The Sacramento State men’s basketball team could not pull away with a victory as it fell to the Montana State Bobcats 69-54 during the Hornets’ final home game of the season.

The Hornets put up a fight during the first half and the score at the half was 27-23 Bobcats. With 5:49 remaining in the second half, The Hornets continued to keep the game close with a score of 52-48. The Bobcats then went on a 17-6 run to close the game and diminish any chance of the Hornets making a comeback.

This loss gives Sac State an overall record of 2-24 and 1-12 in conference play. Although the Hornets have three road games remaining on its schedule, Sac State is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs since the top six of the nine teams in the Big Sky Conference will advance to the playoffs.

Montana State improved to 12-11 overall and 6-6 in conference play. With the win, the Bobcats are now in a four-way tie for the fourth seed in the Big Sky with Northern Colorado (6-6) and Idaho State (6-6).

Two of the biggest problem areas that plagued the Hornets were grabbing rebounds and committing turnovers. The Bobcats out-rebounded the Hornets 38-27 and the Bobcats blocked five shots from the Hornets. While the Bobcats committed 13 turnovers, the Hornets committed 15 and the Bobcats were able to score 23 points of those turnovers; the Hornets only scored 16 points from forced turnovers. Also, the Bobcats outscored the Hornets in 2nd chance points 16-4 and its bench outscored the Hornets as well 21-9.

Senior Loren Leath scored a game-high 19 points, went 7-14 in field goal shots, 1-4 from the three-point arc, and went 4-7 from the free-throw line. He grabbed five rebounds and racked up three steals, but he also committed five turnovers. Senior Randy Adams was the only other Hornet in double figures scoring 10 points, along with six rebounds and two steals. Junior Justin Eller struggled to grab rebounds and scoring. He scored eight points but he went 3-12 in field goals and he only grabbed two rebounds. The three seniors on the Hornets’ team, Leath, Adams and Donald Thomas, played their final home games at the Hornet’s Nest that night. Each of them were honored prior to the game.

The Hornets will travel to Northern Arizona to play the Lumberjacks Feb 21. for the first of three road games.

Nick Hunte can be reached at [email protected]