. Freshman forward Erika Edwards added her first collegiate trey at the 6:01 to complete the run and even the score at 40-40 with 6:01 remaining.

Sacramento State continued to build its lead with a jumper from Ashley Storms and two long-distance buckets from Sheehy in the game''s final two minutes.

Davis finished her night with eight points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in her collegiate debut.

Sophomore forward Becca Reams added eight points, five rebounds and two steals.

"In the first half we had good contributions from Ashley Garcia and Kelly Hughes," Muscatell said. "I thought Kelli Davis and Erika Edwards stepped up nicely in the second half and did lots of things well for us."

Bethany was led by Vanessa Irving, who pounded in 14 points in the post, while adding six rebounds and four assists. Kristina Gates recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Stephanie Ruiz also scored in double figures for the Bruins, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor for her 12 points.

The first half started slow with both teams struggling to find their offensive rhythm. Bethany had an 8-2 edge at the 15:15 mark, but a 7-0 Sacramento State run gave the Hornets their second lead of the game at 12:32.

"For the most part the game was what I expected," Muscatell said. "Bethany came out in a two-three zone and in our offense, some of our decision makers are our youngest players on the floor. They struggled early on with their decision making."

Bethany would mount a five-point lead at the 7:36 mark, but the Hornets were able to take the lead for good in the first half, 18-17, after a pair of Cherry free throws. Free throws from Atty Boyer and buckets from Cherry and Reams gave Sacramento State a 24-19 advantage at the break.

Sacramento State shot just 28.8 percent from the floor and committed half of their 22 turnovers in the first 11 minutes of the game. Bethany shot 44.2 percent, but was forced into to 34 turnovers, allowing Sacramento State''s defense to account for 18 steals. The Hornets were a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, while the Bruins were just 9-of-19. Bethany also held a 42-35 rebounding advantage.

Sacramento State now plays six consecutive games on the road before returning to the Nest. The Hornets begin their road trip at Gonzaga on Thursday, Nov. 16 and travel to Washington State the following night. The team will end its trip north at Idaho on Sunday. The team will play its second home game of the season on Friday, Dec. 8, hosting Nevada at 7:05 p.m.