Matthews’ career-high 30 leads Weber State women in blowout of Sacramento State
Jenteal Jackson nets first Big Sky win as head coach
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- Weber State’s Jadyn Matthews (5) rises for a shot against Sacramento State on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Ogden.
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- Weber State’s Taylor Smith (25) scoops a shot past Sacramento State’s Seilala Lautaimi on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Ogden.
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- Weber State’s Amelia Raidaveta, left, prepares to shoot against Sacramento State on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Ogden.
OGDEN — Weber State women’s basketball needed to reverse its woeful offensive trends and one-win Sacramento State’s visit to the Dee Events Center was good medicine for the Wildcats on Thursday night.
Senior forward Jadyn Matthews helped WSU by breaking out of a personal shooting slump, netting a career-high 30 points to go with 11 rebounds and five assists to lead the Wildcats to an 81-61 victory over the Hornets.
Matthews shot 10 of 19 from the field and 10 of 12 from the foul line in a game Weber State (4-12, 1-2 Big Sky) shot 29 of 57 (50.9%) overall and in which all five starters scored in double figures.
The decision ended a five-game losing streak for Weber State and moved the Wildcats to 3-1 at home this season, bouncing back from a 61-51 home loss last week to Kansas City.
“We spent a lot more time shooting this week just trying to get them feeling good … seeing the ball going in the hole,” said WSU head coach Jenteal Jackson, who recorded her first career conference win. “Also a little bit more focus on working the O, really making defenses guard us and not taking early shots unless it’s wide open, uncontested.
“I thought our girls did a pretty good job of that tonight … and getting the balls to good spots that made it tough for them to handle us defensively.”
Sacramento State (1-13, 0-3) led 12-10 after one quarter and took its largest lead of the game at 26-19 at the 4:26 mark of the second quarter on a Summah Hanson paint bucket.
Weber State outscored the Hornets 62-35 over the final 24 minutes of the contest.
Kenda Parra hit a 3-pointer to start that final 24 minutes and again made from deep for a 47-37 margin with 5:56 left in the third quarter.
A Benthe Versteeg 3-pointer got Sac State to within 49-46 with 3:32 left in the third but it was all Wildcats after that as WSU outscored the Hornets 32-15 over the final 13:32.
Matthews and Raidaveta scored field goals and free throws as part of a 10-0 run to regain the double-digit lead headed to the fourth quarter.
“Having my teammates and coaches just harp that they need me to (shoot), they don’t care that I’m missing shots because they know I can do something like that … means a lot and helps me get in that mental space to come in each game and perform,” Matthews said about her career night.
Senior wing Laura Taylor totaled 14 points and knocked down two triples for Weber State. Raidaveta added 12 points, Daryn Hickok totaled 11 points, six rebounds and three steals, and Parra chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Sac State tallied nine 3-pointers but otherwise shot just 21 of 58 (36.2%) from the field. Hanson racked up 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting but everyone else shot 11 of 41. Versteeg added 15 points and nine assists.
“On the defensive end, that was the most contagious,” Matthews said. “Daryn Hickok, she was amazing on the defensive end tonight … she really helped us big time with that energy.”
Weber State’s 24 second-quarter points were the most Sac State had allowed in any quarter this season, and WSU topped it with 25 more in the third quarter.
The Wildcats next host Portland State (5-10, 0-3) at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Vikings are on an eight-game losing streak against Division I opponents after losing 79-43 at Idaho State on Thursday.
“(The win) couldn’t have come at a better time, definitely needed it, excited to get it and proud of the work they did on the court tonight to get it done together,” Jackson said. “It builds some confidence and puts us in a better head space going into Saturday and the rest of conference play.”