WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE WITH LOSS AT IDAHO STATE
3/3/2007
POCATELLO, Idaho -- Natalie Doma (24), Andrea Lightfoot (23) and Jeni Boesel (20) combined for 67 of Idaho State’s 93 points on the way to a 93-73 victory over Sacramento State in a Big Sky Conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Reed Gym.
With the loss, Sacramento State’s season came to a close with a 3-27 overall record and a 1-15 mark in the Big Sky. A rebuilding year for Sacramento State, the Hornets’ roster featured nine underclassmen, including five freshmen.
With the victory, Idaho State concluded the regular season with a 15-13 overall record and an 11-5 mark in the Big Sky. The Bengals also clinched the No. 2 seed in the Big Sky Tournament and will receive a bye in the first round of next week’s postseason event. Sacramento State did not make the tournament field as the top six teams in the nine-member Big Sky advance.
Playing in the final game of her Sacramento State career, senior shooting guard Kim Sheehy broke into the Hornet record book. The Santa Fe, N.M., native knocked down two more three-pointers, and her career total of 176 three-pointers is the new program record, surpassing the previous mark of 175 (set by Michelle St. Clair). In addition, Sheehy’s career total of 876 points is the 10th best mark in school history.
Idaho State never trailed during today’s game, shooting 45.2 percent (33-73) from the field and burying 10 of the team’s 30 three-point attempts. In addition, the Bengals outrebounded Sacramento State, 45-28, resulting in 21 second-chance points for Idaho State. The Hornets shot a season-high 47.5 percent (28-59) from the field, but could not overcome the rebounding deficiency. Idaho State had four more three-pointers (10-6) and made six more free throws (17-11) than the Hornets, and that proved to be the difference in the game. Both teams combined for just 18 turnovers - 11 for the Hornets, seven for the Bengals.
After a jumper from the Hornets’ Kelli Davis cut Idaho State’s lead to one point (34-33) with 3:23 remaining in the first half, the Bengals closed the half on an 11-1 run to go into the break with a 45-34 lead. The Bengals pushed their lead to 58-39 during the opening five minutes of the second half, and led by at least 14 points the rest of the way.
Sacramento State had three players score in double figures, comprised of Becca Reams (17 points), Sheehy (15 points, team-best six rebounds) and Kelly Vega (10 points, five rebounds, two assists). Reams’ 17 points were three shy of her career high as the sophomore forward shot 7-of-14 from the field. Davis added seven points on 2-of-2 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
Playing in the final game of their Hornet careers, senior Ashley Storms finished with eight points, four assists and three rebounds, and Stephanie Cherry had six points, three assists and two rebounds. Cherry finished her career with 867 points, which ranks as the 11th best mark in program history, nine points behind Sheehy.
Sheehy finished the year as the team’s leading scorer (11.6 points per game) while sophomore Atty Boyer posted a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game.
The Hornets lose seniors Sheehy, Cherry and Storms, but the team is expecting to improve with what could be the best recruiting class in head coach Dan Muscatell’s tenure (2003-pres.). In fact, the 2007-08 recruiting class in the largest during the Muscatell era. The incoming group includes current high school seniors Emily Christensen and Jasmine Cannady, both local players out of Oak Ridge and Sheldon High Schools, respectively. In addition, Sami Field-Polisso of Pinewood High School in Los Altos Hills, Calif., Brianna Goss of Etiwanda High School, Charday Hunt, currently a sophomore at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, and Nikita Gordon of Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, will also enter their first years in the Green and Gold.
