Sacramento State traveled to Reese Court on Thursday, the home of the Eastern Washington Eagles, and unfortunately for Sac State, it’s also the home of many road losses.
Since their first meeting in 1994, the Hornets have only won four out of 33 matchups on the Eagles’ home floor, adding another loss in their 83-80 outing on Thursday. The Hornets have now lost four in a row, but this was the strongest performance of their current road trip.
Sac State’s offense ended their two-game scoring woes and put points on the board in bunches by stepping on the gas pedal and setting their sights on the basket.
The Hornets’ aggressive play on offense led to 34 points in the paint and made them regulars at the free-throw line, converting 19-of-24 attempts. Leading the offensive charge was none other than senior forward Jacob Holt.
By his standards, Holt had a rough stretch over the last two games, only scoring 17 total points on 8-of-24 shooting from the field. Holt bounced back in a major way against the Eagles, going off for 32 points and knocking down 3-of-3 from long range.
Holt’s resurgence was no surprise to Sacramento State head coach Michael Czepil.
“Holt has had some great lessons on playing through being the focus of the other team’s game plan,” Czepil said. “He has taken the feedback that the coaching staff provides him daily, which is a great show of humility by him.”
The Hornet offense, which failed to eclipse 60 points in their last two outings, missed the senior forward’s scoring as they scored 80 or more points for just the second time in conference play.
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Despite Sac State’s sudden spark on offense, turnovers prevented them from gaining a commanding lead over EWU. The Eagles cashed in 19 points off 13 Hornet miscues, which was instrumental in their 9-0 run midway through the second half.
EWU sent Sac State back to the bench in an 8-point hole, leading 67-59 off the back of a standout performance from sophomore guard Mason Williams, who scored three layups during the run.
The Eagles’ lead was short-lived, as Sac State spearheaded a comeback in the final minutes of the game.
The Hornets’ interior defense stalled the Eagles by forcing them into contested jumpers, paving the way for sophomore guard Bailey Nunn to cash in on a pair of timely 3-pointers that brought the Hornets back to life.
Nunn started the season coming off the bench but was thrust into a starting role due to injuries, according to Sac State Athletics, and continues to find his stride with every game.
“My teammates and coaches have instilled confidence in me to trust my shot and to keep on shooting to get me out of my slump,” Nunn said.” “That allowed me to contribute more to us offensively.”
The Hornets clawed their way back to tie the game at 80 with 27.8 seconds left, but fell short of the ultimate goal.
It’s gametime, ladies and gents.@SacHornetsMBB is in Cheney, WA for their first matchup of the week against @EWUMBB, looking to snap a 3-game losing streak.
I’ll be covering the game via ESPN+, so follow this thread for updates!
Tipoff is in 15 minutes.@SH_Sports
— Mateo (@mateodavis_) February 7, 2025
The Eagles, with a chance to win the game, looked to Williams to get the go-ahead score. As time wound down, Williams drilled a contested 3-pointer to ice the game for Eastern Washington. He was the Eagles’ leading scorer with 29 points on the night.
Czepil praised the effort of his players in the gritty loss.
“We talk about it all the time. Moving on to the next play and executing what you are supposed to is as important as anything,” Czepil said.
The Hornets have one game remaining on this road trip and look to avoid going 0-4 over this stretch when they visit the Idaho Vandals on Saturday.
