Freshman Sarah Craig |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State shot 31.4 percent (16-51) from the field and committed 28 turnovers as Cal Poly defeated the Hornets, 60-49, in a non-conference women’s basketball contest Monday evening in Hornet Gym.The game marked the Hornets’ home opener as the team dropped to 0-3 with the loss. Cal Poly, which outrebounded Sacramento State, 49-36, improved to 2-2.
With Cal Poly leading, 8-7, at the 16:10 mark of the first half, the Mustangs went on a 12-2 run over the next seven minutes to secure a 19-10 lead. Cal Poly pushed its lead to 14 points on a lay-up by Lacy Tanneberg and led at halftime, 38-24. Sacramento State freshman Sarah Craig scored 10 of the Hornets’ 24 points in the first half on 4-of-6 shooting.
The Mustangs led by as many as 18 points in the second half (42-24) as the Hornets could get no closer than within eight points of Cal Poly’S lead the rest of the contest. The Mustangs shot just 36.5 percent from the floor (23-63), but converted on seven more field goals than the Hornets and had numerous second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds.
Cal Poly was led by Michelle Henke’s 15 points while Heather Journey added eight points and seven rebounds, and Kari Duperron finished with a team-high eight rebounds. The Mustangs used a total of 12 players in the game while the Hornets used just seven players.
Sacramento State was led in scoring for the second-consecutive game by Craig who finished with a game-high 18 points (7-of-14 shooting). Craig also finished with four rebounds and a game-high four steals. Junior Dolores Olivarez dropped in 13 points while converting on 7-of-10 shots from the free throw line. Junior Danielle Iceman led the team with nine rebounds. The Hornets’ backcourt of Olivarez (37) and junior Diane Peterson (38) combined to play 75 minutes.
Through two games, Craig is averaging 19.0 points and is shooting 58.6 percent (17-29) from the field. No other Hornets is shooting above 28.5 percent from the floor this season.
Sacramento State outscored Cal Poly in the second half, 25-22, but could not overcome the halftime deficit.
The Hornets finish out their three-game homestand against San Diego (Friday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.) and Nevada (Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m.). Both games take place in Hornet Gym on the Sacramento State campus.
