GAME PREVIEW

• After posting a 2-1 record on its season-opening three-game road trip, Sacramento State will play its home opener on Friday in the Nest against UC Merced. Its a rare weekday matinee as tip at the Nest will be noon.
• The Hornets are coming off a solid road trip that saw the team beat both its mid-major opponents (UC San Diego, Denver) with the only loss coming to seventh-ranked UCLA. Perhaps even more impressive are the wins against UC San Diego and Denver came over a three-day stretch. The last of which was Monday's thrilling 73-69 victory over Denver while the Hornets were dealing with altitude for the first time.
• Sacramento State used a 27-15 run over the final 11:16 to beat Denver while 7-foot-1 center Callum McRae did his best Nikola Jokic impression with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a +8 in plus/minus.
• It marked just the third time in the program's Div. I era (1991-pres.) the Hornets have won back-to-back non-league road games (the 2015-16 and 2005-06 teams also did it).
• Both victories were the first in the Hornet head coaching career of David Patrick who took over the job on April 5. Now, Patrick will make his Nest debut on Friday afternoon.
• The Hornets will face a UC Merced team that is an NAIA squad and member of the California Pacific Conference. The Hornets play a pair of non-Div. I opponents every season, and this year is no different.
• The Bobcats are 3-2 this season, and just lost at San Francisco on Sunday by an 88-71 score. Each of UC Merced's three wins have come by double figures. Their most recent win was a 66-56 result over Lincoln University on Saturday.
• Sacramento State is 3-0 all-time against UC Merced, which includes wins in 2019-20 (W, 72-36), 2016-17 (W, 81-54) and 2012-13 (W, 96-62). All of the Hornet victories in the series have come by at least 27 points, and all have been played in the Nest.
• David Patrick, who is 46, is a veteran collegiate and international coach with 17 years of coaching experience. A native of Bermuda who moved to Australia at the age of 10, Patrick came to the United States prior to his senior year of high school. He is a renowned recruiter with worldwide connections and has won at every stop of his coaching career.
• Last year's Hornet squad, under the guidance of interim head coach Brandon Laird, posted an 11-18 overall record and 6-14 mark in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets have not finished higher than seventh place in the Big Sky each of the last seven seasons.
• Sacramento State was selected sixth in both the Big Sky media and coaches polls.
• The Hornets return just six players, including the team's second (Zach Chappell 11.6 ppg in '21-22) and fourth (Cameron Wilbon 9.1 ppg in '21-22) leading scorers.

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• For the second straight season, all Hornet home games, and games played at a Big Sky Conference venue, will be streamed on ESPN+. That includes Friday's game.
• Beginning on Dec. 7, every home game the rest of the way will be broadcast live on ESPN 1320 AM with 26th-year play-by-play man Steve McElroy calling the action.
• Links for all multimedia options, including live stats for every game, can be found next to each game on the men's basketball schedule at hornetsports.com.