GAME PREVIEW

• Sacramento State (9-17, 5-9) will play the first of just two remaining home games on the regular season schedule on Saturday vs. Idaho (14-13, 6-8). Tip at Hornet Pavilion is 7 p.m.
• The Hornets are coming off a 102-94 home loss to Eastern Washington on Thursday in which the Eagles opened the game on a 28-4 run.
• Only four regular season games remain on the schedule (two at home, two on the road). 
• The Big Sky Conference Tournament in Boise is on the horizon (March 7-11), and all 10 teams qualify for the single-elimination postseason event. If the season ended today, these same two teams (Hornets and Idaho) would play in the first round.
• The top six teams receive a first round bye, and Idaho is currently the No. 7 seed while Sacramento State is the No. 8 seed.
• Injuries have been a massive problem as the Hornets were without five players on Thursday, including guard Mikey Williams who is averaging 20.1 ppg in conference play. The Hornets were also without two other starters in forwards Jeremiah Cherry and Brandon Gardner. Cherry has missed the last 20 games while Williams has missed three straight.
• Sacramento State has been very good at home, as the team is 9-3 in Hornet Pavilion. That includes a 5-2 mark vs. Big Sky competition. The Hornets had won seven straight at home until a 74-73 loss to first-place Portland State on Feb. 7.
• Part of the reason for the home success is playing in front of big crowds. Sacramento State's average attendance of 2,725 per game is the third best mark in the Big Sky. The Hornets routinely play in front of crowds that fill the fixed seating portion of the facility.
• Despite the Hornets dropping their last four games, the team's nine overall wins and five conference victories are more than last season's records of 7-25 and 3-15.
• Idaho is coming off a 77-67 road loss at Portland State, and has lost six of its last eight games. The Vandals still have an overall record above .500 (14-13) despite struggling a bit during the last month.
• The Vandals are 5-9 on the road (2-5 in league), and have lost three straight roadies.
• Idaho defeated Sacramento State earlier this season (Jan. 22) in Moscow by an 86-76 score. In that game, the Vandals buried 14 3-pointers, their second most of the season.
• Sacramento State is 12-27 all-time vs. Idaho, and has dropped three straight to the Vandals. The last win was a 72-64 victory at the 2024 Big Sky Tournament by a 72-64 score.
• The Hornets are 6-11 at home vs. the Vandals, but have lost three straight. Sacramento State's last victory at home over Idaho came on Feb. 24, 2022 - an 83-51 victory.
• Idaho has four players averaging between 11.7 and 13.9 ppg - Kolton Mitchell (13.9 ppg), Jackson Rasmussen (13.7 ppg), Biko Johnson (12.2 ppg) and Isaiah Brickner (11.7 ppg).

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Saturday's game is televised locally on KMAX 31 and streamed on ESPN+ with 29th-year play-by-play announcer Steve McElroy and former Hornet assistant coach Ajay Riding on the call.
• 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.

LAST MEETING VS. IDAHO

• Idaho connected on 14 3-pointers, and saw five players bury multiple 3-balls, on the way to an 86-76 victory over Sacramento State on Jan. 22 at ICCU Arena.
• The 14 3-pointers tie for the third most allowed this season by the Hornets, as the Vandals shot 44% (14-32) from long range while Hornets connected on just 3-of-14.
• The majority of those 3-pointers came in a first half where Idaho buried 11 of its 21 attempts. The Vandals attempt 28.8 3-pointers per game, the 29th most in the nation.
• Idaho took a comfortable lead after going on a 15-3 run midway through the first half that turned a 24-22 deficit into a 37-26 lead. From there, the Vandals, who held a 53-38 advantage at halftime, never led by anything less than three points the rest of the way.
• Sacramento State made things interesting by going on a 21-9 run to open the second half, and close within three points (62-59) with 12:12 remaining.
• However, Idaho responded with an 11-2 spurt to reclaim a 12-point advantage. The Vandals led by double figures the final 7:19 of the contest.
• Freshman Mark Lavrenov had another big game, registering his third straight double-double. He had a season-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. It was also his fourth straight game with double-figure rebounds.