BOYER'S CAREER-HIGH TYING 26 POINTS LEADS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TO 68-57 VICTORY OVER WEBER STATE

1/22/2009

OGDEN, Utah - Senior Atty Boyer (Sacramento, Calif.) scored a career-high tying 26 points, while junior Charday Hunt (Portland, Ore.) added 19 points as the Sacramento State Hornets defeated the Weber State Wildcats, 68-57, on Thursday, Jan. 22 at Dee Events Center.

With the victory, the Hornets improve to 4-15 overall, 2-4 inside of Big Sky Conference play, while the Wildcats fall to 5-13, 0-6 in the Big Sky. The victory was just the second for the Hornets in the 25 game-series between the two schools, which dates back to the 1996-97 season, and the first for the team on Weber State's home floor.

After the two teams traded the lead in the games opening minutes, Weber State would take a 14-12 lead with 12:45 to go that they would not relinquish in the first half of play. The Wildcats took as big as a six point lead in the half, and took a 35-31 advantage into the locker room.

The Wildcats extended the halftime lead at 40-35 with 15:18 remaining before Sacramento State went on a 12-1 run over the next 7:05 to take a 47-41 advantage with 8:15 left to play. Weber State cut the Hornet lead to two points at 52-50 remaining before Sacramento State went on a 9-1 run that was started on a made three-pointer by sophomore Sami Field-Polisso (Mountain View, Calif.), her only field goal of the game.

The Hornets sealed the game from the line, shooting 13-of-14 (92.9 percent) from the foul stripe in the second half, and 20-of-22 (90.9 percent) for the game. Defense fueled the second half charge, as the Hornets held the Wildcats to 5-of-32 shooting (15.6 percent), with Weber State going 2-of-18 (11.1 percent) from inside of the three-point arc.

Boyer's career-tying effort came on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, and a perfect 4-of-4 performance from the foul line. She added nine rebounds and turned the ball over just once in 33 minutes of play. Hunt, the team's leading scorer on the season, struggled from the field, shooting just 4-of-13, but she converted 11-of-12 foul shots on her way to 19 points. Hunt also added a career-high nine rebounds in her 37 minutes of action. Junior Erika Edwards (Redmond, Wash.) also found double-figures, posting her fourth double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Edwards now has reached the 10 or more rebound mark in a Big Sky high nine games. Sophomore Tika Koshiyama-Diaz (San Jose, Calif.) scored nine points off the bench, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line.

A team that normally relies on the three-pointer, averaging a Big Sky best 8.4 threes per game inside of conference play, the Hornets were held to just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) shooting from beyond the three-point arc. They did, however, convert 48.8 percent of their two-point field goals (21-of-43) on there way to a 42.6 percent shooting performance from the field.

Weber State was led by Ali Thorderson's 16 points, while point guard Tonya Schnibbe, the Big Sky's leader in assists, scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and totalled five assists.

The Hornets next travel to Pocatello, Idaho to take on the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tipoff from Reed Gymnasium is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. Pacific Time.