GAME PREVIEW
• Sacramento State (6-14, 2-5) will complete its week against the Treasure State schools on Saturday when the Hornets host Montana (13-7, 4-3) at the Nest. Tip is 6 p.m.
• Saturday will be Coaches vs. Cancer Night.
• The Hornets are coming off a 70-62 home loss to Montana State on Thursday, while Montana fell on the road at Portland State, 72-46.
• Sacramento State saw its four-game home winning streak snapped, and the Hornets are now 5-3 when playing at home. Thursday was the Hornets' first home loss against a Big Sky opponent, as the team has two-point wins over both Weber State and Idaho State.
• The Hornets are 6-3 when limiting the opposition to 69 points or less, and 0-11 when opponents score 70 or more.
• Of Sacramento State's seven Big Sky games, six have been decided by single digits. Four of those have been decided by three points or fewer.
• Each of the Hornets' last five Big Sky games have been decided by single digits.
• Saturday's game will be the eighth against a Big Sky opponent, as the Hornets inch towards the midway point of the conference season (18 games in total).
• Prior to its loss to Portland State on Thursday, Montana had won three straight and six of its last seven. The Grizzlies have been solid on the road (5-5), which includes a 10-point win at Montana State and 12-point win at UC Davis.
• Montana is 11-3 over its last 14 games after beginning the season 2-4.
• Sacramento State is 12-48 all-time against Montana, but has won three of the last five meetings. That includes a 67-48 home win over the Grizzlies last season. Montana won last year's meeting in Missoula by a 74-72 score.
• The Hornets are 9-20 when playing at home vs. Montana, but 5-5 in the last 10 meetings at the Nest.
• Montana can shoot it, as the team is averaging 77.4 points per game while shooting 48% from the field (22nd in nation) and 78% from the free throw line (10th in nation).
• 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.
• Sacramento State is currently wearing black patches on the left shoulder of their home white 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 found above.
