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WOMEN'S HOOPS STUMBLES IN SEASON OPENER, 94-86, AT PACIFIC
11/12/2010
 STOCKTON, Calif. – The Sacramento State women’s basketball team cut a double-digit deficit to just five points with 1:33 left to play, but lost it’s season opener at Pacific on Friday night, 94-86, at the Tigers’ Alex G. Spanos Center.
Senior Tika Koshiyama-Diaz led the Hornets with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-10 from beyond the 3-point line. Sophomore Kylie Kuhns paced Sacramento State with a career-high 12 rebounds (six defensive, six offensive) and chipped in 14 points and a team-high three blocks.
Freshman center Danielle Peacon led the Tigers with both 33 points and 18 rebounds. Senior guard Jennifer Fath contributed 19 points. Peacon, a 6-foot-3 native of Sparks, Nev., entered the game averaging 15 points and 9.5 rebounds over the Tigers’ first two games.
Sacramento State shot 35.4-percent from the floor on 29-of-82 shooting, including 13-of-42 from 3-point range. The Hornets snagged 47 rebounds, committed 21 turnovers and had 21 assists on their 29 made baskets.
Pacific shot 48.2-percent overall on 40-of-83 shooting, with 2-of-18 coming from beyond the arc. The Tigers grabbed 60 rebounds, were pressured into 23 turnovers and had 26 assists on 40 made hoops.
Pacific jumped out to an early 13-point lead on a 15-2 run to start the game as the Hornets shot 1-of-9 from the field during that stretch.
But Sacramento State would rally to cut the Pacific lead to just three at 15-12 after putting together their own big run. The Hornets took their first lead of the game with just over nine minutes left in the first half when Kuhn’s fastbreak lay-up made it 20-19.
It was back-and-forth from there, as the teams traded baskets until halftime, when Pacific led, 43-36.
After the break, the Hornets cut the Pacific lead to five points at 54-49 with 13:41 left to play but the Tigers went on an 8-0 run over the next 1:35 to make it 62-49 with 12:06 remaining in the game.
Pacific continued to push ahead before the Hornets put together a run in the final minutes. After a Koshiyama-Diaz 3-pointer made it 84-79 with 1:33 left to play, Sacramento State began to foul to try and claw back into the game. But Pacific made good on it’s free throws, hitting 5-of-7 from the charity stripe down the stretch.
The Hornets will play their first home game of the 2010-11 season on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. against Fresno State in a double-header with the men’s basketball team. The men’s squad plays Cal State Bakersfield at 4:30 p.m.
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