SACRAMENTO - The UC Irvine women's basketball team defeated Sacramento State in a 60-58 thriller as junior Diaba Konate knocked down the game-winner in the final second Saturday afternoon at The Nest.
 
The Anteaters (2-0) trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter, but outscored the Hornets, 18-7, in the fourth. Graduate student Naomi Hunt capped a 10-0 run with two free throws that knotted the score at 56-56, and followed with a bucket to give the visitors their first lead since the opening minute. After Sac State answered with a layup, Konate took control, driving into the paint and calmly knocking down the jumper for the two-point win.
 
"Overall, I thought we did a good job of sticking with it and not hanging our heads," said head coach Tamara Inoue. "There were a lot of times where we could have quit, so I'm really proud of everyone for coming together and believing we could win.
 
"When we advanced the ball at the end of the game, I knew I wanted to go to Diaba. I had all the confidence that she would finish it. We had so many options but I just felt it was Diaba's night tonight."
 

FOR THE WIN!!!#TogetherWeZot | #StillHungry pic.twitter.com/ghaT7yVrjZ

— UCI Women's Basketball (@UCIwbb) November 12, 2022

 
BY THE NUMBERS: Konate finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists in 34 minutes played. Hunt also had a team-high 17 points to go along with three boards and two steals. Sophomore Nikki Tom was the third 'Eater in double figures with 12 points as she went 4-of-6 from the field, while pulling down five rebounds.
 
Graduate transfer Nyagoa Gony played a big role in UCI's comeback on the defensive end with four blocks and two steals, while sophomore Hunter Hernandez swiped a career-high five steals.
 
"I thought Nyagoa in the fourth quarter just locked in defensively and got some blocks to get her going," added Inoue. "Then she did an up and under against (Isnelle) Natabou that was a turning point for the game."
 
Sac State shot 48% from the field compared to UCI's 30%, but the Anteaters forced 28 turnovers, while committing only 10. They outscored the Hornets, 26-13, in points off turnovers.
 
Isnelle Natabou, a 6-foot-5 center, paced Sacramento State with a game-high 19 points and 20 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Sacramento State (0-1) converted on the first possession of the game, but sophomore Olivia Williams quickly drained a three on the other end. The Hornets reclaimed the lead with an 8-0 spurt as they went up 10-3 at the 5:58 mark. UC Irvine closed the gap to three with a couple free throws from Konate and a Tom layup, but the home team was able to stay out front with a 16-11 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
 
Sac State took the momentum in the second period, extending its lead to 12 with 4:53 remaining in the half. Hunt scored six-straight points to make it 28-22 before the Hornets finished strong with a last second 3-pointer giving them a 38-24 cushion at the break.
 
Sacramento State took its largest lead of the game on a layup just 20 seconds into the third frame. UCI then started to chip away with a 10-2 run, capped by a three-point play from Konate, to cut the deficit to 45-39 with 4:34 to play. Sac State once again regrouped and went back on top by nine (51-42) before the buzzer.
 
The 'Eaters came out on a mission in the fourth quarter, locking down on the defensive end where they allowed just seven points. That led to their offense with a 16-2 run giving them their first lead since the 9:36 mark of the first period. Sac State came right back with an and-1 but missed the free throw to keep it tied at 58-all. After a UC Irvine timeout with 10 seconds left, Konate made her move into the paint where she hit the game-winning jumper with 0.1 ticks on the clock.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine stays on the road next week, traveling to the Pacific Northwest for games against the University of Washington (Nov. 17) and Seattle U (Nov. 19).
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine has won two in a row against Sac State and now leads in its all-time series, 7-6.
• For the second year in a row, Naomi Hunt dropped 17 points against the Hornets.
• Through the first two games, the Anteaters have outscored their opponents, 47-14, in the fourth quarter.
• Diaba Konate leads four 'Eaters averaging double figures with 13.5 points per game.
• Sophomore Nikki Tom surpassed 100 career rebounds with her five boards against Sac State giving her 103 in 35 games played.
• UCI is 2-0 for the third time in the last five seasons.