Hornet men's b-ball back home

As if it wasn't bad enough that the Sac State men's basketball team lost both of its road games by an average of 39 points, they also had to deal with a minor auto wreck, lack of practice time and sickness.

“This was the worst away trip I have ever had in my 24 years of coaching,” Hornet coach Tom Abatemarco said. “It was one of those experiences that you try to forget.”

The team traveled to Montana State and Weber State last week. Making the trip more eventful, not only did Abatemarco have to deal with being sick, but his team's van slid down an icy hill into another vehicle to get the weekend started. While there were no injuries during the accident, the team was not comforted upon their arrival, as they also had to manage to prepare for competition without the use of a practice facility.

The Hornets eventually got some good news over the weekend when they found out that freshman forward Arinze Anouro would be returning to the team soon. Abatemarco said he is not sure when Anouro, who took a leave of absence from the team following the death of his father, would return to the court.

Last Saturday the Hornets dropped the second of two games against Weber State 91-50 at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats outshot Sac State 53-31 percent and out-rebounded the Hornets 46-31.

Weber State was also lethal behind the three-point arc shooting 13 of 24 during the Hornet loss.

Abatemarco said he felt the week off after their victory over Montana hurt his squad tremendously.

“The scheduling for our conference is ridiculous,” Abatemarco said. “Having a week off is never good for any team.”

Junior forward Thomas Weick was the only Hornet to score in double figures with 10 points, while freshmen guards Rene Jacques and Marcus Malone added nine points each.

Weber State was led by starting backcourt Eddie Gill's 18 points and Noel Jackson's 14 points.

The Hornets began their trip Thursday with an 80-43 loss to the Montana State Bobcats at Worthington Arena.

The contest turned into the “Danny Sprinkle Show” as the Montana State guard set career highs with points (37) and three-pointers (nine).

Jacques was the only Sac State player to score in double-figures with 10 points, and the Hornets as a team shot only 23 percent from the floor.

Abatemarco said he hopes his team will execute better at home with the crowd behind it instead of against it.

“Our shot selection needs to improve along with the perimeter defense,” he said. “But now that we're home we can regroup and play better.”

Next up for the Hornets is a Big Sky matchup against the Portland State Vikings tonight at the Memorial Auditorium. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

This could be a good opportunity for Sac State to earn their second win in the conference. During the last meeting between the two teams the Hornets kept it close in a 68-61 loss on the road.

Abatemarco said he is still trying to teach patience to the fans.

“Two of our big guys Anouro and Flood have missed most of league play due to injury and personal reasons,” Abatemarco said. “We have two freshmen guards playing 30-plus minutes a game, which is unheard of in Division I basketball. This team has the talent but needs to learn how to win. We have a good future despite our record.”