GAME PREVIEW

• Sacramento State (13-15, 6-9) will begin a grueling stretch of three road games over a five-day span on Thursday at Montana State (19-9, 12-3). Tip is set for 6 p.m. PT.
• After Thursday's game, the Hornets will travel to Missoula for a matchup at Montana on Saturday, and conclude the regular season on Monday at Portland State.
• Sacramento State concluded its home portion of the schedule on Saturday with a 70-65 win over Idaho State. The Hornets and Bengals have now played seven straight games that have been decided by five points or less.
• The Hornets are the only team in the 10-member Big Sky Conference that does not have a home game left on the schedule.
• Sacramento State is 4-8 on the road, and 1-5 against Big Sky foes. Since winning its first Big Sky road game at Idaho, the Hornets have dropped five straight league roadies.
• With just three games left in the regular season, Sacramento State currently sits in a three-way tie for fifth place in the league standings.
• The top six teams at the end of the regular season receive a first round bye into the Big Sky Tournament, and the Hornets would be the No. 5 seed if the season ended today. The Big Sky Tournament takes place in Boise on March 4-8.
• Essentially, its a six-team race for the final two byes in the Big Sky Tourney between the Hornets (6-9), Portland State (6-9), Idaho State (6-9), Northern Colorado (5-11), Idaho (4-11) and Northern Arizona (4-12).
• Should the Hornets earn a bye, they would begin Big Sky Tourney play on Monday, March 6. Without the bye, Sacramento State would play on Saturday, March 4.
• The Hornets' 13 overall victories have surpassed their win total from a season ago when the team finished 11-18. The 13 victories are the most by a first-year Hornet head coach (David Patrick) during the program's Div. I era (1991-pres.).
• The Hornets have matched their Big Sky win total from last year (6-14).
• Ten of the Hornets' 15 Big Sky games had been decided by eight points or less.
• One of those single digit outcomes came in the Nest to Montana State (65-72) on Jan. 28. The Hornets cut the deficit to two points or less on three occasions during the final 2:40.
• The Bobcats, defending Big Sky regular season and tournament champions, will likely be the No. 2 seed at this year's Big Sky Tourney behind Eastern Washington (15-0).
• Montana State has won seven of its last eight games, and six of those seven victories came by single digits. The Bobcats are 10-1 at home, and 6-1 against conference foes.
• The Hornets are 22-39 all-time against Montana State, including 6-25 in Bozeman. Last season, after playing two games that were decided by six points or less in the regular season, the Bobcats eliminated the Hornets from the Big Sky Tourney with an 83-61 win.

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Every game the rest of the season will stream on ESPN+.
• There will be no radio for any games on the road trip.
• 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.