GAME PREVIEW
• Sacramento State (3-5) will play for just the second time at home this season - and first since Nov. 18 - when it hosts Denver (8-1) at the Nest on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
• Of the Hornets' first eight games, seven have come away from home, including four road games and three played at neutral sites. The Hornets are 2-5 in those contests.
• One of those wins came on the road at Denver on Nov. 14, which remains the Pioneers lone loss of the season. Sacramento State won that game by a 73-69 score.
• Denver is off to its best start in its Div. I era (1998-pres.), but has played the easiest schedule in the nation among Div. I teams according to the NCAA's latest NET rankings. Conversely, Sacramento State's strength of schedule is 95th toughest (out of 363 teams).
• In that win over the Pioneers on Nov. 14, the Hornets used a 27-15 run over the final 11:16. That included a huge
Cameron Wilbon 24-footer as the shot clock expired to give Sacramento State the lead for good (65-62) at the 3:29 mark.
• Denver is 3-0 on the road this season, including wins at Idaho State (70-69), New Orleans (77-76) and Houston Christian (93-83). The Pioneers have already played three teams from the Big Sky, including the Hornets, Idaho State, and Idaho (68-63 home victory).
• Sacramento State has dropped four straight, and each of the last two losses have been gut wrenching. That included a double overtime loss to Southern Utah in Oahu, and Saturday's 72-65 loss at Santa Clara in which the Broncos used a late 10-0 run.
• The Hornets won their lone home games (58-43 over UC Merced), and Wednesday will mark their first home game against a Div. I opponent.
• Sacramento State will play twice at home this week, and four times during the month of December. That includes an afternoon matchup with Long Beach State on Saturday.
• The Hornets are 3-1 all-time against Denver, and this will be the Pioneers' second-ever trip to the Nest. The only previous game between the two teams in the Nest resulted in a 79-65 Hornet win on Dec. 29, 2005.
• Denver is currently first in the nation in both free throws made (20.7) and attempted (29.3) per game. In addition, the Pioneers are third in the country with a .527 FG%. The team is averaging 79.0 points, and has a .576 effective FG%.
• Sacramento State limited Denver to its lowest number of free throws made (13) and attempted (17) earlier this year.
• The Hornets are 3-0 when limiting the opposition to fewer than 70 points, and 0-5 when opponents score better than 70 points.
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+.
• 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.
