After earning a split in a two-game road trip at Montana State and Montana, the Sacramento State men’s basketball team returns to the Hornets Nest to host Northern Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 8. The game against the Lumberjacks will tip off at 7:05 p.m.

The contest will be broadcast on KTKZ 1380 AM with Steve McElroy providing the play-by-play. For those outside the greater Sacramento area, the game can also be heard via the internet at www.hornetsports.com.

Saturday’s contest marks the first game of the second half of the Big Sky Conference season for both teams. Sacramento State comes into the contest with an 8-12 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the Big Sky. Northern Arizona is 11-9 overall and also 2-5 in league games. The two teams and Portland State are part of a three-way tie for the sixth and final position in the Big Sky Tournament.

Earlier this season, the Hornets defeated the Lumberjacks, 85-81, in double overtime.

• Meet the Coaches

Jerome Jenkins returns for his third season as head coach at Sacramento State. Jenkins became the 12th coach in the 53-year history of Hornet basketball when he was named to the position on March 14, 2000.

The 34-year old coach came to Sacramento State prior to the 1999-2000 season and served as the team’s top assistant coach. Jenkins previously had worked two seasons as an assistant at Eastern Washington. Prior to working at EWU, he spent four seasons at Diablo Valley College.

A native of Los Angeles, Jenkins was an all-conference point guard at L.A. City College as a freshman before playing his sophomore season at Southwestern Oregon C.C. He then transferred to Regis University in Denver, Colo., where he played his final two seasons. While with the Rangers, he led the team in assists and steals and was twice named all-conference.

Jenkins picked up his first career victory on Nov. 17 when the Hornets topped Bethany College, 103-49. He currently has a 21-53 career record.

Northern Arizona is led by Mike Adras. Currently in his fourth season with the Lumberjacks, Adras has guided NAU to a 60-48 overall record.

A Look at the Hornets

• The White Stuff

Jimmy White has been a coach’s dream during the first seven Big Sky games of the season. The senior from Las Vegas has done a little of everything for the team at both ends of the court.

So far, White is averaging 12.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per league game. Against Weber State, he recorded nine points, nine boards, five blocks and four assists.

In conference games, he currently leads the Big Sky in blocked shots, is tied for third in rebounding and is fourth in field goal percentage.

White is one of just two players (Derek Lambeth) to start all 20 games for Sacramento State this season. In those games, he is averaging 9.4 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds. He also paces the team with 27 blocked shots.

With seven games still to play, White currently ranks sixth in the school’s Div. I single-season history in blocked shots. Vincent Stewart set the mark with 42 rejections in 1993-94.

• Get the Hooks

Senior guard Raashad Hooks is pleased to have his starting role back. The San Jose, Calif., native is averaging 11.5 points per game over the past four contests, all of which he has started.

Last week, Hooks scored 14 points at Montana State and tied for the team lead with 15 points at Montana. He also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the two games. Against Montana, he grabbed three steals and had two blocked shots.

This season, Hooks has started 13 of the team’s 20 games at both point guard and shooting guard. He is currently tied with DaShawn Freeman for the team lead with 76 assists and is one of three Hornets to average over 10.0 ppg in league. He is also ranked in the top three on the team in points, rebounds, three-pointers, steals and blocks.

• Grand Larceny

In what has become one of the tightest races in the league, DaShawn Freeman retained the crown as the Big Sky’s top thief with the help of three steals at Montana. Freeman now has 56 steals through 20 games staying ahead of Eastern Washington’s Alvin Snow (55 steals in 21 games).

The pair also rank among the nation’s best. In the most current release, Freeman is tied for 10th and Snow is 13th among all Div. I players.

Freeman is currently on pace to end the season with 76 steals. The school record is 65 set by Pat Wallace during the 1989-90 season.

However, Freeman is not the only thief on the team. Raashad Hooks is currently third in the league with 40 steals. The Hornets also lead the Big Sky, and are ranked 28th in Div. I, with 9.05 steals per game.

As a team, Sacramento State has led the conference in steals each season under Jerome Jenkins.

• Entitled to an Off Night

Derek Lambeth’s streak of 19-straight games with at least eight points came to a close on Saturday when he was limited to three at Montana. The senior was 1-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-2 at the free-throw line to account for his scoring. Lambeth’s previous low for the season was eight (three times).

This season, Lambeth has scored in double figures 13 times, including two 19-point efforts — which have come over the past six games.

Lambeth has now scored 236 points this year to lead the team and rank 13th in the Big Sky. He needed just 15 games this season to eclipse his previous career high of 169 points which was set last season. He also ranks second on the team with 82 rebounds and third with 33 assists.

• First Impressions

Chris Lange and Cedric Thompkins have both been nice additions to the Hornet lineup. Lange has averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds since moving into the starting lineup four games ago. At Montana, the freshman tied his career high with 11 points.

Thompkins is averaging 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in his two games. He scored 11 points at Montana State and tied for the team lead with 11 rebounds at Montana.

• Other Notes

Jimmy White is 34-for-56 from the field (.607) over the past seven games...White is also averaging 11.6 points per game during that stretch...Guyton’s seven three-pointers and Raashad Hooks’ 12 assists were Circle K Court records.

• A Look at the Last Meeting

Senior Jimmy White scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help lead Sacramento State to an 85-81 double-overtime win against Northern Arizona on Jan. 11 at the J.L Walkup Skydome.

Sacramento State trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half before the team went on an 18-8 run to pull within three (35-32) at halftime. Northern Arizona pushed its lead to six in the opening minutes of the second period only to see the Hornets claim a 54-53 edge with 7:50 left in regulation.

The lead, however, was short-lived as NAU went on a 5-0 run. Sacramento State rallied in the final minutes and tied the game on a layup by DaShawn Freeman with nine seconds showing on the clock.

Neither team was able to build a lead larger than two points in the first overtime. Emir Medunjanin tied the game with a free throw with 41 seconds left and both teams missed game-winning shots in the final 11 seconds.

The Hornets began the second overtime by scoring six of the first eight points, to lead 81-77. The biggest blow came from White who buried just his fifth three-pointer of the season.

NAU pulled within two on a dunk by Aaron Bond with five seconds remaining, but Freeman sealed the game with a pair of free throws.

White was joined in double figures by Derek Lambeth (15), Raashad Hooks (14), Freeman (13) and Medunjanin (11). Hooks also recorded a career-high seven steals.

As a team, Sacramento State shot .451 from the field and .421 from three-point range. The Hornets also managed to tie the Lumberjacks in rebounding, 41-41.

NAU shot .476 from the field and a subpar .333 from long range.

A Look at the Lumberjacks

• After opening Big Sky play 0-4, Northern Arizona has bounced back to win two of its past three games. Like Sacramento State, the Lumberjacks split the Montana trip last week. NAU defeated Montana in overtime, 97-93, before falling at Montana State, 80-66.

• Senior forward Ryan McDade continues to be the go-to player for Northern Arizona. McDade leads the team in both scoring and rebounding. His 17.3 ppg ranks second in the Big Sky while his 8.3 rpg paces the league. McDade also has a Big Sky-best nine double-doubles.

• The Series

NAU leads the all-time series, 13-6. The Hornets and Lumberjacks split the series last season with each team winning at home.

• Who’s Up Next

Sacramento State continues its homestand with a pair of games next week. The Hornets host Eastern Washington on Feb. 13 and Portland State on Feb. 15.

• Big Sky Notes

Idaho State’s Marquis Poole was named the Big Sky Player of the Week for games between Jan. 27-Feb. 1.

Poole helped guide ISU to a pair of home wins over Eastern Washington and Portland State. Against EWU, Poole had 18 points in an 88-86 double-overtime win.

Against Portland State, he made the game-winning free throw with five seconds left.

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