Junior Diane Peterson |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Laura Ingham led all players with 21 points, including 11 free throws in the final minute, to lead Nevada to a 65-54 victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference women’s basketball game Sunday afternoon in Hornet Gym.The Wolf Pack, who shot 45.3 percent (24-53) from the field and forced the Hornets into 19 turnovers, have now won four of their last five games while improving to 4-2. Sacramento State dropped to 0-5 with the loss as the team completed a three-game homestand today.
Sacramento State trailed by five points (52-47) with 2:03 remaining in the contest but Ingham took over from there, scoring the team’s final 13 points including a basket at the 1:38 mark to put the Wolf Pack up, 54-47. Sacramento State tried desperately to get back into the game by fouling Ingham on six-straight Nevada possessions, but the senior converted on 11-of-12 free throws to put the game away.
The Hornets recorded team season highs in points (54), field goals (21), field goal percentage (.350, 21-60), three-pointers (five) and assists (12). Sacramento State, which was playing without its leading scorer (Sarah Craig), attempted seven more shots than Nevada (60-53), but converted on three fewer field goals (24-21). The Wolf Pack also went 14-of-18 from the free throw line while Sacramento State finished 7-of-11 from the charity stripe.
Nevada led from start to finish, opening up leads as large as 15 points on two occasions, but Sacramento State responded each time by going on scoring runs to get back in the game. The Hornets shaved a 15-point second-half deficit by going on an 11-2 run to cut Nevada’s lead to six (46-40) with 11:26 to play.
Joining Ingham in double figures for Nevada was Amber Young, who tallied 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Kate Smith led the Wolf Pack with nine rebounds.
Three Hornets finished with double figures in points comprising junior Sydney Gatson (16), junior Diane Peterson (12) and sophomore Kristine Knowlton (10). Gatson, who finished one point shy of her career high, also finished with seven rebounds and a team-high five assists in 35 minutes. Gatson has played just two games this year after missing the first three contests of the season and preseason practices with a lower back injury.
Peterson knocked down a season-high four three-pointers as she finished 4-of-8 from beyond the three-point line. Knowlton’s 10 points tied a career high as the center also finished with a team-high nine rebounds.
The Hornets return to action next week for two road games at Pacific (Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.) and UC Riverside (Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m.)
