JACKSON’S 19 POINTS LEADS MEN’S BASKETBALL TO SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER MENLO

11/11/2011

Senior Walter Jackson had a career-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Senior Walter Jackson had a career-high 19 points and junior Joe Eberhard added 11 points and seven rebounds to lead Sacramento State to a 70-56 victory over Menlo in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday evening at The Nest. The game was the season opener for the Hornets.

Jackson, who played 31 minutes, shot 7-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line while also adding four rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He had a chance to score 20 points, but missed his final free throw of the contest with 1:55 to play. Eberhard played all 40 minutes, and his seven rebounds were a team high.

With the victory, Sacramento State won its season opener for the first time since the 2006-07 season, and for just the fifth time since joining the Div. I ranks in 1991-92. Menlo, which is an NAIA program from Atherton, Calif., that plays in the California Pacific Conference, dropped to 0-3 with the loss. The Hornets are now 4-0 all-time against the Oaks in a series which dates back to 1999-00.

After Menlo took its largest lead of the night at 21-17 with seven minutes to play, Sacramento State went on a 6-0 run to take a 23-21 lead and never trailed the rest of the evening. It was an Eberhard layup that gave the Hornets the 23-21 lead with 4:30 left in the first half and Sacramento State didn’t trail the final 24:30 of the contest. In fact, the Hornets held Menlo without a field goal for nearly 11 minutes of the second half, and the Oaks were outscored in the second half by a 39-25 margin.

“I thought Menlo was extremely physical in the first half and they were a tougher team than we were,” Sacramento State fourth-year head coach Brian Katz said. “However, we made a few adjustments at halftime and played a good second half.”

Sacramento State shot 44.0 percent (22-50) from the field and 77.4 percent (24-31) from the free throw line. In addition, the Hornets committed just nine turnovers and outrebounded Menlo by a 33-28 margin. Fourteen of Sacramento State’s 33 rebounds came on the offensive glass and the Hornets took advantage, scoring 21 second-chance points.

Menlo shot 44.2 percent (19-43) from the field and was held to zero fast-break points. The Oaks shot 70.8 percent (17-24) from the free throw line, but committed 14 turnovers.

Ten of the 11 Sacramento State players that appeared in the game scored points, including freshman point guard Dylan Garrity who finished with nine points, four assists (one turnover) and three rebounds in 36 minutes. Junior Jordan Estrada was the only Hornet to hit a three-pointer as he knocked down two treys and finished with nine points. Junior John Dickson, who was in foul trouble nearly the entire evening, had eight points, three rebounds, a block and steal in 14 minutes. Sophomore shooting guard Jackson Carbajal played just two minutes after leaving the game with an injury.

For Menlo, Andrew Young scored a team-best 16 points (7-of-7 shooting from the field), Cyleb Burton added 12 points and Tim Tatum had 11 points and a game-best nine rebounds.

Sacramento State’s home game Sunday against Central Arkansas and head coach Corliss Williamson will begin at 1 p.m. Should the Hornets win that game, it would mark the first time since the 2000-01 season the team has opened the year with two victories.