MEN’S BASKETBALL PULLS OFF BIG UPSET, KNOCKS OFF OREGON STATE, 65-63

11/21/2009

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Junior Sultan Toles-Bey scored a game-high 17 points and Sacramento State hung on late for a 65-63 upset victory over Oregon State in a non-conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Gill Coliseum.

The Hornets stopped a pair of long losing streaks with today’s improbable victory. First, the team snapped a 39-game road losing streak that dated back to Dec. 30, 2006, when the Hornets won at Northern Colorado. The 39 straight road losses had been the longest active streak in the Div. I ranks.

Secondly, Sacramento State had dropped 29 straight games to Pacific-10 Conference opposition and carried a 1-30 record against the Pac-10 prior to today’s victory. In fact, the team’s last win against  a Pac-10 opponent came on Dec. 17, 1953, when the Hornets beat Washington State at home, 45-44.

In addition, the Hornets improved to 3-2 this season, which is already one more victory than all of last season when the team finished 2-27. Sacramento State has now won two games away from home, including a neutral-site win over Houston Baptist last weekend. Sacramento State has also won two in a row, which is the team’s longest winning streak since the 2006-07 season.

Oregon State, which entered the game with a 5-0 all-time record against the Hornets, dropped to 1-3 this season. Today marked the Beavers’ home opener after the team began the year by going 1-2 at the Duel in the Desert in Lubbock, Texas.

“We have two goals this year – get better every day and win the next game,” Sacramento State second-year head coach Brian Katz said. “Oregon State happened to be that next game and now we will focus on (Tuesday’s opponent) Idaho.

“I’m really happy for our seven seniors. They worked so hard last year, and are really determined and fearless this season. They made up their minds they would be relentless this season and the rest of the team is following.”

Sacramento State used a 27-4 run over the final 10:18 of the first half to take a game-high 22-point lead (44-22) at halftime. During the run, the Hornets buried seven three-pointers, which included three from Toles-Bey during the final 3:51 of the half. In fact, of Sacramento State’s nine three-pointers during the game, seven came during the that big run, including a 26-footer from Toles-Bey as the clock was winding down to end the first half.

The Hornets finished the first half shooting a blistering 60.0 percent (9-15) from the three-point line, and that was all the three-pointers the team would convert the remainder of the game. Six different Sacramento State players had at least five points at the half, including nine each from Toles-Bey and Antonio Flaggs.

After exchanging buckets the first four minutes of the second half, Oregon State began to chip away at the Hornet lead. Sacramento State would score just eight points during the first 12:40 of the second half to let the Beavers back in the game. A 27-8 OSU run spanning 10:32 of the second got the Beavers to within one point of the Hornets’ lead (54-53) with 5:30 to play.

Oregon State would eventually take its first lead since the 10:36 mark of the first half, when a layup from Joe Burton gave OSU a 60-58 lead with 2:41 to play. Toles-Bey, however, responded with a layup to tie the game at 60-60, and after a missed jumper from the Beavers, Toles-Bey knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Hornets back on top, 62-60, with 1:34 left.

Sacramento State then forced the Beavers into a missed jumper from Calvin Haynes, and Justin Eller tipped in a missed shot on the other end to give Sacramento State a four-point lead (64-60) with 29 seconds to play. Haynes converted on a layup with 10 seconds to play, before Flaggs was immediately fouled and knocked down 1-of-2 free throws to give the Hornets a 65-62 lead with eight seconds to play.

Sacramento State elected to foul on Oregon State’s next possession rather than give the Beavers a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer. Haynes, who attempted at least one field goal or free throw during each of OSU’s last five possessions, made the first free throw and missed the second. Sacramento State freshman John Dickson pulled the rebound, but was tied up on the play. The possession arrow went to the Beavers and they had one more opportunity to tie the game with six seconds left, trailing, 65-63. Haynes missed a jumper with three seconds left and Burton pulled the rebound but turned the ball over as time expired, giving Sacramento State the win.

The Hornets had three players score in double figures, comprised of Toles-Bey (17, six of those points came during the final 5:19), Eller (12 points, five rebounds) and Flaggs (10 points). Michael Selling had six points and a career-high 10 rebounds, and point guard Mike Marcial finished with five points, five assists, no turnovers and two steals. Dickson added seven points, five rebounds and two blocked shots, and Domineek Daniel had seven points, three rebounds and two assists.a

For Oregon State, Seth Tarver finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three steals while Haynes had 11 points (3-of-12 shooting). No other Beaver scored more than eight. Sacramento State outrebounded Oregon State, 39-37, and has been outrebounded in just one game this season.

Sacramento State finished the game shooting 39.7 percent (23-58) from the field, 56.3 percent (9-16) from the three-point line and 10-of-12 (.833) from the free throw line. The Hornets scored 12 second-chance points while limiting Oregon State to just four points on second-chance opportunities. Oregon State shot 41.7 percent (25-60) from the floor, 26.7 percent (4-15) from the three-point line and 60.0 percent (9-15) from the charity stripe.

Sacramento State looks to continue its winning ways when the team returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 24, for a game at Idaho. Tip is 7:05 p.m. The Hornets are 1-13 all-time against the Vandals, including a 72-58 loss last season in Sacramento.