Rejoice all ye faithful. The Sacramento State men’s basketball squad won a conference game, and it’s been a long time coming.

Saturday’s 77-43 whooping of Northern Arizona was the first Big Sky victory for the Hornets since Feb. 13, 2011. The first win was the hardest last year also, as Sac State went 0-7 in conference before its first win, but then won four of their next six. One can only hope the tides shift so dramatically this year.

But with just seven conference games remaining on the schedule, the Hornets find themselves three games out of tournament contention. If they don’t get to the postseason, could this year of Sac State basketball still be considered a success?

Head Coach Brian Katz said his goal is always the same: To get better in practice and win the next game. If the team finishes strongly, he said, he’ll feel good heading into next season.

Another top priority, though, has to be developing the guys who will be there when opening day rolls back around in the fall.

The Hornets are fortunate to have starters returning at all five positions in Dylan Garrity, Jackson Carbajal, Joe Eberhard, John Dickson and Konner Veteto. Katz said it’s huge to have talented players coming back who already know the drill.

“The whole key on this level is having certainly quality players, but (also) guys returning that you’re not having to teach everything over from the beginning,” Katz said Monday after practice.

He said the goal of the program is to have guys who are with the team from the time they’re freshman all the way until senior year, and to move away from junior college transfers. He said this is one thing schools like Weber State have been able to do, and the youth now at Sac State is promising.

Much of the coaching staff’s focus has to be on redshirt freshman point guard Garrity, who has asserted himself as one of the top first year players in college hoops. Garrity averages 6.4 assists per game, good enough for 10th among Division I players.

Garrity said he feels like he’s come a long way in his first year of competition. He said he’s much better off the ball both defensively and offensively, but also better at taking opportunities himself.

“My aggressiveness has gotten a lot better since the beginning,” Garrity said. “The first few games all I did was pass and I got a ton of assists. But coach (Katz) has been on me about being more aggressive, trying to make things happen and (looking) for my shot more. It’s opened up lanes for me and for other people too.”

Katz also is excited about Garrity’s play looking forward into next season.

“I think Dylan right about now is just starting to sort of understand what he’s doing,” Katz said. “I think before he was just kind of playing. He’s starting to understand everything.”

As for the national assists ranking, Garrity said his family sends him text messages updating him on the latest changes. He doesn’t look himself, though.

“I’m aware of it,” he said, “but I’m not focusing on it. We’re just trying to win games.”

Alex Grotewohl can be reached at [email protected].