SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Junior Pablo Gonzales and sophomore Rene Jacques

each scored 19 points to lead Sacramento State to a 62-59 victory over

the University of Portland Thursday night at Memorial Auditorium.

The victory improved the Hornets to 6-5 on the season. The start tiesthe squad with the 1990-91 team for the best start this decade. ThePilots dropped to 5-6.

Sacramento State trailed by as many as 13 late in the game but rallied back behind the play of Gonzales and Jacques who combined for nine three-pointers and 13-of-24 shooting from the line.

Portland held CSUS to .310 from the field in the first half and

outrebounded the Hornets, 26-18, to build a 38-30 halftime advantage.

The Pilots opened the second period on a 7-2 run to stretch the lead to45-32 with 16:28 to play.

A three-point basket by Jim Brewer, Jr., and layups by Anthony Flood and Jacques trimmed the lead to 47-41 at the 12: 41 mark. After both teams failed to convert on their next two possessions, Gonzales and Flood each drained a three-pointer to tie the contest, 47-47. Portland built its lead back to three before Jacques connected on a long-range bomb to knot the score, 50-50.

Gonzales then gave the team its first lead of the game with

back-to-back treys including a bank shot from the right wing with 5:08

to play.

Sacramento State held the lead for the next three minutes until Travis Andrews tied the game with his only three-pointer with 2:22 left on the clock. Neither team could muster a basket on its next possession until Arinze Anouro hit Flood with a bounce pass which resulted in a dunk to put the Hornets on top to stay.

Brian Jackson pulled UP within one, 60-59, with 21 seconds left but

Jacques made both of his free throws to extend the lead to three. The

Pilots’ Ryan Jones attempted to send the game to overtime but his

three-point attempt from the right corner was long and Anouro grabbed

the rebound as time expired.

Jones led Portland with 16 points but was held to just six in the

second half. Andrews was the only other UP player in double-digits with 11 points.

Flood joined Gonzales and Jacques in double-figures with 12 points.

Sacramento State opens its Big Sky Conference season on Jan. 4 against

Northern Arizona at Memorial Auditorium. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.