MEN'S HOOPS TRAVELS TO MISSOULA THURSDAY FOR MATCHUP WITH MONTANA

2/7/2011

Junior Walter Jackson is averaging 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists over the last four games

GAME PREVIEW

Sacramento State (6-16, 3-8) plays for the first time in a week when the team travels to Missoula to face Montana (16-7, 8-3) on Thursday, Feb. 10…tip-off at Dahlberg Arena is 6:05 p.m. PST…the Hornets have won three of their last four games, including a 63-55 home win over Portland State in their last game on Feb. 3…prior to the four-game stretch, Sacramento State had lost nine straight…part of the reason for the four-game surge has been the team’s ability to pull boards on the offensive glass…Sacramento State is averaging 15 offensive rebounds and 16.5 second-chance points over the last four games…now that the Hornets have established a home court advantage (winning three straight inside the friendly confines), the team needs to rectify its problems on the road…Sacramento State is 0-11 on the road this year and has lost 14 straight on the road dating back to last season…three of those road losses this season have come in overtime, including games at Eastern Washington and Idaho State to open the conference season…Sacramento State is now 2.0 games back of a playoff spot as the top six teams in the nine-member league reach the Big Sky Tournament…Eastern Washington and Montana State currently hold the last two spots with 5-6 records…of the Hornets’ final five conference games, three will come on the road…Montana has lost two straight, dropping road games last week to Weber State and Northern Arizona by an average of 16.5 points…the Grizzlies, however, are 10-1 at home this year, and a perfect 5-0 against Big Sky teams…Montana owns a 29-5 all-time record (eight straight wins) in the series with Sacramento State, including a 68-52 win in Sacramento on Jan. 8…the Hornets have dropped seven straight in Missoula with the last win coming in a Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal game on March 8, 2003…Thursday’s contest can be seen live and free via webcast at www.bigskytv.org…the game can be heard live locally on KRJY 1240 AM, and on the internet at www.hornetsports.com with play-by-play announcer Steve McElroy calling the action...live stats for the game are available at www.gogriz.com.

For Sacramento State's complete set of game notes, click on the link above the story.