PORTLAND, Ore. -- When Sacramento State needed it most, point guard Gianni Hunt came up huge in scoring the final seven points and leading the Hornets to a 76-74 road win at Portland State on Monday evening.

The game marked the regular season finale, and the winner would receive a first round bye at the Big Sky Tournament (March 4-8) while the loser would have to play in the first round. That's what made Hunt's heroics so big - it came on a large stage that will now see Sacramento State enjoy a Big Sky Tourney first round bye for the first time since joining the league in 1996.

The Hornets will be the No. 6 seed (the top six seeds receive a bye) and play No. 3 Weber State in the quarterfinal round in Boise on Monday at 7 p.m. PT. Had the Hornets lost, they would have played on Saturday in the opening round. Weber State defeated the Hornets in both meetings, but both were decided by three points or less. The winner of Monday's quarterfinal round game will advance to the semis on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT.

The Hornets closed the final 1:20 of tonight's game on a 7-2 run, and all seven points were scored by Hunt. In a game where neither team led by more than six points, and featured 13 lead changes and 16 ties, Hunt's 3-pointer with 33 seconds left gave Sacramento State a 74-72 lead. Portland State would answer with a pair of free throws to tie with 23 seconds left. That set the stage for Hunt, who dribbled the clock down before darting hard to the basket where he was fouled with three seconds remaining.

He calmly buried both free throws, and Portland State's desperation 25-footer from Keshaun Saunders drew front rim and bounced out as time expired. Sacramento State completed a grueling stretch of three road games over a five-day stretch that included a four-point loss at Montana State on Thursday, and two-point loss at Montana on Saturday. In fact, each of the last five Sacramento State games have been decided by five points or less.

The Hornets close the regular season with a 14-17 overall record and 7-11 mark in the Big Sky. David Patrick's 14 wins are the most by a first-year Sacramento State head coach in the Div. I era (1991-pres.). In addition, the No. 6 seed is the highest for the program since 2015. In fact, this marks just the second time in the last 16 years the team has finished higher than a No. 7 seed.

The Hornets sweep the season series over Portland State (12-18, 6-11) for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The two teams were playing for the first time since they opened Big Sky play on New Year's Eve with a 74-63 Sacramento State win.

The Hornets shot 53% (29-55) from the field and 77% (17-22) from the free throw line. The Hunt 3-ball was the first of the evening for Sacramento State as the team shot 64% (28-44) inside the arc. Callum McRae (24 points) and Akol Mawein (12 points) had a big hand in the Hornets scoring 54 points in the paint. And perhaps the most important stat of them all, the Hornets held a 23-14 advantage in points off turnover, usually a statistical category they don't win.

The Hornets scored 38 points in both halves, and held a 38-36 advantage at the break. Portland State shot 47% (26-55), but converted three less field goals and one less free throw (16-22) than the Hornets while connecting on 6-of-17 from long range. The Hornets held a 33-25 advantage on the glass.

McRae posted his Hornet Div. I era-record 10th double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 9-of-13 from the field (all makes inside the paint) and 6-of-9 from the free throw line. He was one of five Hornets in double figures, including Hunt who finished with 15 points (11 in the second half) on 5-for-7 shooting and 4-for-4 from the line. He also added five assists, two steals and zero turnovers in 30 minutes.

Mawein had 12 points and seven rebounds, Cameron Wilbon 12 points and four rebounds, and Zach Chappell 12 points and five assists. The Hornets had 19 assists on 29 made buckets, and four of the five Hornets in double figures shot better than 50 percent from the field. In fact, those five combined for 75 of the team's 76 points.

NOTES -- The evening was a big one for Sacramento State hoops, as the Hornet women clinched a share of the Big Sky regular season championship. It marks the first Big Sky title for the women since joining the league in 1996.