SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Seniors Brandon Guyton (22) and Joel Jones (21) combined for 43 of the Hornets’ 96 points as Sacramento State defeated EA Sports, 96-88, in a men’s basketball exhibition game Saturday evening at the Hornets Nest.Guyton went 6-of-6 from beyond the three-point line and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to account for his 22 points. The Stockton, Calif., native, who also finished with a game-high five steals, played a major role in Sacramento State shooting 52.2 percent (12-23) from beyond the three-point line. Jones went 8-of-18 from the field (including three three-pointers) to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Sacramento State led from start to finish, while building a game-high 16-point lead with 6:18 remaining in the second half. Senior Joseth Dawson (15 points, five assists) and sophomore DaShawn Freeman (11 points, seven assists, three steals) joined Guyton and Jones in double figures for the Hornets.
Tonight’s exhibition game marked the second and final tune-up of the year for Sacramento State as the team prepares for its season opener at 17th-ranked Stanford on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Maples Pavilion. Four of the Hornets’ first six games of the season will be on the road. Sacramento State’s home opener takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 25, against Dominican at 7:05 p.m.
EA Sports was made up of former collegiate players, including San Francisco’s Shamell Stallworth, who scored a game-high 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting. EA Sports shot 56.9 percent (29-51) from the field and 70.0 percent (7-10) from the three-point line. Will Levy (Eastern Washington) led all players with nine rebounds.
The Hornets used an 11-2 run midway through the first half to extend a three-point lead to 12 (35-23) with 7:03 remaining. Three-pointers on consecutive possessions by Guyton and Dawson (twice) highlighted the run. Blandon Ferguson scored the final four points of the half to get EA Sports within 11 points (47-36) at halftime.
With the Hornets leading by 12 (85-73) with 2:58 to play in the second half, EA Sports went on a 12-4 run over the next two minutes to get within four points (89-85) with 1:00 remaining. Freeman turned the ball over on the Hornets’ next possession, but EA Sports could not capitalize as Damien Johnson missed two free throws.
On Johnson’s second missed free throw, Levy was whistled for a foul that resulted in a technical on EA Sports head coach Carl Foster for arguing. Jones knocked down two free throws and Dawson made one of the technical free throws to put the Hornets back up by seven points (92-85). EA Sports would get no closer than within six points of Sacramento State’s lead the rest of the way.
Sacramento State’s Jameel Pugh and Tony Champion each had nine points while Champion grabbed a team-high tying seven rebounds. The Hornets committed 23 turnovers, but forced EA Sports into 31 turnovers. Sacramento State went 20-of-26 (.769) from the free-throw line, including 7-of-8 from Dawson.