The Sacramento State men’s basketball team began this season with a new head coach, 12 new players, and a goal to improve on its 2-14 record from the previous year. So far, the Hornets have had a hard time finding wins, compiling a 2-19 overall record.

Since their win against UC Davis on Dec. 3, the Hornets have been outscored by opposing teams by an average of 18 points per game. They broke their 14 game losing streak against Idaho State on Saturday, putting them 1-7 in the Big Sky Conference standings. The team continues to struggle when playing on the road, with a road game losing streak of 37, a streak dating back to last season.

The team’s bright spot has been the consistent scoring output of senior guard Loren Leath who is enjoying his best statistical season as a Hornet. Leath has quietly left his mark on the school’s record books, tying the record for the second most points in a single game (41), and 3-pointers made (9) in a game against Northern Colorado on Jan. 13. With that 41 point performance, Leath joined former Hornet guard Jameel Pugh as the only players in school history to score more than 40 points in a game since the program joined the Division I ranks. The fourth-year guard is also the team’s leading scorer, averaging 20.7 points a game on .514 percent shooting in conference play.

Despite the stellar shooting from Leath, the Hornets continue to give up too many points on the defensive. In the losses against Montana and Montana State, the team failed to answer back after falling behind 16-4 and 20-2 early in the first half of the games. Against Northern Colorado, the team faced runs of 17-1, 14-1, and 14-0 during the course of the game that eventually resulted in another road loss.

“When we go on scoring droughts it makes us second guess ourselves on defense,” said junior forward Justin Eller. “If we’re not scoring, it means that we need to play even harder defense, so that way they won’t score and go on a big run on us.”

Ball security has also been an issue for the team as the Hornets currently lead the Big Sky Conference with 14.7 turnovers a game. Their average totals in steals and blocks per game are also the lowest in the conference. However, Head Coach Brian Katz remains optimistic that the team will find a way to improve on its weaknesses.

“We’re working hard every day,” Katz said. “We show (the team) tapes from the last game and work with them on how to improve their shot selection, eliminate turnovers, and go over defensive breakdowns. After watching the tape, they try to get out on the court and execute the game plan.”

Katz and his staff have already begun the recruiting process in hopes of finding talented players who can help the team win games and a build a foundation for the future success of the program. Before the 2008-09 campaign, Katz was hired to be the head coach at Sac State only one week prior to the national signing deadline for high school players. Although at a disadvantage for this season, Katz is working hard to sign players from all different levels .

“We’re right into recruiting right now; we already signed a high school kid named Danny Lopez who is 6’9″ and 280 pounds from Illinois,” he said. “However, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s high school, transfer, junior college or foreign players. We’re just looking for good players that fit our system, our style, and our culture.”

Despite the team’s disappointing season so far, the Hornets are looking to bounce back with the hopes of finishing up the season on a positive note. The team is still playing for a berth in the Big Sky .

“Our attitude is just to stay positive, and know that it’s not over until it’s over,” Leath said. “We can still go to the conference tournament right now; all we have to do is just finish as one of the top six teams. We just need to put all our effort into winning one game at a time and hopefully come out and make the tournament.”

After a home game against Northern Colorado on Thursday, the team will then go on the road again at Eastern Washington on Feb. 5.

Michael Mital can be reached at [email protected]