Just when it looked like the Sac State men?s basketball team was going to hit the brakes on their eight game losing skid, a pack of Bengals ventured into Hornet gym and diced their brake lines, 71-67.

With four seconds remaining in the game, Idaho State?s Chad Tracy took advantage of a Hornet breakdown on defense netting the go-ahead bucket. The third party of Idaho State?s center-by-committee, Tracy finished an uncontested lay-up to give the Bengals a 69-67 lead and all the cushion they would need.

“The defense I run is complicated,” head coach Jerome Jenkins said. “You need to talk and we over-pursued the play. We just didn?t talk and communicate. This team needs to understand communication.”

Despite the lapse during the game?s final stages, Jenkins was pleased with the fight and effort his team showed, especially without much production from leading scorer Rickie Glenn.

“I?m proud of everybody?s effort, except for one,” Jenkins said. “I think that they learned that they can win without certain people. Usually our team won?t play as hard if certain people don?t show up. I told them to forget about people who don?t show up and let?s play some basketball.”

And, for the most part, the Hornets did. They were held scoreless through the first 4:40 and shot a dismal 0-10 from the field. Super sub Rene Jacques provided a quick spark, however, as he sparked a 12-2 run by the Hornets with just over six minutes left in the first half. With the Hornets trailing 28-12, Jacques connected on a four-point play, and a fastbreak lay-up on consecutive possessions, to ignite the flurry. Jacques scored 10 points in the first half, and joined swingman Pablo Gonzales and post-player Arinze Anoruo with a team-high 14 points.

“I have moved Rene to the forefront,” Jenkins said. “He?s quiet but I?m making him tough. It?s time for some of these kids to step up.”

Narrowing the gap to 12 by the half, 38-26, Jenkins? bunch came to life out of the intermission, as they finally were able to show some efficiency from behind the arc and at the charity stripe.

The Hornets reeled off an 11-2 run to begin the second half, pulling within three of the Bengals with 16:03 left to play, where the score stood at 40-37. After shooting a horrid 2-13 from behind the arc in the first half, Gonzales erased any lingering memories of the poor shooting performance by burying a deep three on the Hornets? first possession. According to Jenkins, no deficit is deep enough for the Hornets to climb out of.

“I was weathering the storm,” Jenkins said. “I knew we?d come back.”

Jim Brewer, the Hornets? starting guard, pleased Jenkins, connecting on a three-pointer to tie the game at 50-50, with 9:08 left to play.

The Hornets grabbed their first lead when Anoruo netted two free throws with 7:52 left, putting the Hornets ahead 55-54. Subsequently, Anoruo spearheaded a 9-0 run to put the Hornets ahead by five, when he rebounded and finished an errant shot in the paint. But, just as they had shown throughout the entire game, the Bengals had a soothing remedy for every Hornet run.

Jordie McTavish, the Bengals? point guard, helped ensure Idaho State?s win, netting 10 points down the stretch, including two free throws with 48 seconds left in the game. Although the Hornets couldn?t put the Bengals away late, Jenkins believes his squad is on the upswing.

“Right now some of these guys are starving to win,” Jenkins said. “No matter how many mistakes we?ve made, we?re still so close. I know one thing, we?ll fight till the end.”