WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POSTS 53-45 CAUSEWAY VICTORY OVER UC DAVIS

12/13/2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Junior Charday Hunt (Portland, Ore.) scored a game-high 19 points, leading the Sacramento State women's basketball team to a 53-45 victory over the UC Davis Aggies on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Hornets Nest.

With the win, Sacramento State improves to 2-6 on the season, while the Aggies fell to 4-3. The victory also pulled the Hornets within 2.5 points of the Aggies in the annual Causeway Cup. After the Aggies took a 32.5-0 lead to start the year, the Hornets have posted consecutive victories in football, men's basketball and women's basketball to pull the score to 32.5-30.0.

In a defensive battle that saw both teams shoot under 35 percent from the field, turnovers and free throw shooting proved to be the difference for the Hornets. Sacramento State forced six more turnovers (25-19) than the Aggies, and made eight more free throws than UC Davis in the victory.

"Our players needed a win in the worst way after playing so many close games recently," head coach Dan Muscatell said, referring to the Hornets last four losses which were by a combined 12 points. "It was extra sweet for them that it came against UC Davis."

The Hornets had a 27-19 halftime lead, but saw the lead turn into a deficit at 41-40 with 3:29 left to play in regulation. Sacramento State went on a 9-0 run over the next 2:42 to put the game out of reach, scoring on four of five straight possessions. Junior Erika Edwards (Redmond, Wash.) scored on a putback layup to give the Hornets back the lead at 42-41, and senior Atty Boyer (Sacramento, Calif.) scored on a layup the next time down the floor to extend the lead to three. Hunt then hit the games biggest basket, a corner three-pointer as the shot clock expired with 1:07 to play, which was followed by a pair of free throws by sophomore Tika Koshiyama-Diaz (San Jose, Calif.) to seal the victory.

"To defend that Princeton offense, force 25 turnovers and hold them to 45 points was a great effort by our players defensively," head coach Dan Muscatell said.

Hunt finished the game 4-of-13 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the three-point, but converted 8-of-10 from the charity stripe on her way to 19 points. Boyer was held to eight points, her lowest total of the season, but she added 10 rebounds, while Koshiyama-Diaz scored seven points, included a perfect 4-of-4 performance from the foul line. The Hornets guards who ran the point, sophomore Sami Field-Polisso (Mountain View, Calif.) and Koshiyama-Diaz, combined for six assists and just one turnover. Edwards added a game-high 12 rebounds, which marked her fifth double-digit rebounding performance of the season.

UC Davis was led by Haylee Donaghe, who scored 16 points, while Lauren Juric scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and added six steals. The Hornets held the Aggies leading scorer on the season, Paige Mintun, to her lowest output of the season with just six points. The Aggies outshot the Hornets from the field, making 17-of-52 from the field (32.7 percent), but made just 3-of-13 three-pointers and 8-of-13 free throws. The Hornets were 15-49 from the field (30.6 percent), while making 7-of-25 from beyond the three-point arc and 16-of-24 from the foul line.

Sacramento State returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 14 as they host the San Francisco Dons in the midst of a rare college basketball non-tournament back-to-back weekend. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. from the Hornets Nest.