SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State used an 18-7 run to end the first half to open a double-digit lead, then held on to defeat Eastern Washington University 74-67 at Hornet Gym on Sunday.
The loss was the seventh-straight for the Eagles, who are now 2-8 in the Big Sky and 6-18 overall heading into Friday's (Feb. 12) home game versus Montana State. Sacramento State is now 9-16 overall and 3-9 in the league.
Freshman Jeffrey Forbes scored 18 points to lead three Eagles in double figures. Four Hornets scored in double figures, led by the 17 of Justin Eller.
Eller had two of the three-straight baskets the Hornets made late in the game after Eastern had cut the lead to three with 2:19 to play. Sac State closed out the win by making 5-of-8 free throws in the final 26 seconds.
Eastern allowed Sac State to make 52 percent of its shots from the field, including 55 percent in the first half. The Eagles made only 38 percent.
Forbes made 6-of-7 shots from the field, including 4-of-6 three-pointers, and had three assists. Freshman Glen Dean added 15 points, five assists and four rebounds, and Mark Dunn chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore Laron Griffin finished with nine points and six rebounds, and freshmen Kevin Winford and Abebe Demissie combined to add six points and five rebounds.
The game was tied at 19 when Sac State went on its 18-7 run to take a 37-26 advantage at halftime. Eastern trailed by as many as 12 in the second half before EWU used a pair of 5-0 runs to whittle the lead to four at 60-56 on a pair of free throws by Dean. Moments later, Winford hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to three.
Eastern plays MSU at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, then hosts Montana on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
