GAME PREVIEW
• With just four games left in the regular season, Sacramento State (6-21, 2-12) will play its final two road games this week, beginning with Thursday at Montana (17-10, 8-5). Tip at Dahlberg Arena is set for 6 p.m. PT.
• The Hornets are coming off an 80-75 home loss to Northern Colorado on Saturday in which they led by three points with five minutes to play. However, the Bears took control with an 11-0 run and led by at least four points the rest of the way.
• Sacramento State has dropped 10 consecutive games, the program's longest losing streak since the 2008-09 team dropped 14 straight.
• Of those 10 losses, seven have come by single digits. In fact, of the Hornets' 14 Big Sky Conference games, 10 have been decided by single digits. That includes seven that were decided by five points or less.
• Sacramento State is 1-12 on the road this season, and is seeking its first road win against a Big Sky opponent (0-7). Of those seven losses, five have come by single digits. That includes their most recent road loss - a 58-53 defeat at Weber State on Feb. 10.
• Sacramento State has gone decidedly young. The Hornets are routinely starting two or three freshmen. In addition, four freshmen and a sophomore are in the team's nine-man rotation. There have been a few times when five freshmen were in the rotation of late.
• Montana is coming off a convincing 88-69 home win over rival Montana State on Saturday. The Griz are 10-3 at home, and 4-2 against league opposition.
• Montana dealt the Hornets one of the more heartbreaking losses of the season on Jan. 27 at the Nest. The Hornets led, 67-60, but Montana closed the final 3:31 on a 10-0 run to win, 70-67. The Hornets missed their last six shots and did not score the final 3:49.
• The Griz currently sit in fourth place in the Big Sky standings, just a game out of second.
• Sacramento State is 12-49 all-time against Montana, including a 3-25 mark on the road. However, the teams have split the last six matchups.
• Three of the last four meetings have been decided by three points or less, and five of the last six by seven points or fewer. Each of the last three games in Missoula have been decided by two points or less: UM 74-72 in 22-23; SAC 72-71 in 21-22; UM 52-50 in 19-20.
• 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.
MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS
• Every game the remainder of the year will stream on ESPN+.
• All home games are announced by 27th-year play-by-play voice Steve McElroy.
• This marks the third straight season all Hornet home games, and games played at a Big Sky Conference venue, are streaming 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.
