With the victory, Sacramento State snapped the following four losing streaks: 1) a 36-game losing streak against Big Sky Conference competition, 2) a 60-game losing streak against Div. I teams, 3) a 30-game losing streak on the road against Big Sky teams, 4) an overall 13-game losing streak. In addition, Montana State had won each of its last 23 games at home prior to the tonight’s loss.

Montana State dropped to 18-7 overall and 9-3 in the Big Sky with the loss. Sacramento State, which hadn’t defeated a Big Sky team on the road since the 1998-99 season, improved to 3-23 and 1-12 in the conference.

“I’m ecstatic for the kids, especially the way they stayed positive and never gave up,” Sacramento State head coach Carolyn Jenkins said. “The team has been progressively improving all year and tonight we got over the hump.”

Junior Sydney Gatson led the Hornets with 17 points as the guard scored seven of the team’s last 11 points, including a three-pointer to put Sacramento State up, 58-56, with 4:31 remaining. Freshman Sarah Craig added 16 points and freshman Katelyn Ciampi tied her career high with 15 points to round out the Hornet threesome in double figures.

Sacramento State shot 42.6 percent (23-54) from the field, including 54.2 percent in the second half. The Hornets built a 25-17 lead at the 5:00 minute mark of the first half on a pair of Danielle Iceman free throws. The Hornets held the margin and entered the break with a 29-23 advantage.

Montana State shot 25.0 percent in the first half and just 32.3 percent (21-65) for the game. The Bobcats turned the ball over 23 times and went 0-of-6 from beyond the three-point line.

In the second half, Montana State cut the deficit to 35-34 with 15:59 remaining, but Sacramento State scored four unanswered points to take a 39-34 lead with 14:32 remaining. Both team went back and forth until the Bobcats took their largest lead of the game at 56-53 on a Isabel Stubbs basket with 5:17 remaining in the contest.

The Hornets counted with a field goal by Craig and a three-pointer by Gatson to retake a 58-56 lead with 4:31 left. After Stubbs knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 58-58, Gatson then hit a field goal to put the Hornets back on top, 60-58. Ciampi added a jumper to push the margin to 62-58 before Stubbs converted a pair of free throws to close the Bobcats to within two points (62-60) with 14 seconds remaining.

After Craig missed the front end of a 1-and-1 free-throw attempt, Montana State had two three-point attempts in the final 10 seconds, but missed on both attempts. Stubbs (10-of-17 from the floor) finished with a career-high 31 points, accounting for over half the Bobcats’ points. The rest of the team combined to shoot 22.9 percent (11-48) from the floor.

The Hornets were outrebounded, 46-37, but converted on two more field goals than Montana State and two more three-point attempts.

Sacramento State returns to action for its final game of the season next Saturday, March 8, as the team welcomes Northern Arizona into the Hornets Nest at 7:05 p.m.