Idaho State University’s men’s basketball team will conclude its 2025–26 regular season on Monday night with an away game against Sacramento State. The match is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time at Hornet Pavilion in Sacramento, California.
Heading into the final game, Idaho State holds a No. 228 ranking in the NCAA NET, while Sacramento State is ranked No. 274. This game represents Idaho State’s last chance to build momentum before entering the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
The Bengals have relied on their interior defense and bench production throughout the season. They lead the Big Sky Conference in blocks per game (4.3), which places them 54th nationally, and also top the conference in bench points per game (31.17), ranking 22nd in the nation in that category. Idaho State stands third in both free throw attempts per game (21.1) and free throws made per game (15.9), and fifth in free throw percentage at 75.1%.
Evan Otten has been a key player defensively, leading the conference with 55 total blocks and averaging 1.83 blocks per game—ranking him among the top players nationally for those statistics. Caleb Van De Griend has recorded seven double-doubles this season and ranks high within the conference for rebounds and offensive boards.
Connor Hollenbeck leads Idaho State in scoring with an average of 13.3 points per game, also standing out for his free throw shooting accuracy at 81.5%. Jamison Guerra is among conference leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio and assists, while Martin Kheil contributes significantly from beyond the arc.
Sacramento State brings one of the most aggressive offenses when it comes to drawing fouls, leading not only the Big Sky but also ranking among national leaders for free throw attempts (25 per game), percentage (77.8%), and makes (19.4). The Hornets also lead their conference in steals per game (7.6) and turnover margin (+1.9).
Prophet Johnson is central to Sacramento State’s performance, ranking near or at the top of several categories including scoring (18.5 points per game), rebounds, defensive rebounds, and steals—where he ranks third nationally with an average of 2.64 steals per contest.
Mark Lavrenov adds strength on rebounding and free throw shooting, having achieved six double-doubles this year; Mikey Williams contributes as a reliable presence at getting to—and converting from—the line.
While Sacramento State excels offensively, they rank tenth in both scoring defense (allowing 83.1 points per game) and rebound margin (-5.4) within their league.
In terms of series history between these two teams, Idaho State leads all-time by a margin of 35–28—including three wins out of their last four meetings such as a recent home victory earlier this season by a score of 97–84.
Additional notable achievements for Idaho State include holding CSUN to just over twenty percent shooting during a November neutral site matchup—the lowest field goal percentage allowed by Bengal defense against a Division I opponent—and having seven different players lead scoring across various games this year.
Evan Otten recently tied Brayden Parker for third place on Idaho State’s all-time career blocks list after registering four blocks against Weber State on February 28th; he is close to breaking further single-season records set by former players.
Gus Etchison was named both Conference Player of the Week and Lou Henson National Player of the Week after averaging more than thirty-two points across games last week—the first time an Idaho State player has received national recognition from Lou Henson.
