With the victory, Sacramento State (13-14, 7-7) not only clinches a spot in the Big Sky Tournament (March 6-10), but will also host Weber State in the first round of the tournament on Saturday, March 6, at 7:05 p.m. The game was huge for both teams as a loss meant the end of the season for one team and a win meant a first-round home playoff game for the other. With the loss, Montana State (14-13, 6-8) has now been knocked out of Big Sky Tournament contention by the Hornets in two-consecutive years.

Sacramento State closes the regular season in a four-way tie for second place in the conference standings, the highest the team has ever finished since joining the Big Sky in 1996-97. Due to a number of tiebreakers, the Hornets will get the No. 4 seed in the tournament and the right to host a first-round quarterfinal game. The semifinals and championship game will take place in Cheney, Wash., as Eastern Washington won the conference’s regular-season championship. Weber State will enter Saturday’s game against the Hornets as the conference’s No. 5 seed after finishing the year with a 14-13 overall record and a 7-7 Big Sky mark. The Wildcats won four of their last five games to close the season. However, the only loss in that five-game run was to the Hornets in Sacramento on Feb. 19.

“Weber State has a great coach (Joe Cravens) and a great tradition of winning in the Big Sky,” Sacramento State head coach Jerome Jenkins said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us on Saturday, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

The Hornets’ 13 victories sets a new Div. I era (1991-pres.) record while the team’s seven wins are the most since joining the Big Sky.

“Our continued improvement over the years is a testament to the Sacramento State administration and my players believing in me,” Jenkins said. “Our guys have gotten better and better during the season, and it all came together tonight.”

In arguably his best game of the season, Pugh finished 9-of-11 from the floor, including a career-high four three-pointers to go along with two rebounds and two steals. Sacramento State, which had three players finish in double figures, shot 48.3 percent (28-58) from the field and 50.0 percent (12-24) from the three-point line while committing just 10 turnovers.

The Hornets began the game ice cold from the field as Montana State jumped out to a game-high 14 point lead (31-17) with 6:48 remaining in the first half. Sacramento State, however, bounced back with the 22-3 run, which included three-pointers from junior E.J. Harris, senior Joseth Dawson and Pugh (two). Pugh had nine points during the run and Dawson had six, including a runner in the lane at the buzzer to give the Hornets a 39-34 halftime lead. Dawson finished the game with 15 points while senior Brandon Guyton added 13 points and three three-pointers to round out the Sacramento State trio in double figures.

Sacramento State never trailed in the second half and opened up a team-best 13-point lead (68-55) with 8:05 remaining on a three-pointer from Guyton. Montana State, however, clawed its way back behind Jason Erickson’s 11 second-half points. Down 10 points (72-62) with 5:41 left in the game, the Bobcats went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 72-72. Erickson had six points during the run, including a four-point play. Pugh responded with a jumper to put the Hornet back on top before another Erickson field goal tied the game again at 74-74 with 1:54 remaining.

Both teams traded possessions without scoring until a Pugh jumper put the Hornets back on top, 76-74, with 59 seconds left. Montana State had a chance to tie but Josh Barsh missed two free throws and Sacramento State iced the game on the free-throw line as both sophomore DaShawn Freeman and Guyton went 2-for-2 during the final 26 seconds.

Freeman and senior Joel Jones each finished with nine points for the Hornets as the team shot 50.0 percent (14-28) from the field and 60.0 percent (6-10) from the three-point line in the second half.

Montana State, which was led by Calvin Ento (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Erickson (17 points), shot 51.9 percent (27-52) from the field, but committed 18 turnovers. The Bobcats held a commanding 34-26 advantage in rebounds, but converted five less three-pointers (7-for-19) than the Hornets and finished with just seven offensive rebounds.

BULLET POINTS ON SOME OF THE TEAM’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THIS SEASON:

-- 13 WINS IN THE REGULAR SEASON SETS DIV. I ERA (1991-PRES.) RECORD

-- 7 BIG SKY CONFERENCE WINS IS THE MOST SINCE JOINING BIG SKY IN 96-97

-- HIGHEST FINISH (TIED FOR SECOND) SINCE JOINING THE BIG SKY

-- BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE (.481) IN DIV. I HISTORY

-- 10 WINS AT HOME SET THE DIV. I ERA RECORD FOR HOME WINS IN A SEASON

-- 10 WINS AT HOME IS THE MOST SINCE THE 1988-89 SEASON (11)

-- FIVE CONFERENCE WINS AT HOME ARE THE MOST SINCE JOINING BIG SKY

-- FIRST WIN IN SCHOOL HISTORY AGAINST WEBER STATE (0-18 PREVIOUS) ON FEB. 19

-- FIRST TIME HORNETS HAVE SWEPT WEBER STATE AND IDAHO STATE AT HOME IN CONFERENCE PLAY

-- SCHOOL RECORD FOR 3 POINT FIELD GOALS IN A GAME-17 VS. IDAHO STATE ON FEB. 21 (PREVIOUS 14 AT USC ON 11-30-91)