CEDAR CITY, Utah — Sacramento State shot 31% (16-51) from the field and the 16 made field goals were a season low as the Hornets fell at Southern Utah, 74-49, on Saturday afternoon at the American First Events Center.

The loss dropped the Hornets to 10-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big Sky Conference. Sacramento State has lost all four of its conference road games thus far, but is 3-0 against league opposition at home. The road games have come against four of the top five teams in the conference standings thus far.

Despite today's loss, Sacramento State's 10-6 overall record is still the team's best 16-game mark since the 2014-15 squad had the same record. The Hornets played today's game without the services of junior sixth-man Bryce Fowler (injury), who is averaging 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

Southern Utah, which was selected fourth in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll, improved to 11-6 overall and 4-2 in the conference. The Thunderbirds are now 6-2 at home. Prior to today's defeat, Sacramento State had won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.

Sacramento State endured a tough first half in which it shot just 4-for-23 (17%) from the field and 0-for-7 from the 3-point line. The team turned the ball over nine times in the half and saw Southern Utah use a 17-1 run to take control. By the time the half ended, Sacramento State went into the locker room trailing, 33-18, easily the team's largest halftime deficit of the season. The team's four field goals made in the first half were a season low, and the 18 points were the second lowest tally (the Hornets had 16 points in the first half at Colorado).

Sacramento State would get no closer than within 12 points of the Southern Utah lead in the second half. A bucket from Izayah Mauriohooho-Le'afa pulled the Hornets within, 58-46, with 5:21 to play, but Southern Utah immediately responded with an 11-1 run to put the game away.

Sacramento State converted on just 3-of-17 attempts from the 3-point line, and scored 14 of their 49 points from the free throw line (14-of-21). Conversely, Southern Utah shot 47% from both the field (22-46) and 3-point line (8-17) while also connecting on 85% (22-26) from the free throw line. The Thunderbirds scored 22 points off 14 Hornet turnovers and also had a 10-0 advantage in fast break points. With Fowler missing today's game, Sacramento State's bench combined for six points.

For the Hornets, Osi Nwachukwu had a season-high 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. Joshua Patton scored in double figures for the ninth straight game, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots before fouling out late in the contest.

Ethan Esposito had seven points and two rebounds, Mauriohooho-Le'afa five points, six rebounds and a pair of steals, and Brandon Davis finished with six points and two assists. Chibueze Jacobs had three points, three rebounds and a blocked shot, Elijah McCullough posted three points and James Bridges had two rebounds and two assists.

Three Southern Utah players scored in double figures, led by Cameron Oluyitan's 19 points and five rebounds.

The Hornets will play just twice in the next 13 days, including a home game against Portland State on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m., followed by a road game at Northern Arizona on Jan. 27.