Thompkins’ output came on 10-of-11 shooting as the senior also added seven rebounds. The Hornets erased an eight-point deficit (50-42) with 9:22 to play, as the team went on an 18-3 run spanning 5:12 of the second half to take a commanding seven-point lead (60-53) with 4:10 left.

Payne, who has played in just eight games this season, entered the game at the 9:20 mark and sparked the Hornets’ run. The Detroit native hit a three-pointer to give the Hornets the lead while also grabbing a rebound and dishing out one assist during the team’s pivotal run. He would add two more free throws down the stretch to finish with five points, one shy of his Sacramento State career high.

The Hornets improved to 8-11 overall and 2-4 in the Big Sky Conference. Sacramento State, which has now defeated Montana State at home in five-consecutive years, moved into a three-way tie for sixth place in the conference standings with Montana and Portland State. The top six teams in the eight-team conference qualify for the Big Sky Tournament (March 6-10). The Hornets will take on Montana at home this Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7:05 p.m.

Montana State, which lost despite shooting 46.4 percent (26-56) from the field, dropped to 11-8 and 3-3 in the conference. The Bobcats had entered the game as winners of eight of their last 10. Sacramento State controlled the glass as the Hornets finished with nine more rebounds (39-30), including 14 on the offensive end resulting in nine second-chance points.

Joining Thompkins in double figures for the Hornets were seniors Brandon Guyton (16 points, four three-pointers, three assists and one steal) and Joseth Dawson (11 points, five assists and three steals). Junior Jameel Pugh added eight points, three steals and a team-high eight rebounds.

Sacramento State iced the game by going 12-of-14 from the free-throw line over the final 2:21 of the contest, including a perfect 4-for-4 from both Dawson and Guyton. The Hornets, who never trailed during the entire first half, scored 35 points over the final 10 minutes of the contest.

The Hornets began the second half with a 28-22 advantage and quickly stretched the lead to seven points (29-22) on a Tony Champion free throw. Montana State then went on a 28-13 run to take a game-high eight-point lead at 50-42. The Bobcats’ Jason Erickson scored 16 of the team’s points during the run and scored 22 second-half points after tallying just two points in the first half.

Sacramento State responded with its run, which included back-to-back three-pointers from Guyton and Payne. Dawson hit a three-pointer at the 2:40 mark to give the Hornets a team-high tying nine-point lead (65-56) with 2:40 remaining. The Hornets iced the game with free throws down the stretch as Montana State would get no closer than three points of Sacramento State’s lead the rest of the way.

Erickson led all players with 24 points while Frank Brown had a game-high nine rebounds for Montana State.

After Saturday’s game against Montana, the Hornets have just two home games remaining on the regular-season schedule (Feb. 19 vs. Weber State and Feb. 21 vs. Idaho State).