As Sacramento State headed into crunchtime against Big Sky Conference juggernaut Montana Thursday, the energy in The Nest was tangible.
What had been a disaster class of a first half for the Hornets turned into a second half relay race, as the Hornets fired on all cylinders to steal the momentum of the game.
Kicked off by a thunderous two-hand jam by sophomore guard Emil Skytta, the Hornets found themselves rallying at the nine minute mark of the second half. Sac State took their newfound rhythm and ran with it, converting on eight straight possessions.
A smooth transition layup by senior guard EJ Neal capped off the Hornets’ flawless offensive stretch, cutting the Griz’ lead to seven with just under two minutes to go.
The Hornets were in striking distance of an upset that would have easily been their best win of the season.
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Neal wasn’t done leaving his mark on the game, knocking down a fall-away three over two Montana defenders to pull Sac State within four points at 19 seconds left.
“If I see an open look, I’m gonna do my best to knock it down,” Neal said about his timely basket. “I play by possession; I don’t really play by the score.”
Unfortunately for the Hornets, that would be their last score of the game. Their luck ran out, and they dropped their second straight game 54-60.
Once again, Sac State’s second half heroics fell victim to a lackluster first half performance, but Sac State head coach Michael Czepil continues to praise his players for their effort.
“They got an A plus for competitive character, for sure,” Czepil said. “Montana was really physical in the first half, so that probably shocked us a little bit out there. We spoke to that at halftime and made adjustments.”
Sac State headed to the locker room down 15-31, trailing at the half for the twelfth time in 16 conference games.
The Hornets outscored Montana 39-29 in the second half, after going down by as much as 19 in the first half. Sac State foreshadowed this explosion by outscoring Montana 7-4 in the final three minutes before halftime.
Defense was the answer for the Hornets in their comeback attempt. Sac State forced 14 turnovers for the game and only allowed two deep balls from a Montana team that averages seven a game.
“Our defense is one of our best attributes,” senior forward Jacob Holt said. “In the second half we really honed in on what we’re good at, defense and moving the ball.”
The Hornets’ defense gave them a chance, but it wasn’t enough to propel them to a win, as they dropped another down-to-the-wire game. Sac State has lost six of their last 10 games by six points or less, five of which were four-point games in the final 20 seconds.
Another heartbreaking loss inserts its way into Sac State’s tumultuous season. The Hornets look to get a statement win on Saturday in their final appearance against Montana State at The Nest at 1 p.m.
