As we near the midway point, one thing has remained unchanged for the Sac State men?s basketball program: the team has not figured out how to win games on the road.

How disappointing it must feel to lose 44-consecutive Big Sky Conference road games, dating back to Sac State?s inception into the Big Sky during the 1996-97 campaign.

The team?s last road win came early in the 1999-00 season, when it defeated Nevada 65-57 on Nov. 26, 1999.

The Hornets are showing signs of improvement, needing one win in their seven remaining games to tie their best mark in Div. I, and one more win in conference play will match the most wins by the team in Big Sky play.

What the team needs to figure out is how to win on the road. Until then, postseason play are of no importance.

This season, the team has had several close road games, including Big Sky contests. Friday night?s contest at Portland State is a perfect example. The Hornets were ahead by three points with over 30 seconds remaining, but managed to lose by three points. The ability to win close ballgames will be hard to do until the team can get the monkey off its back.

The Hornets will be facing an uphill battle to win a conference road contest this season, with only three games remaining. Northern Arizona will be the next road game for the Hornets, and quite possibly the team?s best chance at snapping the streak. Sac State will then close out its road contests by playing Montana and Montana State. Montana State, one of the top teams in the conference, will be looking to avenge and earlier 78-56 loss at Hornet Gym.

Head coach Jerome Jenkins and his players should stop worrying about making the Big Sky Tournament and just concentrate on winning a regular-season road game.

Once the team figures how to win on the road, previous records will be shattered and talk of postseason play will be heard throughout the campus.