GAME PREVIEW
• Sacramento State (1-5) will play Sunday on the road at UC Davis (3-1) in the 121st meeting between the two rivals. Tip-off at University Credit Union Center is 5 p.m.
• Sacramento State owns a 69-51 record in the all-time series. The 69 wins are the most against any opponent, ahead of Chico State (45-43) and Cal State Hayward (43-20) who were longtime opponents during the Hornets' Div. II era (1948-1991).
• Each of the last six meetings between the teams have been played at Golden1 Center, but the programs decided to move the rivalry back on campus this season. The teams split the six games at Golden1 Center.
• The last time the teams played on campus was an 84-79 Sacramento State victory at the Nest during the 2015-16 season.
• The Hornets have not played on UC Davis' campus since a 73-67 Hornet win during the 2013-14 season. Sacramento State has won the last two on-campus games. The last on-campus Aggie victory came in the Nest during the 2012-13 season.
• The 120 meetings between the teams marks the longest rivalry for Sacramento State against any opponent since the first season of Hornet hoops in 1948-49. The first game between the programs took place in 1948.
• Although the game is no longer at Golden1 Center, the teams have managed to keep the game on Thanksgiving Week. All six meetings between the teams at Golden1 were played on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
• Sacramento State is coming off a pair of tight losses to CSU Bakersfield (75-71) and Austin Peay (74-71) in which the Hornets had sizeable halftime leads. That included an eight-point halftime lead vs. Bakersfield, and nine points at the break vs. Austin Peay. Both of those games were on a neutral floor, and were part of the SoCal Challenge.
• The Hornets are in the midst of a stretch that will them play seven of their first eight games away from home. Sacramento State is still seeking its first win away from the Nest, as the team is 0-3 on the road and 0-2 on neutral floors.
• Each of Sacramento State's three road losses were guarantee games (Nevada, Stanford, Tulane), as Sunday will be the first true road game against a like opponent.
• The Hornets are in the second season of the
David Patrick era. Last year's squad finished 14-18 overall and 7-11 in the Big Sky Conference. The 14 wins were the most by a first-year head coach during the Div. I era (1991-pres.), and third most in program history.
• Despite fielding a roster that consists of just four returners and 11 newcomers, Sacramento State was selected to finish fourth in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll.
• The fourth place prediction in the coaches poll is the highest showing for the program since the 2014-15 team was also selected fourth. In addition, it ties for the second highest prediction since the Hornets joined the Big Sky in 1996 - the 2005-06 team was third.
MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS
• Sunday's game will be streamed on ESPN+. Every game the rest of the season, except for the Jan. 6 game at St. Thomas, will be streamed on ESPN+.
• This marks the third straight season all Hornet home games, and games played at a Big Sky Conference venue, will stream on ESPN+. The subscription-based service will stream on watchespn.com and the ESPN App.
• 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.
Full set of games can be accessed above.
