The Sacramento State men’s basketball team is making its run at the right time.

The Hornets, coming off a 92-88 victory over Big Sky foe Northern Arizona, have won four of its last six games — including six in a row at home. Sac State will play two more at home this week, hosting Eastern Washington tomorrow and Portland State on Saturday.

Sac State (7-13, 3-4) currently sits in fifth place in the Big Sky standings, just 2.5 games back of first place Portland State. The top six teams in the conference advance to the Big Sky Tournament.

While home court advantage has been a growing strength for the Hornets, the team has failed to succeed on the road. The Hornets are 7-2 at the Hornets Nest this season, but are 0-11 on the road.

“It’s a mental thing,” head coach Jerome Jenkins said. “Some teams struggle on the road, but at home it’s a different confidence level.”

Jenkins hopes that the confidence at home will carry over on the road. The fifth-year coach said he’d like to see more production out of Hornets senior Jameel Pugh on the road.

“A team looks to certain guys and if those guys don’t perform on the road, then everyone’s confidence level changes,” Jenkins said.

After a dreadful start to the season, Pugh has begun living up to expectations. In his first 11 games, Pugh shot 29 percent — averaging 9.3 points per game. In his last six games, however, Pugh has upped his shooting to 48.3 percent and is averaging 19.5 points.

Pugh was named Big Sky Player of the Week for his 40- and 20-point performances against William Jessup and Northern Arizona, respectively.

Pugh shot 56.4 percent in the two games and combined for 15 3-pointers. Coming into last week, Pugh had made just 11 3-pointers all season.

Leading scorer Jason Harris is averaging 17.2 points and an even higher 21.4 points in Big Sky play.

Harris, a junior transfer, has shown an ability to get to the basket and the foul line. He leads the team in free throw attempts at 135 — 65 more than the Hornets second best, DaShawn Freeman.

Freeman is coming off a career a career-high 27 points against Northern Arizona. He had been playing limited minutes due to a hamstring injury that he says will nag him the rest of the season.

Following the Northern Arizona victory, Freeman said his hamstring felt a little better during the game, but said he knew it would, “hurt in the morning.”

Both Jenkins and Freeman admit that the junior point guard won’t be healthy until next year, but is willing to play through the pain through the rest of the season.

“He told me, ‘Coach, let’s just go for it,'” Jenkins said. “He is a warrior and a winner.”

Junior forward Chris Lange returned from academic ineligibility against Montana State on the road, and has since averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds.

The Hornets played perhaps their most difficult preseason schedule this season. Jenkins feels that it helped his team become more ready for the Big Sky. The Hornets lost road games to University of Michigan, Fresno State, Saint Mary’s and Oregon State.

“We wouldn’t have been favored in a lot of those games,” Jenkins said.

The Hornets lost close road games to both Eastern Washington and Portland State to start Big Sky play.

“I feel like if we can win these next two games at home,” Jenkins said, “then we can go on the road and get a victory.”

“This is a big weekend.”