Sacramento State’s junior forward Joe Eberhard and freshman point guard Dylan Garrity led the Hornets to their fourth straight win with an 86-76 victory over Montana State University Thursday evening at The Nest.

Despite a game filled with hard screens and colliding defensive pressure, it wasn’t enough to keep Eberhard from getting into a scoring rhythm.

Eberhard led all scorers with a season-high 23 points, including 15 from 3-point territory, where he shot 5-of-5. Eberhard would also grab eight rebounds, dish out three assists and make three steals in 39 minutes for the Hornets.

Not to be outdone, Garrity had his own record-setting performance. Garrity set a record with 16 assists, the most since Sac State started playing in Div. I in 1991. The assists tied the Div. I high for most in a game this season. Garrity set a Big Sky freshman record with the assists, which were the most by a Big Sky player since 1991.

Garrity’s court vision helped Sac State shoot 62.2 percent (28-for-45) from the field, making it the school’s highest field goal percentage for a game this year. The Hornets also shot 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the 3-point line.

“I can’t take any credit for that,” Garrity said. “It’s all about these guys knocking down shots.”

Sac State shot 59.1 percent from the field, and 72.7 percent from the 3-point territory, giving them a 38-29 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Hornets would build that lead to as high as 17 points. But with 13:46 to play in the game, Montana State used a 14-4 run over the next four minutes to get right back in the game.

The Bobcats would cut the lead to as few as five points, but the Hornets were able to respond with two timely buckets in the final two minutes.

Sophomore guard Jackson Carbajal, who started for the Hornets, threw down a contested two-handed dunk over a Bobcats defender which sparked the Hornets and made the score 79-72. A 15-foot jumper from center Konner Veteto moments later helped seal the victory.

Sac State head coach Brian Katz said the team has played consistent basketball during the winning streak.

“When Montana State made their run in the second half, I thought our guys showed real toughness by keeping that lead no lower than five points,” Katz said. “We were able to keep their scoring guards from having a big game.”

Tre Johnson led Montana State with 17 points and seven rebounds, and Shawn Reid added 16 points. The Bobcats shot 41.0 percent (25-for-61) from the field, 40.0 percent (8-for-20) from the three-point line, and 85.7 percent (18-for-21) from the free throw line.

With the victory, Sac State (9-14, 4-8) remains two games behind sixth place Eastern Washington in the loss column in the Big Sky standings.

The Hornets still have a chance to make it to the Big Sky Tournament with four games remaining, but will need a lot of help.

The Hornets’ four remaining league games include two games against Portland State University (road game on Wednesday, and home game on Feb. 23).

Sac State will host Montana, which has a league record of 11-1, on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

“I think the way we’re playing right now, I don’t think we should lose another game,” Garrity said. “Coach always tells us that we’re the best team in the Big Sky.”

Gabriel Pacheco can be reached at [email protected].