BOISE, Idaho -- Behind the strength of career nights from Akol Mawein and Bailey Nunn, Sacramento State led for 35 minutes of game clock and eventually defeated Idaho, 72-64, in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament Saturday evening at Idaho Central Arena.

With the victory, the Hornets, who have won three of their last four games, will advance to the tournament quarterfinal round tomorrow vs. Eastern Washington at 4:30 p.m. PT. Sacramento State has now won its first round Big Sky Tourney game seven times in the last 10 years.

In tonight's game, Mawein was remarkable, finishing with a career-high 25 points on 7-10 FG, 2-3 3FG, 9-11 FT, which included 12 points in the first half and 13 more in the second. He eclipsed his previous career best by eight points, and the 25 points are tied for fifth most ever scored by a Sacramento State player at the Big Sky Tournament. That included going 7-for-8 from the free throw line over the final four minutes to help ice the victory.

He was joined by Nunn who tied his career high with 14 points to go with a pair of assists and a game-high +15 in plus/minus. Mawein and Nunn combined for 39 of the Hornets' 72 points. Sacramento State led for over 35 minutes of game clock (35:06), and the Hornets finally got a comfortable lead with a 6-0 run that gave the team a 62-52 lead with 2:27 to play. Idaho would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

As a team, the Hornets went 12-of-14 from the line over the final four minutes. Sacramento State never led by double figures until that 6-0 spurt, and the team's largest advantage was 11 points. Idaho's only lead came at 3-0 as the Vandals striped a 3-pointer on their first position, Sacramento State responded with a 9-0 run, and never trailed the rest of the way.

The Hornets shot 44% (22-50) from the field and 88% (22-25) from the free throw line. The Hornets withstood 10 Idaho makes from distance (10-31) by holding sizable advantage over the Vandals in rebounds (32-26), second chance points (12-7) and bench points (25-5). The Hornets also scored 13 points off 13 Idaho turnovers. The Vandals shot 43% (24-56) from the field.

For the Hornets, Zee Hamoda finished with eight points and three assists, Austin Patterson had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Jacob Holt seven points and four rebounds. Holt was a +8, as the team's bench of Nunn (+15), Holt (+8) and Alex Kovatchev (+7) came up huge tonight. Bowyn Beatty had four points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Kovatchev four points, three rebounds and a steal.

Of the eight Hornets used in tonight's game, four were freshmen (Nunn, Beatty, Kovatchev, Emil Skytta).