With five Big Sky games left on the schedule, Sacramento State (8-13, 3-6) is currently in seventh place of the conference standings, a half game behind Eastern Washington (9-12, 3-5) and Portland State (9-12, 3-5).

The Hornets have the advantage of playing three of their next five games at home, but those opponents include Montana, the defending Big Sky champions, and Northern Arizona (17-7, 7-2) the current Big Sky Conference leaders.

Sacramento State begins its three-game homestand on Thursday, hosting the Grizzlies at 7:05 p.m., before Montana State (2-18, 1-7) travels to the Hornets Nest for a 2:05 p.m. game on Saturday.

A year ago, the Hornets finished with a 4-10 Big Sky record and earned the sixth and final spot in the postseason tournament, edging out Portland State and Montana State. Once again things could come down to the final weekend, with Sacramento State, Eastern Washington and Portland State vying for the last two tournament seedings.

Sacramento State, which is just 1-11 on the road this season, will have to travel for the final weekend of Big Sky games, playing the Vikings on March 2 and the Eagles on March 4.

A year ago the Hornets'' swept a road trip for the first time since joining the Big Sky, when they won at Portland State and Eastern Washington.

STEPPING IT UP

Senior guard Cindy Alldrin is currently averaging 10.6 points per game and, as of late, has stepped up her play in critical games at critical moments.

The Vancouver, Wash., native is currently ranked 23rd in the nation, shooting 87.7 percent (64-of-73) from the free-throw line. Against Big Sky opponents, Alldrin is 29-of-33 from the stripe. In her last four games, Alldrin has posted double figures, including 19 points and a career high 13 rebounds – earning her first career double-double – in a, 70-65, win over Portland State.

In her second season after transferring from Clackamas CC, Alldrin is averaging 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game in her last four starts.

GUARD COMBO

All season, Sacramento State''s starting backcourt has been filled by junior point guard Stephanie Cherry and junior shooting guard Kim Sheehy.

Cherry, who played her first two seasons with the Hornets as a shooting guard, took over duties at the point with the start of the season. A scoring guard, the Susuin, Calif., native is leading the team averaging 12.4 points per game against Big Sky competition. She has scored in double figures during five conference games and is averaging 3.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in Big Sky play.

Sheehy has knocked down at least one three-pointer in all 21 games this year and is currently maintaining a 27-game streak that dates back to last season. In just her second year with the Hornets, Sheehy is averaging 11.1 points per game. She has 50 three-pointers to her credit this year, just five short of her total from a year ago. Her 105 career treys ranks her third all-time in program history.

PERFECT TIMING

Sacramento State has just one four-year senior, center Katelyn Ciampi. The Martinez, Calif., native has begun to improve her scoring and rebounding in Big Sky play.

The Alhambra HS graduate is averaging 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in her last four starts. She has pulled down 463 career rebounds, placing her eighth all-time in program history. Ciampi also leads the Hornets with 15 blocks this season, bringing her career total to 51 which ranks her sixth in the record books.

Ciampi, consistently a reliable shooter around the basket, is shooting a Big Sky-leading 57.7 percent (30-of-52) against conference competition this year. She has also knocked down two shots from beyond the three-point arc.

THE CLOSE ONES

Sacramento State has played six games this season where the score has been decided by five points or less. The Hornets are 2-4 in those games, with three of those losses against Big Sky competition.

Most recently, the Hornets lost, 59-55, to Weber State in Ogden. Earlier this year at the Hornets Nest, the Hornets fell by two points, 57-55, to the Wildcats. Sacramento State''s other close conference loss was also on its home floor, falling, 79-76, to Idaho State.

THE OPPONENTS

Montana, the defending Big Sky champion, enters Thursday''s game with a 16-5 overall record and 5-3 conference record.

The Grizzlies played just one game last week, defeating Montana State 90-65. Montana is averaging 70.5 points per game this season and in Big Sky play is outscoring its opponents by 16.6 points per game. The Grizzlies are also averaging a Big Sky-leading 7.12 three-pointers per game in conference play.

Freshman point guard Mandy Morales has stepped up her scoring against Big Sky competition, averaging 18.0 points per game while dishing out 3.25 assists. The Hornets'' biggest nemesis, Katie Edwards, is averaging 14.1 points per game, fifth in the conference. Earlier this season, in the Hornets'' 78-59 loss to Montana, Edwards scored a career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including knocking down 7-of-8 three-point attempts.

The Bobcats are 2-18 overall and 1-7 in the Big Sky, led by junior forward Scotta Morton''s 12.5 points per game. Junior guard Alyssa Nelson is also averaging 10.8 points and 3.7 assists per game. Montana State has lost five straight, with its last win over Northern Arizona, the current first-place team in the Big Sky.

The Bobcats'' freshman guard Jenny Heringer is contributing on both ends of the floor, averaging 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

HEAD COACH DAN MUSCATELL

Dan Muscatell became the sixth Sacramento State women''s basketball head coach in the program''s 40-year history in March of 2003, after spending four seasons as an assistant at Oregon (1999-03). He earned his first win with the Hornets on Jan. 14, 2004, with a 56-50 win at Portland State.

Muscatell (17-59) posted an 8-20 record last season, the team''s best mark since the 1995-96 season and advanced the team to the Big Sky postseason tournament for just the second time since the Hornets joined the Big Sky in 1996. The team also led the Big Sky with 10.5 steals per game.

While at Oregon, Muscatell was involved in all aspects of the program, including the coordination of recruiting efforts and the coaching of offense and defense. He also worked with both the perimeter and post players.

While at Oregon, the Everett, Wash., native was responsible for bringing in one of the nation''s top recruiting classes in 2001, a six-member class that was ranked 17th in the nation by All-Star Girls Report. Muscatell also coached or recruited current and former WNBA players Edneisha Curry, Jenny Mowe, Angelina Wolvert and Shaquala Williams.

During his four years at Oregon, the Ducks were ranked in the top 25 during three of those seasons, including two top-10 finishes in 2000 and 2001. The program also combined to post a record of 74-49 while capturing two NCAA Tournament berths (2000 and 2001), a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title (2002) and a Pac-10 crown (2000).