GAME PREVIEW

• Winners of three straight, and six of its last seven, Sacramento State (9-6, 2-0) will travel to Cheney for a Saturday matchup with Eastern Washington (9-7, 3-0). Tip is set for 2 p.m.
• The Hornets are coming off a thrilling 85-83 overtime win at Idaho on Thursday.
• Close games are becoming a trend for Sacramento State. The Hornets have played six games decided by six points or less, and are 5-1 in those outcomes.
• That includes three overtime games (2-1 record), one shy of the program's Div. I era record for OT games in a season (the 1991-92 squad played four).
• Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the season is the Hornets' road record (4-3). The record already matches the team's road wins from all of last season (4-9).
• Sacramento State is 2-0 in the Big Sky for just the fourth time since joining the conference in 1996-97. Only the 2014-15 and 2005-06 squads started 3-0 in Big Sky play.
• Saturday will feature two of the hottest teams in the Big Sky, and two of the four remaining unbeaten teams in league play. The Eagles have won five straight, including an impressive sweep of the Montana schools on the road last week.
• Sacramento State and Eastern Washington have two common opponents, and both scores were very similar. The Hornets opened Big Sky play with an 11-point home win over Portland State, and the Eagles beat the Vikings at home by 12 points on Thursday. Both teams lost by seven or eight points on the road at Santa Clara.
• The Eagles and Hornets were picked fifth and sixth, respectively, in both the Big Sky preseason media and coaches polls.
• Eastern Washington has been very good against the Hornets, owning a 41-16 all-time record in the series between the two teams.
• That includes a 25-4 mark when the teams play in Cheney. The Eagles have won four straight at home since a 59-56 Sacramento State win in Cheney on Feb. 28, 2019.
• Saturday will feature the top two teams in the Big Sky in rebounding. The Eagles are first at +6.1 per game, while the Hornets are second at +5.2 per game.
• Eastern Washington likes to hoist from long range, as the team is tied for first in the Big Sky at 8.7 makes per game. The Hornets have done a nice job defending the three-point line where opponents shoot 3-balls at just a .315 clip.
• Sacramento State is 9-6 despite playing just five games at home (5-0 in the Nest). After Saturday's game, the Hornets will play six of their next eight games at home.
• Of the Hornets' seven road games, six have been decided by 10 points or less. The only exception was a 76-50 loss to nationally ranked UCLA in the season opener.

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Every game the rest of the season will stream on ESPN+.
• There will be no radio for Saturday's game. All home games are broadcast live on ESPN 1320 AM with play-by-play announcer 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.