The Sacramento State men's basketball team will play the first of its

final two games of the season this Thursday, March 1, when it travels

to Montana.

The Hornets enter the game with a 5-20 overall record and a 2-12 mark

in the Big Sky Conference. Sacramento State split a pair of games

last week recording a 77-60 win over Portland State before losing to

Eastern Washington, 80-68.

Montana is currently 10-16 overall and 5-10 in the Big Sky. The

Grizzlies, who won the regular season Big Sky title last season,

currently sit in eighth place.

The game will be broadcast on KTKZ 1380 AM with Steve McElroy calling

the action. The contest can also be heard via www.hornetsports.com.

After eight seasons as an assistant coach, including one with

Sacramento State, Jerome Jenkins takes over as head coach this year.

Jenkins became the 12th coach in the 52-year history of Hornet

basketball when he was named to the position on March 14, 2000.

The 33-year old coach served as the team's top assistant last season

and was credited with designing the squad's much improved defense.

Jenkins came to Sacramento State after serving two seasons as an

assistant at Eastern Washington. Prior to work at EWU, Jenkins 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, Jenkins led the team in assists and steals and was named

all-conference following both seasons.

Jenkins picked up his first career victory on Nov. 17 when the

Hornets topped Bethany College, 103-48. He currently has a 5-20

career record.

Montana is coached by Don Holst. In his third year with the Griz,

Holst has posted a 40-41 overall record.

*A Look at the Latest Action

Four Eastern Washington players scored in double-figures led by Jamal

Jones' 18 to help lead the Eagles to an 80-68 victory over Sacramento

State Saturday night at Hornet Gym.

The Eagles led 63-60 with 4:49 left on the clock but were able to

extend their advantage by making 10-consecutive free throws. Helping

EWU's cause was a controversial flagrant foul against Derek Lambeth

and a technical foul which was levied against the Sacramento State

bench in the final two minutes of the game.

Eastern Washington jumped to an early lead in the first half and led

by as many as eight points (14-6, 14:02) before Sacramento State

battled back to tie the game, 18-18. The Eagles then pushed the lead

back to 11 points with 2:30 left in the period but the Hornets ended

the half on an 8-0 run to trail by only three at intermission.

Sacramento State opened the second period with a jumper by Pablo

Gonzales to pull within one but EWU responded with a 10-4 run to lead

by seven, 42-35. The Hornets pulled back within two on a tip-in by

Gonzales with 14:05 left in the contest but could never pull closer.

Jones was joined in double figures by Aaron Olson (15), Chris White

(13) and Jason Humbert (11). White also completed a double-double

with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Hornets were led by a career-high from Rame Batta. The senior was

10-for-14 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line for 22 points.

Fellow seniors Pablo Gonzales (16) and Rickie Glenn also scored more

than 10 points for Sacramento State. Glenn paced the team with seven

rebounds.

A Look at the Hornets

Senior Rame Batta closed out his home playing career with two strong

performances. Batta scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds and dished

out six assists in the team's win over Portland State. He then poured

in a career-high 22 points against Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Rickie Glenn's 15-point effort on Saturday lifted him two more spots

on the single-season scoring list. The forward now has 382 points

this season which ranks as the third-highest total since the program

moved to Div. I in 1991-92. The Sacramento, Calif., native needs just

15 points over the final two games to move onto the all-time single

season list.

The current Div. I scoring record is held by Charlo Davis who scored

505 points in 1991-92. Alex Williams owns the all-time record with

767 points in 1987-88.

Pablo Gonzales is also moving up the scoring list. The guard/forward

is tied for sixth on the Div. I single-season list with 363 points.

Rame Batta currently ranks second in the Div. I-era with 54 steals.

The Sacramento, Calif., native trails his own mark of 57, which was

set last season.

It has taken nearly the entire season, but Sacramento State has

finally begun to shoot the ball well from the floor. Over the past

three games, the Hornets are shooting 49.4 percent (82-166) from the

field.

The team began the streak by going 30-for-60 at Weber State. It then

shot 25-for-57 in the win against Portland State and followed that

mark with a 27-for-49 performance against Eastern Washington.

The 55.1 percent against EWU mark the highest field goal percentage

the team has had this season and is just one of three games in which

the Hornets shot above 50 percent.

While the team's overall shooting has been improved, its three-point

percentage has been anything but consistent. The Hornets shot 55.6

percent on a season-best 10-of-18 from long range against Portland

State but then went a dismal 1-for-8 against Montana. The one trey

tied a season-low.

With one more win this season, Sacramento State will equal its Big

Sky win total from each of the past two seasons. The Hornets recorded

3-13 conference records in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. The team currently

stands at 2-11 with two games left. However, both are on the road

where Sacramento State has lost 30-straight Big Sky games.

Derek Lambeth had his seven-game scoring streak snapped when he was

held scoreless against Montana...Glenn has scored double-figures in

11 of the last 12 games he played...Gonzales has cracked 10 points in

nine of the last 10 games...Arinze Anoruo has not started the last

two games in an effort to spark the team's stagnant bench

play...Glenn has averaged 19.2 points and 7.4 rebounds over the past

five games.

Ryan Slider scored on a put-back layup with three seconds to play to

lift Montana to a 67-66 men's basketball victory over Sacramento

State Feb. 8, at Hornet Gym.

Trailing by one with 15 seconds to play, Montana worked the ball to

Kyle Keyes who attempted a three-pointer which clanked off the front

iron. Slider was able to gain position on two Hornet defenders and

converted the layup to give UM the lead.

Sacramento State led for the majority of the first half until the

Griz went on a 9-1 run to end the period with a 31-25 edge.

The Hornets opened the second half with a free throw by Arinze

Anoruo, a jumper by Rickie Glenn and a layup by Derek Lambeth to pull

within one. Rene Jacques eventually evened the score, 41-41, with a

three-pointer at the 13:21 mark. Rame Batta gave the team its first

lead (48-47) since late in the first half with 10:45 to play.

Dan Trammel returned the lead to the Grizzlies with a basket, a pair

of free throws and a tip-in. Travis Greenwalt then stretched the

Montana lead to seven points with a jumper at 7:16. Batta made a pair

of free throws and Anoruo scored on a layup to pull the Hornets

within three. Montana pushed its edge to five before Batta made

another free throw, Glenn scored on a layup and Pablo Gonzales

knocked down a three to tie the score, 63-63, with 1:11 left.

Slider continued to dominate the final minutes with a bucket with 37

seconds left but Gonzales responded with a three pointer to give

Sacramento State a 66-65 lead with 18 seconds left.

Sacramento State was paced by Rickie Glenn's 18 points. Anoruo

recorded his team-leading fifth double-double of the year with 10

points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

A Look at the Grizzlies

contests. The Grizzlies fell at Cal State Northridge, 92-68, and at

Northern Arizona, 77-66, last week. UM, however, is 9-5 at home this

season including a 4-3 record against Big Sky opponents.

leads the team in points, rebounds, blocks and steals.

The Griz rank last in the Big Sky in three-point defense while the

Hornets are last in three-point percentage.

The Series

four contests and are 6-0 all-time in Missoula, Mont.

Who's Up Next

team takes on Idaho State. The Bengals have won the past eight

meeting with the Hornets including a 71-67 victory at Hornet Gym

earlier this season.

Big Sky Notes

Week for the fifth time this season. Heinle averaged 21.1 points and

11.5 rebounds while helping lead Northridge to decisive wins over

Montana and Montana State. He currently leads the Big Sky in scoring

and rebounding and is among the top 10 in assists, steals and blocks.