SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State led from start to finish while posting season highs in points (92), assists (22) and 3-pointers (9) in a 92-83 victory over Montana in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday evening at the Nest

The Hornets opened the first 4:30 of the game on a 14-6 run, and never looked back, leading by as many as 16 points midway through the second half. After heading into halftime with a 41-34 lead, Sacramento State scored 51 in the second half, its most points in a half all season. The Hornets were proficient from everywhere on the floor, shooting .582 (32-55) from the field, .529 (9-17) from the 3-point line and .704 (19-27) from the free throw line. The .582 field goal percentage was the team's second best mark of the year.

In addition, the Hornets outrebounded Montana, 33-27, posted seven blocks and had 22 assists compared to just 10 turnovers. Sacramento State had big contributions from its starters, including 25 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes for Nick Hornsby. The junior connected on 7-of-9 from the field, 4-for-5 from the 3-point line and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. The four 3-pointers were a career best, and Hornsby has scored 25-plus points in two of the last four games. Center Eric Stuteville had 18 points and five rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Guard Marcus Graves tallied 18 points and a career-high 13 assists and two blocks while turning the ball over just twice in 37 minutes. The 13 assists shattered his previous career high of 10 assists, and tied for the third best single-game mark in Sacramento State's Div. I era (1991-pres.). Justin Strings, despite picking up his fourth foul with 11:55 to play, finished with 14 points and five rebounds. The quartet of Strings, Hornsby, Stuteville and Graves combined for 75 points on 25-of-38 shooting from the field, 7-for-11 from long range and 18-of-22 from the free throw line.

With the victory, Sacramento State defeated Montana at home for the third consecutive season while improving to 6-12 overall and 3-4 in the Big Sky. The Hornets have now won three of their last four games, which includes a pair of road wins last week. Sacramento State is now 48-17 inside the Nest dating back to the beginning of the 2012-13 season.

Montana, which has still won seven of its last 10 games despite tonight's loss, dropped to 10-11 overall and 5-3 in the Big Sky. The Grizzlies were picked second in the Big Sky's preseason media poll.

Perhaps the biggest stretch of the game came midway through the second half when the Hornets used a 22-9 run to stretch a three-point lead all the way to a game-high 16 point advantage (64-48) with 13:01 remaining. The run lasted just shy of five minutes, and was highlighted by three 3-point plays from Hornsby. Two of those 3-point plays came from behind the arc, and an and-one bucket brought the sellout crowd of 1,112 to its feet and gave the Hornets a game-high 16 point advantage.

Both teams traded baskets the next five minutes and a Hornsby jumper had the Hornets up, 69-56, with 8:04 to play. However, Montana responded with a 16-6 run over the next 4:41 that was capped by a pair of Ahmaad Rorie free throws to draw within, 75-72, with 3:23 remaining. Sacramento State thwarted the run by scoring on eight of its final nine possessions of the game. That included 3-point plays from Stuteville (3:07) and Hornsby (1:47), and the Hornets went 10-for-13 from the free throw line during the final two minutes to ice the victory.

A pair of Hornet freshmen also factored large in the win as true freshman Chibueze Jacobs had seven points, four rebounds and a steal in 13 minutes, and redshirt freshman Joshua Patton had four points, six rebounds and season-best four blocked shots in 15 minutes. Backup guard Trevis Jackson finished with three points, two rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Montana shot the ball well, converting on .538 (35-65) of its field goal attempts, but the Grizzlies went just 5-for-17 from the 3-point line and attempted 18 less free throws than the Hornets. The game featured just 16 turnovers (SAC 10, UM 6), and the 92 points were the most allowed by the Grizzlies all season.

Four Montana players scored in double digits, led by Sayeed Pridgett's game-high 28 points off the bench on 12-of-17 shooting from the field. He was joined in double figures by Rorie (22 points), Michael Oguine (15 points, six rebounds) and Fabijan Krslovic (10 points).

Sacramento State will conclude its season-long three-game homestand a week from today (Jan. 28) against Portland State at 7 p.m.

NOTES -- Tonight was Kids Day, and a large contingent of fans stuck around for postgame autographs from the Sacramento State players.