Since 2000, the Hornets are now 2-9 when playing in southern California, and have lost each of those games by at least nine points. Sacramento State now holds a 6-5 all-time advantage in the series with Long Beach State, but is 0-5 against the 49ers outside of Sacramento.

The Hornets, who dropped to 5-6 this season with the loss, narrowly avoided a season low for field goal percentage. Tonight’s mark of .355 was a shade higher than the .354 mark the team put up earlier this year at Washington. Sacramento State fell to 1-5 on the road this year, and each of the five losses have come by at least nine points.

Long Beach State (5-4) won its third game in a row and improved to 3-0 at home. The 49ers shot 49.1 percent (27-55) from the field and 75.0 percent (18-24) from the free throw line while forcing the Hornets into 18 turnovers.

After a tip-in from junior Davon Roberts gave the Hornets their largest lead of the night at two points (6-4), Long Beach State went on a 10-0 run to take a 14-6 lead with 15:24 remaining in the first half. Nixon knocked down a pair of three-pointers and Dominique Ricks scored four points during the run. The Hornets would get no closer than within six points of the Long Beach State lead the rest of the night as the 49ers led by at least 10 points during the final 23:22 of the game.

Senior Alex Bausley finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, and junior Angel Alamo had eight points and seven rebounds for a Sacramento State team which shot just 20.0 percent (3-15) from beyond the arc and 53.3 percent (8-15) from the free throw line. Sophomore Loren Leath had all three of the Hornets’ three-pointers as the shooting guard finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field. Alamo (3-of-6) was the only Hornet with more than two field goal attempts to shoot 50.0 percent or better from the floor.

Sacramento State’s 55 points were a season low as the team entered the game averaging 78.0 per contest. In addition, the team was averaging 12.0 steals per game, but finished with six, including two from both Haron Hargrave and Justin Williams.

Long Beach State’s starters combined for 61 of the team’s 76 points, comprised of Nixon, Kejuan Johnson (15 points, four steals), Kevin Houston (10 points), Sterling Byrd (nine points, 10 rebounds) and Ricks (eight points).

Sacramento State will take a week off before continuing its season-long four game road trip on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Boise State. After the Boise State game, the Hornets do not play again until their Big Sky Conference opener at Northern Arizona on Thursday, Dec. 28.