As the Hornet Pavilion crowd filled up for the first time in 51 days, Sacramento State was looking to put up their first Big Sky Conference win of the season on Thursday against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, who also entered the matchup winless.
Early on, it seemed as if the Hornets would suffer a fate they have become all too familiar with this season, as they trailed by around 10 points for most of the first half.
This time, however, the energy was different. After ending the first half down four and finding themselves at a 50-42 deficit with 16:31 left in the game, Sac State was able to rally the troops and rattle off a 14-0 scoring run to take a 4-point lead.
“I think the second half, they played the way that I envision them playing, scrambling everywhere, getting steals and playing for each other,” head coach Mike Bibby said.
Sac State finally has the weight of getting their first conference and first overall win in seven games lifted off of their shoulders, as they improve to a 1-3 record in Big Sky play. The Lumberjacks remain without a victory, sitting at 0-5 in conference games.
That fact, coupled with the contest being their first at home since Nov. 25, 2025, meant that the game felt like a breath of fresh air for Bibby and his squad. After a rough stretch, Bibby had high praises for the effort of his guys
“There’s times where I’ve been like ‘I wouldn’t watch y’all come play either,’” Bibby said. “If they play hard, everything else takes care of itself.”
The game against the Lumberjacks marked the first for the Hornets this season without sophomore guard Mikey Williams, who sat out with a minor back spasm. In his place was freshman guard Taj Glover, who got his second start of the season after filling in for senior guard Prophet Johnson against California Baptist University.
RELATED: Sac State hopes to be Bjorn again after blowout loss to the Vikings
Glover shined as the primary playmaker against the Lumberjacks, dishing out seven dimes to go with his eight points, with the former being tied for leading in the game.
“[I was] just getting those guys open looks, trying to play with them and help them out as I can,” Glover said. “In practice, we work on that a lot, guys being in an open spot so I can be able to make the right plays and the right pass at the right time.”
Bibby was appreciative of the “next-man-up” mentality shown by his players in the match.
“That’s just part of the game; if somebody’s down, somebody else has to step up,” Bibby said. “Taj came in and played great tonight.”
The star of the game proved to be Johnson, who had a season-high 29 points as well as six steals and six rebounds. He led the game in both points and steals.
“I feel like I come with the same mindset every game,” Johnson said. “I just thank my teammates for putting me in the right position.”
Johnson, who struggled by his standard in the opening conference games, dedicated his breakout Big Sky performance to his teammates.
“I know my past couple games ain’t been that good, but like, [my teammates] always tell me to keep going,” Johnson said.
The Hornets’ star guard echoed the sentiment of Bibby’s excitement to return to the Pavilion with a big win.
“‘Finally,’ that’s how I feel,” Johnson said. “We ain’t been here in like two months, so it feels good to finally play at home.”
The Lumberjacks were led in scoring by graduate forward Traivar Jackson, who had 18 points to complement his nine rebounds. Just behind him was sophomore forward Karl Poom, who had 14 points.
The Hornets’ next game is against the Northern Colorado Bears, who currently sit at No. 9 in the Big Sky standings. They’re currently 1-4 in conference play, with their lone win coming against the Idaho State Bengals.
“You know Sacramento, people like basketball, and they’re gonna come watch games,” Bibby said. “Kudos to the fans that came and supported us tonight.”
