MEN’S BASKETBALL WINS AGAIN, THIS TIME ON THE ROAD OVER NORTHERN COLORADO

2/2/2012

Freshman Dylan Garrity had 16 points and nine assists, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line during the game's final 45 seconds

GREELEY, Colo. -- Five days after posting their most lopsided win over a Div. I opponent, Sacramento State snapped a seven-game road losing streak by knocking off Northern Colorado, 73-62, in a Big Sky Conference game Thursday evening at the Butler-Hancock Pavilion.

The Hornets, who held a lead the final 37:22 of the contest, shot 50.0 percent (25-50) from the field, 46.2 percent (6-13) from the three-point line and 77.3 percent (17-22) from the free throw line. Sacramento State went 11-of-14 from the charity stripe over the final 1:21 to help ice the victory.

Sacramento State used a 12-0 run midway through the first half to extend a four-point lead to 24-8 with 9:15 remaining before halftime. Four different Hornets scored during the spurt, including Joe Eberhard scoring five of his 14 points during the three-minute run. Sacramento State was never seriously challenged the rest of the way, leading by double figures the majority of the contest. Northern Colorado cut the lead to eight points on a three-pointer from Tevin Svihovec with 36 seconds remaining, but Hornet freshman point guard Dylan Garrity made four consecutive free throws over the Hornets’ next two possessions to halt any serious threat from the Bears.

Garrity finished with a team-high 16 points and nine assists with just three turnovers. He played 32 minutes, scored 12 second-half points and went 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Six of those free throws came during the game’s final 45 seconds.

Sacramento State took advantage of poor free throw shooting by Northern Colorado as the Bears converted on just 11-of-28 freebies (.393). The Hornets also outrebounded the Bears, 37-30, and outscored Northern Colorado in points off turnovers by a 17-12 margin.

Sacramento State (7-14, 2-8) emphatically snapped a nine-game losing streak on Saturday with a 77-43 home win over Northern Arizona, the widest margin of victory (34 points) over a Div. I opponent since joining the Div. I ranks in 1991. The team may have found a little momentum as tonight’s win was just the second on the road this season (2-8) and snapped a seven-game losing streak against Northern Colorado which dated back to Feb. 2, 2008.

With the loss, Northern Colorado dropped to 7-14 overall and 4-6 in the Big Sky. What seemed like a long shot early last week, Sacramento State can now legitimately set its sights on the possibility of a Big Sky Tournament berth. The Hornets are just two games back of the sixth and final spot into the tournament with six conference games still remaining on the schedule. That includes a date at Eastern Washington (who defeated Northern Arizona tonight by a 74-68 score) on Saturday.

Garrity, who entered the game tied for ninth in the nation in assists per game, helped those numbers with nine tonight. The true freshman is now beginning to score on a more consistent basis as well, as he has scored in double figures four times in the last five games after doing so just once through the first 16 games of the season. During those five games, he is averaging 11.4 points, and tonight’s 16 points were two shy of his season high.

Joining Garrity in double figures for Sacramento State were Eberhard (14 points and five rebounds in a team-high 35 minutes) and Jackson Carbajal (11 points, 2-of-2 from the three-point line). Jordan Estrada had eight points, John Dickson and Konner Veteto both had seven points and five rebounds, and center Josh McCarver had six points and a game-high nine rebounds. Dickson, who entered the night ranked sixth in the Big Sky in blocks, helped that total with two more stuffs tonight.

Northern Colorado was led by Svihovec’s game-high 19 points while Connor Osborne finished with 11. Tim Huskisson (1-3), Mike Proctor (1-4) and Osborne (1-5) combined to finish 3-for-12 from the free throw line.