Junior Joel Jones scored 24 points.

The win improved the Wildcats to 16-7 overall and 7-3 in the Big Sky Conference. The victory was also the team’s fourth-straight and its seventh in the last eight games. The Hornets dropped their fourth-consecutive contest and fell to 8-14 overall and 2-6 in league games. Sacramento State, however, remained tied for sixth place in the Big Sky due to losses by Idaho State and Portland State.

For the second time this season the two teams played a close game. Friday night’s contest featured 10 lead changes and six ties. The Hornets overcame an early four-point hole to take a 36-34 lead at halftime. WSU then retook the lead with 13:39 to play in the second period when Sparrow knocked down a three to give the team a 45-42 edge. The Wildcats stretched the lead to six points (55-49, 8:26) before Sacramento State tied and retook the lead on a pair of free throws by Cedric Thompkins with 5:44 left.

Rashaad Hooks hit a free throw to give the Hornets a 62-58 advantage before Sparrow made a pair of buckets to tie the game at 62-62. Boyette returned the lead to the Wildcats with a three at the 2:17 mark. Thompkins pulled Sacramento State within one with a putback and Joel Jones followed with a three-pointer with 1:05 on the clock to give the team a 67-65 lead. Sparrow concluded the second half scoring with second-chance effort with 39 seconds remaining.

Once in overtime, Weber State controlled the game. Stephan Bachmann put the Wildcats up to stay with a free throw. Boyette pushed the lead to four with a three. Jones attempted to answer with his own three only to see Sparrow score on a layup. Boyette added three more free throws in the final 74 seconds to seal the game for WSU.

As a team, Weber State shot just .333 (20-60) but the team was effective from long range where they made 10-of-23 shots (.435). The Hornets were 26-for-68 (.382) overall but just 6-of-25 (.240) from behind the arc.

Sacramento State was led in scoring by Jones who tallied 24 points. The junior was 7-of-18 from the field and made all eight of his free throw attempts. Rene Jacques (10 points) was the only other Hornet to crack double figures. Senior Jay Richardson led all players with a career-high 10 rebounds.

Joe Dawson, who entered the game as the Big Sky’s leading scorer in conference games, was held to just eight points in 2-of-14 shooting. The eight points ended a streak of 12-straight games with at least 10.

Boyette was 6-of-13 from the field and 12-of-16 at the line to lead all players with 27 points. Sparrow ended the evening 8-for-13 including four threes.

Sacramento State will continue its homestand against Idaho State on Saturday. The game, which can be heard on KTKZ 1380 AM, will begin at 7:05 p.m. in Hornet Gym.

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