Sacramento State’s men’s basketball team will be happy to leave the state of Montana in the rear-view mirror after a tough 85-56 loss to the Montana Grizzlies Saturday night, as Sacramento State falls to 0-7 in the Big Sky.

The game got off to an even start, with the score knotted at six after the first three minutes. But from then on the Hornets would lose control and would never so much as sniff the lead the rest of the way.

Coach Brian Katz said turnovers in the first half set the pace for a rough night. Montana was aggressive from the start on defense, successfully executing traps and constantly double-teaming whichever Hornet had the ball. Katz said the Grizzlies’ success in stripping the ball only further energized their defense.

“They shot a higher percentage, but that was a little bit of our doing,” Katz said. “You turn it over in the first half and now you’ve got the transition baskets.”

The Grizzlies were led by forward Art Steward, who went 9-of-10 from the field and whose 20 points were a game high. Montana shot 65.1 percent from the floor and had four players in double digits.

The Hornets, on the other hand, had a hell of a time finding scoring opportunities. Usually a big-time shooter, Jackson Carbajal missed his first nine looks, ending the game 1-for-12 from the field. Just one game after exploding for 18 points against Montana State, point guard Dylan Garrity only took two shots in 28 minutes.

Overall, Sac State shot 39.6 percent, including just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc. Heath Hoffman led the squad with 12 points.

The Hornets will host Weber State on Thursday evening at the Nest. Coach Katz expects to welcome Jordan Estrada back to the lineup. Sac State will be looking for its first conference victory as they try to avoid falling to 0-8 for the second straight season.

Alex Grotewohl can be reached at [email protected].