SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Host Sacramento State took visiting North Dakota out of its rhythm, fouling out a pair of UND starters, pressuring throughout and pushing the tempo offensively for a 93-86 win Thursday evening in Big Sky Conference play. The Hornets have now defeated both defending co-regular season league champions in the early going this season (Southern Utah).

North Dakota (10-5, 2-1 Big Sky) had five players in double figures led by Mia Loyd's 18 points. Freshman Bailey Strand hit 9-of-10 from the free throw line for a career-best 16 points in the loss.

"Sacramento State was the better team tonight," UND head coach Travis Brewster said. "We have to get back to some basics and try to improve. It's a long season yet in the Big Sky Conference but every game is important."

The Hornets pushed the basketball on nearly every opportunity and never trailed to improve to 3-1 at home this season. Sac State (4-10, 2-1) got a couple of long-range threes by Brianna Burgos, part of five straight makes from deep by the Hornets to start the game, to watch its lead grow into double digits with just over six minutes left in the opening half.

The home team's lead was 11 at the break, shooting 59.3 percent from the floor and 5-of-9 (55.6) from three-point range. North Dakota actually outshot the Hornets, outrebounded them and scored 54 points in the paint but it was 21 UND turnovers than turned into 23 Sac State points that proved to be the difference.

With the lead trimmed to a half-dozen of a couple occasions in the second frame, UND attempted to comeback despite losing starter Megan Lauck to her fifth foul in the first six minutes of the second stanza. Four technical fouls combined by the two teams conspired to give UND another disqualification as Mia Loyd would pick up two quick fouls and would also later foul out.

A Makailah Dyer layup midway through the half sliced the deficit to five, but it would be the closest North Dakota could get on this night. Sacramento State immediately answered with a 14-2 run to stretch the advantage to as many as 17. UND ot six points in the closing seconds but ran out of time with the Hornets holding on for the 93-86 win, its fourth in the five games in the all-time series.

Dyer finished with 16 while Emily Evers added 15 points and nine rebounds for North Dakota. Haillie Gennette paced the Hornets with 18 points.

UND will head to Portland State Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. tip.