MEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS PORTLAND STATE THURSDAY NIGHT IN HOME FINALE

2/22/2012

Junior Julian Demalleville is one of six Hornets to appear in all 26 games this season

GAME PREVIEW

Sacramento State (9-17, 4-10) will play its final home game of the season on Thursday against Portland State (13-13, 7-6)…tip-off at the Nest is 7:35 p.m…the game is part of a doubleheader that will see the Hornet women’s squad take on Idaho State at 5:05 p.m…the Hornets are 3-2 when playing the second half of a doubleheader during head coach Brian Katz’s four-year tenure with the team…Sacramento State seniors Heath Hoffman and Josh McCarver will be honored for their contributions prior to the game…Thursday will mark the first of two remaining games on the Hornets’ regular season schedule as the team also plays at Idaho State on Saturday evening…with one more victory, Sacramento State will have increased its conference win total for the fourth straight year…one more win would also secure the program’s first double-digit overall win total since the 2006-07 squad won 10 games…after going 0-8 during the first half of Big Sky Conference play, the Hornets are 4-2 during the second half, but have lost each of their last two league games…that includes an 85-67 loss at Portland State last week…the Hornets still have a small opportunity to qualify for the Big Sky Tournament as the top six teams in the nine-member league reach the postseason event…Sacramento State, which is currently in eighth place, will need to win its final two games and get help from other outcomes in the Big Sky over the season’s final six days (the final day of the Big Sky regular season is Tuesday)…Portland State, which has won three straight league games, can clinch a spot in the Big Sky Tournament with a win over the Hornets on Thursday…the Vikings own a 23-10 record in the all-time series between the two teams, and have won nine of the last 10 meetings…however, Sacramento State beat Portland State last season at the Nest (63-55) and own an 8-7 record against the Vikings in Big Sky games played in Sacramento…Thursday’s game can be heard live on the radio on KAHI 950 AM and on the internet at www.hornetsports.com with 15th year play-by-play announcer Steve McElroy calling all the action…like every game played in a Big Sky venue, a free live video stream is available at www.bigskytv.org…live stats of the game can be found at www.hornetsports.com.

Sacramento State's full set of game notes can be accessed by clicking on the link above the story.