The game can be heard live on KTKZ 1380-AM with Steve McElroy handling the play-by-play. For those outside the greater Sacramento area, the broadcast can be accessed on www.hornetsports.com.

Sacramento State is tied with Montana State, Portland State and Idaho State for third in the conference standings as the top six squads in the eight-team league reach the Big Sky Tournament (March 6-10). The Hornets have just three games remaining on the schedule as they attempt to reach the conference tournament for the second-consecutive season.

If the season ended today, the Hornets would be the fifth seed in the conference tournament. Weber State and Montana (4-7) are tied for last place, but remain just one game back of the third-place teams. Eastern Washington (10-1) already clinched the regular-season title while Northern Arizona (6-5) is in second place.

The Hornets are 9-3 at home this season, and have won three-consecutive conference games on their home floor. In fact, the team''s nine wins tie its Div. I-era (1991-pres.) record for most victories at home (set in 2001-02). Sacramento State''s five conference victories also tie its record for most Big Sky wins since joining the league in 1996.

Idaho State (10-16, 5-6 Big Sky) has lost four of its last five games and has posted a 3-6 road record. However, the Bengals are 3-0 in their second game of a Big Sky road trip this year. ISU owns the all-time series with the Hornets (17-5), including a one-point win earlier this year in Pocatello. Since joining the Big Sky, the Hornets have defeated ISU once (at home in 2001-02).

Meet the Coaches

Jerome Jenkins is currently in his fourth season at the helm of the Sacramento State basketball program. Since taking over a struggling team in 2000-01, the Hornets have improved their overall and conference records each season, including the program''s first-ever Big Sky Tournament appearance in 2002-03. He has posted a 37-71 record during his tenure as head coach.

Jenkins led the 2002-03 team to the following Div. I single-season records: most wins (12), most road wins (six), most conference wins (five), first Big Sky win on the road, first Big Sky Tournament victory (at Montana), first Big Sky road win, and most Big Sky road wins (two).

The 36-year old coach came to Sacramento State prior to the 1999-2000 season and served as the team’s top assistant coach that year. Jenkins previously had worked two seasons as an assistant at Eastern Washington (1997-99). Prior to working at EWU, he spent four seasons at Diablo Valley College, where he was an assistant coach (1993-95) and associate head coach (1995-97).

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 CC. He then transferred to Regis University in Denver, Colo., where he played his final two seasons.

Doug Oliver is currently in his sixth season as head coach at Idaho State. Last year, he led the Bengals to their first winning season since 1996-97, going 15-14. Oliver spent time as an assistant at Stanford (1986-98), Utah (1985-86) and Boise State (1976-80). He currently has a 63-100 record with the Bengals.

A Look at the Latest Action

Joseth Dawson scored a career-high 32 points (including the Hornets’ final 12 points of the game) to lead Sacramento State to its first-ever victory over Weber State, 64-61, on Thursday.

Dawson went 9-of-18 from the floor, 5-of-9 from the three-point line and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line to surpass his previous career high of 30 points. The 32 points also tied for the fifth most by a Hornet since the program joined the Div. I ranks in 1991-92.

Sacramento State had been 0-18 all-time against Weber State. With the score tied at 52-52 with 7:08 remaining, Dawson took over as he was the only Hornet to score during the final seven minutes of the contest. He began his personal 12-point run with a jumper to put the Hornets up two points (54-52) with 6:52 remaining. Sacramento State led the rest of the way as Dawson and the Wildcats exchanged baskets until a Lance Allred lay-up drew Weber State within one point (62-61) with 25 seconds to play.

Dawson, who was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line during the final 4:29 of the game, was then fouled immediately and converted his free throws to put the Hornets back on top, 64-61, with 23 seconds left. Weber State’s Josh Hamilton missed an off-balance jumper from the baseline with 13 seconds left and Sacramento State’s Jameel Pugh grabbed his game-high 11th rebound. Pugh was immediately fouled and missed the front end of the 1-and-1 situation. Weber State grabbed the rebound and drove the length of the floor, before Nic Sparrow missed a three-point opportunity from the top of the key. The Hornets’ DaShawn Freeman grabbed the rebound as time expired.

Dawson was the only Hornet in double figures as Pugh and senior Brandon Guyton each had nine points. Sacramento State recovered from a dreadful first half in which the team shot just 34.8 percent from the floor (8-23) while missing 14 of its first 18 field-goal attempts. Weber State took advantage, building a game-high 10-point lead (23-13) with 6:36 remaining in the first half. The Hornets, however, responded with an 11-0 run (sparked by eight points from Dawson) to take their only lead of the half (24-23) with 2:02 left. Weber State scored the half’s final five points to go into the break with a 28-24 lead.

The victory marked the Hornets'' first of the season when trailing at halftime. In addition, the 10-point deficit was the team''s largest before coming back to win a game this year.

Sparrow’s 16 points led four Wildcats in double figures while Lance Allred had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

A Look at the Hornets

Bench Bomber

If there was a sixth-man award in the NCAA Div. I ranks, one would think that senior shooting guard Joseth Dawson would have a good shot at winning the honor.

The Fontana, Calif., native has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in four-consecutive games and is averaging 24.5 points over that span. Dawson, who has yet to start a game this season, is leading the team in scoring (14.2 ppg overall and 16.5 ppg against Big Sky competition).

In his second season with the Hornets, the shooting guard has shown an incredible knack for getting to the free-throw line during his career. This season is no different as he easily leads the Big Sky with 122 free throws while ranking second in free-throw percentage (.853). Dawson has reached the free-throw line at least eight times during each of the last four games and is 40-of-44 (.910) over that span. Despite playing less than two seasons, his 222 career free throws ranks third in program history.

Dawson tied his career high with 30 points in the Hornets'' win at Northern Arizona and topped that with a career-high 32 on Thursday against Weber State. The shooting guard''s 16.5 ppg average against Big Sky competition is the league''s fourth-best mark. Although Dawson''s season field-goal percentage of .362 is nothing to brag about, he has made up for it by getting to the free-throw line an average of 6.0 times per game.

Final Five Minutes Don''t Mean Much

So far this season, Sacramento State is a perfect 11-0 when leading a game with five minutes remaining in the second half. That includes Thursday''s game against Weber State in which Sacramento State held a 54-52 advantage with five minutes left. However, the Hornets are 0-13 when trailing with five minutes left in a game.

In the Hornets'' losses, the team has trailed by at least three points with five minutes to play in each of the 13 defeats. Throw away the Oregon State game (where the Hornets trailed by three points), and Sacramento State has trailed by at least five points with five minutes to play. In the 11 victories, the Hornets have been leading by an average of 12.2 points per game while trailing by an average of 10.3 ppg in the losses. The Hornets had been 0-12 when trailing at the half until beating Weber State (Sacramento State trailed by four at the break). Conversely, the team is 10-1 when tied or leading at the break.

The Second Wave

Arguably the deepest squad in the Big Sky Conference, Sacramento State has done nothing to dispel that theory as the team''s bench (non-starters) combined for 71 points in the Hornets'' 110-97 victory at Northern Arizona. The 71 bench points are the most by any team in the nation against a Div. I opponent this season. Only Boise State''s bench (75 points against NAIA opponent Eastern Oregon) has recorded more points in a game from its non-starters.

The Hornets'' bench is now averaging 34.3 points per game after scoring 44 against Weber State on Thursday. The bench''s lowest production this year was 21 points at Stanford.

Head coach Jerome Jenkins has used 11 different players this season to the tune of at least 9.2 minutes per game. Jenkins has used seven different starting lineups and nine different players have started at least one game this season. In fact, the team''s starting five against Weber State (Jameel Pugh, Cedric Thompkins, Brandon Guyton, DaShawn Freeman and Joel Jones) marked the first time Jenkins has used that combination this season.

The point and shooting guard positions are the two deepest on the team. Sacramento State goes three deep at the point (DaShawn Freeman, E.J. Harris and James Payne) and four players have appeared at shooting guard for the Hornets (Joseth Dawson, Guyton, Jones and Pugh) during the year.

Besides Dawson, the only players to not start a game this season for the Hornets are Payne, sophomore Nick Gooding and senior Djibril Diop.

Hornet Notables

Senior Joel Jones was held scoreless against Weber State, marking just the second time this season the swingman had finished with zero points (at San Francisco). Entering the Weber State game, Jones was averaging 16.3 points over his previous four games. He now ranks second on the team with 12.0 points per game...with nine three-pointers against Weber State, the Hornets have now buried at least six treys in all but four games...junior Jameel Pugh tallied a career-high 11 rebounds against Weber State and is averaging 7.7 rebounds over his last three games. Pugh is now sixth in the Big Sky with an average of 2.12 offensive rebounds per game...junior point guard James Payne played 16 minutes against Weber State, one minute shy of his season high (at Eastern Washington)...despite starting six of the last seven games, junior point guard E.J. Harris is averaging 1.3 points per game over that span...senior shooting guard Brandon Guyton has failed to reach double-digit points in five-straight games, his longest streak of the season. However, with three three-pointers against Weber State, Guyton moved into the top spot in the Big Sky in three-pointers per game (2.79)...senior Cedric Thompkins did not record a rebound against Weber State, marking the first time that has happened in any game this season. Thompkins still ranks 10th in the Big Sky in rebounding (5.2 per game)...sophomore point guard DaShawn Freeman has a streak of five-consecutive games with at least two steals. He ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 1.92 per game...freshman power forward Alex Bausley is quietly leading the Hornets in three-point field-goal percentage (.450, 9-20)...senior center Tony Champion tallied four points and five rebounds despite playing just nine minutes against Weber State...Sacramento State ranks first in the conference in steals (8.54) and offensive rebounds per game (12.46)...over the last six games, the Hornets are shooting 72.2 percent (117-162) as a team from the free-throw line...Weber State converted just one three-pointer on Thursday, the lowest amount the Hornets have allowed this year.

A Look At The Last Meeting

Joseth Dawson’s running 14-footer was blocked at the buzzer by Idaho State’s Marquis Poole as Idaho State defeated Sacramento State, 82-81, earlier this season at Pocatello, Idaho.

The Hornets, who took possession of the ball with 31 seconds remaining, melted the clock until Dawson drove towards the basket with four seconds remaining. His shot was blocked and rebounded by Idaho State as the buzzer sounded.

Idaho State outscored the Hornets, 41-39, in the second half, and had all five starters finish in double figures. Scott Henry led the Bengals with a game-high 19 points and 19 rebounds.

The Bengals led for the majority of the second half, including a game-high nine-point lead (56-47) with 15:33 remaining. The Hornets, however, stormed back behind Dawson’s 12 second-half points. Sacramento State eventually took a one-point lead (78-77) on a layup by Cedric Thompkins with 2:18 left in the game. Idaho State immediately responded with a three-pointer by Gardner to retake the lead, 80-78, with 2:05 left.

The Hornets had a chance to tie with 1:43 left, but freshman Alex Bausley missed two free throws, giving the ball back to Idaho State. The Bengals’ Doug D’Amore knocked down two free throws to extend Idaho State’s lead to 82-78, before Dawson responded with a three-pointer to pull the Hornets within one (82-81) with 1:02 remaining. On the ensuing Idaho State possession, Poole missed a jumper and senior Tony Champion grabbed the rebound with 31 seconds left, setting up Sacramento State’s final possession.

A Look At Idaho State

• After beginning the Big Sky season by winning three of its four games, Idaho State has since lost five of its last seven conference contests. The Bengals lead the Big Sky in turnover margin (+2.92) as the team commits an average of just 1.35 per game. Idaho State features one of the Big Sky''s top players in Marquis Poole. The senior from Los Angeles ranks first in the Big Sky in assists (6.13 apg), and second in both scoring (18.0 ppg) and steals (2.09 spg).