Women’s basketball splits weekend games

Hornets still undefeated at home

Hornet Gym may be a run down building but it is home to Sac State women’s basketball team.

After going winless in Memorial Auditorium last season, the Hornets are off to a 2-0 start on campus.

Sac State is now 2-3 overall following a 75-41 loss at Saint Mary’s Saturday and its 68-58 victory over NAIA Azusa Pacific at home on Friday.

Junior guard Michelle St. Clair led the Hornets with 14 points against the Gaels.

Against Azusa Pacific, senior guard Kerri Dunn tied a career high with 27 points on 5 of 10 shooting from three-point range and 10 of 10 from the free throw line. The Hornets combined for 23 steals and forced the Cougars into 39 turnovers.

“We started off a little shaky in the first half but we settled down and started doing things right,” Dunn said. “We got the steals in the second half and converted on offense because we worked together as a team.”

Head coach Sue Huffman said her team was put to sleep by Azusa Pacific’s zone defense in the first half but thought they did a better job of attacking it in the second.

“At halftime I tried to tell them defense was going to win this game,” she said. “We needed to get some steals, we needed to pick up the intensity and that’s what did it for us. We had some people moving their feet for some key loose balls and rebounds.”

Freshman forward Nichole Hardaway finished the game with 12 points, a team-high eight rebounds, five steals and one blocked shot. Huffman said her play made a big difference for the team.

“I thought Nichole Hardaway did an outstanding job,” she said. “She really stepped it up, shooting 50 percent (5 of 10) and having five steals.”

Hardaway said the team had an incentive to come out and play better in the second half because they did not want to lose in front of the fans. She also said team unity played a big part.

“We played with intensity, we played together and we were awake as a unit, not as individuals,” Hardaway said.

Freshman point guard Rexanne Rodriguez led the team with five assists and said defense was key for the win.

“We picked it up in the second half and used the steals to our advantage in executing on offense,” she said. “We knew we could do this and we were pretty confident, so we came in and got the job done.”

Some returnees from last season said playing at Hornet Gym this year had made a major difference for them. St. Clair said playing at Memorial Auditorium was not much of a home field advantage.

“It’s wonderful playing here,” said St. Clair, who finished the game with 11 points. “I’ve practiced here since my freshman year so I’m pretty much used to it and I like it.”

Dunn agreed.

“It’s definitely been a lot better,” she said. “We know this court, we know this gym and we know we can get more fans to come here than Memorial.”

With a winter break full of talented opponents like San Jose State, Duke, USC and UNLV on the schedule, Huffman would like to see her team gain some consistency in their all around performance.

“Our two goals to improve on are turnovers and rebounds. Hopefully, we can plateau from here instead of going up and down with our play.”

The Hornets will next travel to Los Angeles to play the Lady Trojans of USC on Saturday at 7 p.m.