Sacramento State started out well in the first half trading shots with Montana but came out flat in the second half, losing to the Grizzlies 60-48 at the Hornets Nest. Missed jump shots prevented the Hornets from scoring for the first five minutes after halftime. Justin Eller scored Sacramento State’s first points of the second half on a lay-up to cut the deficit to eight, trailing 35-27 with 14:52 left. Continuing to struggle offensively, the Hornets went nearly six minutes before hitting another shot from the field until Jared Stigall hit a three-pointer with just under nine minutes left in the game. “We went really cold for the last two minutes of the first half and the first five of the second half, that was kind of where the game was lost,” said head coach Brian Katz. “We just missed easy shots.” Loren Leath led the Hornets with 15 points while Eller added 11 as the only two players for the Hornets to score in double figures. “My shot just wasn’t falling, my teammates found me, gave me the ball,” said Leath. “I just didn’t live up to my end of the bargain.” Montana’s starters scored all 60 of the team’s points, with guard Anthony Johnson leading all scorers with 24 points. Johnson was able to consistently get through Sacramento State’s defense for easy points in the paint. Kyle Sharp was the only player to score a double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Montana out rebounded Sacramento State 37-29. Sacramento State shot 32.7 percent from the field (17-52). From beyond the three-point line the Hornets only hit 17.6 percent of their shots (3-17) and missed seven free throws, going 11-18 at the line. When Jordan Hasquet hit a three-pointer for the Grizzlies to increase Montana’s lead to 54-41 with 2:37 left, many in the crowd headed for the exits. Sacramento State was in foul trouble throughout the game and Montana took advantage. Johnson went 6-6 from the line in the last 1:31 putting the game out of reach. The loss drops Sacramento State to 2-23 on the season and 1-11 in the Big Sky Conference. “We just got to keep coming back to practice and playing hard and keeping a positive attitude,” said Eller. Sacramento State’s final home game of the season is against Montana State Feb. 14, where seniors Randy Adams, Donald Thomas and Leath will be recognized one last time before the game. The seniors’ final game in a Hornets uniform will be at Weber State on Feb. 29.