SACRAMENTO, Calif. — STINGERS UP! The Sacramento State Hornets punched their ticket to their first NCAA tournament Wednesday.
The No. 3 seeded Sacramento State took on Northern Arizona University in Boise and left victorious with a 76-63 win. It's their 1st Big Sky regular season crown and they'll also be heading to March Madness for the first time.
Jordan Olivares scored a career-high 26 points, Kaylin Randhawa added a season-high 20. Olivares hit a tough shot in the lane as time expired at the end of the first quarter to give Sacramento State a 22-18 lead and the momentum. The Hornets scored the first seven points of the second quarter and added an 8-0 run after a Northern Arizona free throw.
After missing 13 straight shots, the Lumberjacks hit a 3-pointer in the final minute and trailed 37-22 at the break.
Big Sky MVP Kahlaijah Dean, a transfer from Oakland, added 16 points for the Hornets (25-7), who have won nine straight to match the 2013-14 team.
Although Dean was just 1 of 10 from 3-point range her only make came seven seconds after tipoff and Sacramento State never trailed.
Emily Rodabaugh scored 18 points for Northern Arizona (21-13), which had won six straight and was playing in its second straight title game. Regan Schenck added 12 and Olivia Moran 10. The only NCAA Tournament appearance for the Lumberjacks came in 2006.
Sacramento State led by 20 late in the third quarter after a Randhawa 3. Schenck opened the fourth with a 3 to make it 52-42 and Moran's layup cut it to 70-61 before the Hornets scored the next five from the foul line.
Wednesday was Sacramento State's first-ever championship game appearance at the Big Sky Tournament by either the men's or women's program. It's the latest accolade earned by a history-making team.
On the way to the crown, the Hornets racked up the most wins in program history at 25 and have garnered nine straight wins heading in the NCAA tournament..