The Sacramento State men’s basketball team’s most illustrious season at the Div. I level came to a close Tuesday night, as the Hornets lost 82-60 to Weber State in the semi-final round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament.

“I’m very proud of the kids and the things they accomplished this season,” Hornet coach Jerome Jenkins said. “We just got beat by a better team tonight.”

The Hornets, making their first ever Big Sky Tournament appearance, led by as many as six points during the first half, but were outscored 48-33 in the second half. Point guard Raashad Hooks led the Hornets with 19 points, while forward Jimmy White chipped in with 13.

Wildcat forward Slobodan Ocokoljic led all scorers with 23 points, while Jermaine Boyette scored 20. Both Weber State players were first-team all-Big Sky selections, along with Hornet forward Derek Lambeth, earlier in the week.

Over the coarse of the season, Sac State eclipsed several program marks and broke several streaks. In their seventh season in the Big Sky, the Hornets surpassed the program’s Div. I single-season record for wins with 12, and Big Sky wins with five. The Hornets won their first ever Big Sky road game on Jan. 11 at Northern Arizona and made their first ever conference tournament after a March 1 win over Montana State.

“We’ve grown up a bit,” Jenkins said. “Even little DaShawn Freeman.”

Tuesday’s game marked the final game for four Hornet seniors — Lambeth, White, Hooks and Leo Cravey.

Weber State advances to face Eastern Washington in the Big Sky Tournament championship game on Wednesday. The game tips off at 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.

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