Knocking off third place Montana State on Wednesday, Sac State notched its first Big Sky win in nearly a season, 70-62. With little time to rest, the Hornets suited up against the visiting Montana Grizzlies Thursday, dropping a thriller 67-66 at Hornet Gym.

Without leading scorer Rickie Glenn, who sat out with an ankle injury, Sac State rolled over the visiting Bobcats, breaking a 15-game Big Sky Conference losing streak.

Ironically, the last time the Hornets picked up a Big Sky win, it came against the Bobcats, 70-54, a season ago.

But, senior captain Pablo Gonzales admits that Wednesday?s win was a longtime coming.”We should have got this first win awhile ago. The thing is, we played as a team,” Gonzales said. “We?re without Rick, our leading scorer, so we had to pull together as a team and everybody had to step up. This was the first time where everybody played 40 minutes and played good.”

Without Glenn, everybody needed to pick up their game, especially the bench.Enter sophomore Derek Lambeth, a quiet reserve who came into Wednesday?s game averaging just over two points per game.

Lambeth, whose highest output this season was eight points against Menlo College, sparked the Hornets off the bench in the second half. This fueled an 11-3 run that gave the Hornets the lead, 54-49, and the momentum with 7:51 left.

Lambeth netted seven points during the rally, including a three-pointer and a jumper on successive possessions to retake the lead, 48-46. He finished the game with 12 points, all of which came in a pivotal second half? a half that saw the Hornets outscore the Bobcats by 12, 37-25.

According to Hornet coach Jerome Jenkins, he?s been waiting for Lambeth to shine like this all season.

“Derek could have been doing that all year long,” said Jenkins about Lambeth, who sealed the victory with three points during the final 30 seconds. “He?s a sophomore and he?s just now starting to come into his own.”

Against Montana the next night, the Grizzlies? Ryan Slider grabbed a questionable offensive rebound and finished a lay-up with four seconds left in the game, seizing the lead and the win, 67-66.

Sac State?s final attempt fell considerably short, landing in the hands of Montana?s Dan Trammel at mid-court.

Trammel and Slider led the Grizzlies? attack with 17 and 13 points, respectively.Glenn, who made his return to the hardwood after an ankle injury kept him sidelined for the Montana State game, has seen victory snatched from their hands before.

“It was tough,” said Glenn, who netted a game-high 18 points. “It was tough but sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn?t. And, it?s not happening this year.”The Hornets (4-17, 1-9) suffered the same type of defeat against Idaho State on Feb. 3, losing the game on a similar play inside the final five seconds, 71-67.

“Right now it?s just one of those years. I?ve seen this before where a team can?t win the close one.” Jenkins said. “Hopefully, next year the ball will bounce our way. Right now it?s hard, we?ve been in this situation two or three times. We just came out short and I feel bad for our team.”

Sac State trailed by as many as seven with fewer than five minutes remaining in the game, 59-52, when the Grizzlies? Brent Cummings nailed two free throws.Yet, timely leadership down the stretch by Gonzales and Glenn would help narrow Montana?s lead.

Gonzales and Glenn teamed to score nine of Sac State?s final 14 points. Gonzales?s three-pointer with 21 seconds left gave Sac State its first lead since the 10:45 mark, 66-65.”Players make plays,” Jenkins said of his senior swingman, who tallied seven points in 38 minutes. “They all know they have the green light to do certain things. I?ve been on him about hitting big shots.”

Unfortunately, the Hornets weren?t hitting for much of anything else all game.

Sac State?s woes from the charity stripe continued, shooting a horrid 54.8 percent (17-31) for the game. It got worse from the field, where the high-octane Hornets shot a dismal 36.7 percent (22-60).

The Hornets will now travel to Montana State tomorrow to avenge Friday?s defeat against the Bobcats at 7:05 p.m.