FURIOUS SECOND HALF COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH AS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS TO FRESNO STATE

11/23/2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Trailing by 18 points with 7:12 remaining, the Sacramento State women's basketball team went on a 16-3 run over the next six minutes to pull to within five, but fell to the Fresno State Bulldogs, 74-68, on Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Hornets Nest.

With the loss, the Hornets fall to 1-3 on the young season, while the Bulldogs, the defending champions of the Western Athletic Conference, improve to 3-0.

Fresno State scorched the nets for nine three-pointers in the first half, taking their largest lead of the first half of 18 points at intermission, with the score 41-23.

The second half was a different story, as the Hornets held the Bulldogs to just 1-for-11 shooting from the beyond the arc, while mounting a large comeback. After trailing by as many as 22 points, the Hornets late surge narrowed the Fresno State lead to just five at 69-64 with 1:12 remaining in the game, and four points with 10 seconds remaining, but Sacramento State could pull no closer. For the half, the Hornets shot a season best 17-for-31 (54.8 percent) from the field, leading to a season-high 45.8 percent field goal percentage for the contest (27-for-59). The Hornets went 10-for-23 from beyond the three-point arc for the game, shooting 7-for-15 in the second half.

"We found a rhythm offensively early in the second half, and then our defensive rotations picked up to where we getting scores on offense and stops on defense every trip," head coach Dan Muscatell said. "There are no moral victories, however, this team showed toughness, fight, and grit late in the second half for the third time in four games."

Hornet junior Charday Hunt (Portland, Ore.) led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, shooting a career best 10-for-16 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the three-point arc. Hunt also posted career-highs in assists (5) and blocked shots (2). Her previous career-high of 19 points came also came against the Bulldogs a season ago, on Dec, 21, 2007, in a Fresno State victory.

Senior Atty Boyer (Sacramento, Calif.) posted her eighth career double-double, and first of the 2008-09 season, scoring 12 points while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior Erika Edwards (Redmond, Wash.) continued her hot shooting from beyond the three-point arc, going 3-for-5 in route to 11 points, while also grabbing eight rebounds.

The Bulldogs were led by Jalessa Ross' 19 points, while Bailey Amundsen (12) and Taja Edwards (11) also posted double-figures.

Sacramento State made three more field-goals than the Bulldogs, but Fresno State (16-for-28) made 12 more free throws than the Hornets (4-for-5).

The Hornets return to action on Friday, Nov. 28 as they travel to San Jose State. Tipoff against the Spartans is set for 7:05 p.m.