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BOISE, Idaho -- In a game Sacramento State led for over 33 minutes, including the entire second half, the Hornets outlasted Idaho, 57-54, in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament on Wednesday morning at Idaho Central Arena.

Sacramento State's Bryce Fowler (game-high 26), Cameron Wilbon (18) and Zach Chappell (9) combined for all but four of the Hornets' points. Sacramento State used a 12-3 run to close the first half and enter the break with a 31-22 lead. The Hornets maintained that lead the majority of the second half until Idaho used a 12-5 run the final 2:27 to make things interesting.

The Hornets, who have now won five of their last six games (including the regular season), improved to 11-17 overall. Sacramento State will advance to the Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals tomorrow at 11 a.m. PST vs. No. 1 seed Montana State. The Hornets are the No. 8 seed in the tournament (Idaho was the No. 9), and the program has now won its first round Big Sky Tourney game six times in the last eight years.

Today's game was the first of the men's tournament as Sacramento State will have to win four straight days to capture a Big Sky Tourney crown and NCAA Tournament automatic bid. The Hornets will also have to win tomorrow, Friday (4:30 p.m. PST) and Saturday (5 p.m. PST) to earn their first trip to the Big Dance since joining the Div. I ranks prior to the 1991-92 season.

Idaho (9-22) was eliminated from the postseason tournament with the loss. Sacramento State went 2-1 against Idaho this season as the teams both won on their home floors during the regular season.

Things looked good when a Fowler bucket gave the Hornets a 52-42 lead with 3:25 to play. However, sparked by six points apiece from Trevante Anderson and Yusef Salih, Idaho made its run. The Vandals cut the deficit to a single point after Salih hit a 3-pointer with 6.8 seconds to play. Idaho fouled Fowler on the inbounds, and the fifth-year senior calmly knocked down both free throws. Idaho had a chance to tie at the buzzer, but Rashad Smith's off balance 3-pointer at the buzzer was well off the mark.

Both teams shot for similar percentages (Idaho 44%, 24-55; SAC 40%, 21-52), and buried the same amount of 3-pointers (5), but the Hornets connected on nine more free throws. In fact, Idaho was just 1-for-6 from the line while the Hornets were 10-for-17. Fowler was 3-for-4 from the line during the final 26 seconds.

Fowler's remarkable season continued today as he had a game-high 26 points, which were 15 more than any Idaho player. The fifth-year senior, who finished second in the Big Sky in scoring in league play (20.2 ppg), was 10-for-19 from the field while also posting eight rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. He has now scored better than 20 points in eight of the last 10 games, including 39 in the regular season finale at Montana.

Wilbon had a big second half, as 13 of his 18 points were scored after halftime. The 18 points were one shy of his season high, and he had perhaps the biggest bucket of the game - a jumper in the lane - to put the Hornets up five points with 33 seconds to play. Wilbon also had six rebounds and a pair of steals.

Chappell had nine points on 3-for-6 shooting from distance, Rick Barros III had three points (1-2 3FG), and center Jonathan Komagum had four blocked shots, two steals and three rebounds.

The only player to score in double figures for Idaho was Anderson who finished with 11 (eight in the second half). Center Tanner Christensen had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

On Thursday, Sacramento State will face a Montana State team that won the Big Sky's regular season championship and had a first round bye. The Bobcats beat the Hornets both times during the regular season, but both games were extremely close (68-66 in Sacramento; 75-69 in Bozeman). The game in Bozeman was played last Thursday.