The win is the second in a row for the Hornets and marks the first time that Sacramento State has swept the Montana schools (Montana and Montana State) at home since the team joined the conference in 1996-97. The victory moved the Hornets (9-11, 3-4 Big Sky) into a three-way tie for fourth place in the league standings with Weber State and Montana State. With the loss, Montana dropped to 5-14 and 2-5 in the conference.

The victory also marked the Hornets’ first at home over Montana since a 60-57 win during the 1998-99 season at Memorial Auditorium.

Sacramento State, which led for all but one minute, 36 seconds during the contest, shot 45.5 percent (25-55) from the field, the team’s fourth-best mark of the season. The Hornets, who won the game despite shooting 55.9 percent (19-34) from the free-throw line, buried seven three-pointers, including two each from Jones, Dawson and senior Brandon Guyton.

Jones’ 22 points came on 8-of-13 shooting and were three points of his season high (25 at New Mexico). Pugh shot 5-of-7 and combined with Jones for four dunks during the game. The Hornets committed a season-low eight turnovers and while forcing Montana into 17 miscues. The Grizzlies, who used a 26-11 run over parts of the first and second halves to erase a 14-point first-half deficit, shot 41.8 percent (23-55) from the field while going just 4-of-15 (.267) from beyond the three-point arc.

After Montana took its first and only lead of the game at 49-48 with 10:45 left in the contest, the Hornets responded with an 11-3 run to take a 59-52 lead with 5:55 left in the contest. Back-to-back dunks from Pugh and Jones highlighted the run as Montana would get no closer than four points of the Hornet lead the rest of the way.

The Grizzlies had four players finish in double figures, led by Kamarr Davis’ team-high 24 points and six rebounds. Kevin Criswell (14), Matt Dlouhy (10) and Victor Venters (10) rounded out the Montana quartet in double figures. Davis shot 7-of-14 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Sacramento State’s two-game home sweep of Big Sky teams also marked just the third time the team has pulled off the feat. The Hornets swept a conference homestand from Eastern Washington and Portland State in both 1998-99 and 2002-03.

Jones has now led the Hornets in scoring in three of the last four games and is averaging 15.3 points per contest over that span. Freshman Alex Bausley chipped in nine points and a team-best six rebounds and three steals. Guyton (eight points, 2-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc) and sophomore DaShawn Freeman (eight points, three assists and two steals) rounded out the list of six Hornets with at least eight points.

The Hornets play again one week from today as they travel to Flagstaff, Ariz., to take on the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona (Saturday, Feb. 7) at 6:05 p.m. PST.