by Zachary Knecht
Featured Image: Photo by Weber State Athletics
Sacramento State Weber State Recap
The Weber State Wildcats struggled again at home, dropping another game to the Sacramento State Hornets 66-52. Without leading-scorer Daryn Hickok, the Wildcat offense looked flat, adding another disappointing performance to their season.
The Wildcats (5-21) fail to pull through in another conference game, staying firmly at the bottom of the Big Sky (1-13), essentially securing the bottom seed. The win was vital for the Hornets (18-7), keeping them in the mix as a top-four conference seed (9-5).
Team Leaders
The Wildcats were without Hickok Thursday, and her presence was sorely missed. Laura Taylor was the team’s leading scorer for the second-consecutive game with 11 points. She struggled from three, though, only converting on one of her six shots. Aside from her point total, her role was limited, grabbing one rebound and dishing out one assist.
Jadyn Matthews and Aaliyah Ellis also hit the double-digit point mark despite having very different nights. Ellis was efficient, shooting four of six from the field with four rebounds and a steal, but Matthews couldn’t find such efficiency, hitting three of ten from the floor with three rebounds and two steals.
The same duo that handled the ‘Cats in their first duel did the same Thursday. Sacramento State’s Kahlaiija Dean and Isnelle Natabou went off for 36 points and 14 rebounds at the Dee Events Center. They shot well from the field, combining for 15 of 27 shooting, and led the Hornets to a much-needed victory. Jordan Olivares got in on the action, securing ten rebounds for Sacramento State and adding four assists to her six-point night.
She Loves Me Not, She Loves Me Not…
Weber State’s season has been like picking flower petals with all ‘she loves me not.’ Every night, there is hope for the ‘Cats to turn things around and show progress in the late season, but they continue to display the same issues night in and night out.
Without their star forward, the Wildcats couldn’t find the hot hand shooting. They shot 37.5% from the field and only hit one three all night. They were also severely outrebounded 39-22. At no point did Weber State hold a lead, and the game slipped further out of hand with every quarter.
Different Approach
The one thing Weber State improved upon against the Hornets was their turnover numbers. The ‘Cats turn the ball over more than any team in the Big Sky (15.9), but they kept that number down to eight against Sacramento State. The Hornets force the least amount of turnovers in the conference (10.7), but hopefully, the ‘Cats can continue this more secure play moving forward.
The Wildcats also dispersed the ball better Thursday. Though their assist numbers were down from their usual mark, everyone got in on the action. Three players hit the double-digit mark for points, with the other two starters – Kaiija Lesane and Vicky Parra – scoring nine and eight points, respectively. Unfortunately, the bench didn’t see much time on the court, but the starting rotation was more balanced than their typical approach in Hickok’s absence.
What’s to Come
The Wildcats finish their home stand against the Portland State Vikings Saturday, hoping to figure anything out before the Big Sky tournament.
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| Weber State Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | MIN |
| Laura Taylor, G | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3-8 | 1-6 | 37 |
| Jadyn Matthews, F | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3-10 | 0-2 | 38 |
| Aaliyah Ellis, G | 10 | 4 | 0 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 31 |
| Kaiija Lesane, G | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 22 |
| Vicky Parra, F | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3-8 | 0-1 | 28 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Amelia Raidaveta, F | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 9 |
| Nakilah Johnson, G | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 10 |
| Tamalii Fonoti, C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 5 |
| Emri Lovell, G | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 11 |
| Charlotte Hegvold, G | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 9 |
| Team Total | 52 | 22 | 4 | 18-48 | 1-9 |
| Sacramento State Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | MIN |
| Kahlaiija Dean, G | 19 | 7 | 2 | 8-17 | 1-6 | 38 |
| Isnelle Natabou, C | 17 | 7 | 1 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 34 |
| Kaylin Randhawa, G | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3-7 | 2-4 | 21 |
| Jordan Olivares, G | 6 | 10 | 4 | 2-6 | 2-6 | 26 |
| Katie Peneueta, G | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 26 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Solape Amusan, F | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 20 |
| Kaylie Edge, G | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 4 |
| Benthe Verteeg, G | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1-3 | 0-2 | 24 |
| Madison Butcher, G | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 7 |
| Team Total | 66 | 39 | 10 | 24-50 | 6-21 |