GAME PREVIEW

• Sacramento State (5-11, 1-2) will play its second home game in three days when it hosts Idaho State (6-10, 1-2) on Saturday. Tip at the Nest is 6 p.m.
• The Hornets are coming off their best performance of the season - a 71-69 victory over Weber State on Thursday at the Nest. The Wildcats had won six in a row, and were the unanimous choice to win the Big Sky in the preseason coaches poll.
• Entering the game, Weber State was ranked 90th in the NET ratings (formerly RPI). That is the highest ranked NET opponent the Hornets have defeated in program history.
• In that win, the Hornets never trailed the final 37:34 of the contest. The victory also served as Sacramento State's Big Sky Conference home opener.
• Sacramento State is 4-2 at home, and has won three straight in the Nest.
• Four of Sacramento State's last eight games have been decided by three points or less. The Hornets are 2-2 in those outcomes.
• Idaho State is also coming off an impressive victory, picking up a road win at Portland State (69-63) on Thursday night. That win was the Bengals' second on the road (2-7).
• Idaho State has played in five straight games decided by eight points or less, or went into overtime. The Bengals have won two straight, including a 63-62 home win over Omaha at the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
• Sacramento State is 27-33 against Idaho State in a series littered with close games. Each of the last seven meetings between the teams have been decided by five points or less.
• That includes last year's games where Idaho State won at home, 65-61, before the Hornets won at home on Senior Night by a 70-65 score.
• The last time the teams didn't play close was a 68-49 Hornet home win on Jan. 4, 2020.
• The Hornets are 14-12 when playing Idaho State at home.
• 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 Hornets' 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 this year's Big Sky preseason coaches poll.
• Sacramento State is currently wearing black patches on the left shoulder of their jerseys in honor of Robert "Money" Martin who passed away in late November. Martin played for the Hornets from 1985-89, and remains the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,774 career points. That includes a program-record 294 made 3-pointers.

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Every game the remainder of the year will stream 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 game notes can be accessed in link above.