The much-needed comeback victory was marred by defeat in The Nest – The State Hornet

It was an indifferent week with a valley of emotions for Sacramento State. On Wednesday, the Hornets completed a road loss against the Air Force Falcons by erasing an 11-point halftime deficit. This win was their first win over a Division I team this season.

With this win, Sac State had a chance to go 2-0 against the Mercyhurst Lakers this week, but a slow start with a 12-3 deficit didn’t allow them to prevail. The green and gold continue to play closely with their opponents, but have hardly found the opportunity to assert themselves.

That was a difficult question

The worst losses are the ones you know you should have had, and all signs point to Sac State having a “gimme” last Saturday.

Mercyhurst was the final opponent in a four-team round-robin tournament dubbed the “Cal Classic.” The Lakers played on the road against Air Force and the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears.

In those two games, Mercyhurst lost by a total of 60 points, while Sac State defeated Air Force in Colorado and only suffered a 6-point loss to Cal at Haas Pavilion.

Mercyhurst is also playing its first season as a Division I program and is still adjusting to the increased levels of competition. But in the midst of a week-long road trip, they picked up a victory at The Nest, nearly 2,500 miles from their home of Erie, Pennsylvania.

“(It) felt like we came out a little soft and undisciplined and thought we were going to overwhelm them,” sophomore forward Bailey Nunn said. “You can never think that at the Division I level.”

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If it’s broken, fix it

The Hornets got off to a rocky start against the Lakers, whose game plan was to trip Jacob Holt every time he touched the ball in the paint, leaving the shooters out.

Sac State shot 2 of 11 three-pointers in the first half on Saturday and didn’t try to attack the teeth of Mercyhurst’s defense while the defenders were out of the rotation.

Sac State head coach Michael Czepil said he spoke to the team after the game about the need to put pressure on the rim and not allow it to become a three-point contest.

The Hornets made just six field goals in the first half, shot 23% from the floor and 18% from deep, and never led once against the Lakers. Nevertheless, they were able to equalize the lead or reduce it to one with just over a minute left.

After losing the ball late in the game during strong possession and an offensive rebound that turned into a crucial three-pointer for Mercyhurst on the other side, Sac State’s push failed late in the game.

“Your competitive spirit has to be ready at all times, and we definitely started off a little weak,” Czepil said. “If you miss shots, miss open layups, miss open threes, it can’t affect your ability to sprint back on defense or your competitive spirit.”

Bailey Nunn’s long-awaited offensive arrival

After Nunn scored in double figures in three of the Hornets’ last five games late in the 2023-24 season, it was safe to assume that the second-year rookie was on his way to a big jump. Up until this point, that wasn’t the case.

Nunn had never scored more than six points in a game this season and was shooting just 20% from three. Against Mercyhurst, Nunn surpassed his previous season best in just one half of the game.

After a scoreless first half Saturday, Nunn scored or assisted on 16 of Sac State’s 38 points and shot 4 of 6 from long range en route to a season-best 12 points in the second frame.

“He puts in a lot of work,” Czepil said of Nunn. “He will be fine and will continue to improve.”

Nunn’s scoring touch could have been useful in several games this year. His defensive prowess and unrivaled effort certainly comes through on a nightly basis, but if his offensive performance holds up in the second half on Saturday, it would be a welcome sight for a team that lacks consistent impact.

Don’t make this a habit

One message Czepil has tried to get across to his team this season is to stick with good habits and not develop bad ones. Sac State needs to make sure its first half woes don’t last.

In their two games this week, the Hornets combined to make 13 of 49 shots from the field, 5 of 24 from three, and trailed by the exact same score of 33-22 at halftime. They overcame that halftime deficit to win at Air Force, a game in which they trailed by 17 points at one point, but fell to the Lakers after a lethargic start.

Mercyhurst senior guard Bernie Blunt III scored 11 straight points for the Lakers from the start, including three 3-pointers, to give them a quick 12-3 lead in the first half. Sac State only scored one field goal in the first seven minutes of the game.

“I feel like we need to be more aggressive in our game planning and come out with the same intent every play,” junior guard Julian Vaughns said.

An overwhelming problem this year has been the inability to play solidly for the entire duration of a game. There were a few instances where the Hornets played well in the first half but suffered a loss in the second, and vice versa.

In some of those volatile games, Sac State took a particularly long time to find a groove on offense; This week it was bigger than others. Against Air Force and Merychurst, the Hornets lacked the ability to adapt on the fly to opposing defenses, and by the time they did, it was too late.

The coming week

Sac State begins the first week of December with two games against teams selected to finish at the bottom of the Summit League: the Denver Pioneers and Omaha Mavericks.

The Hornets will test the Pioneers on Wednesday in Denver, Colorado. This is the second time in a week that they have played a game above 5,000 feet, as they picked up a win over Air Force last Wednesday in Colorado Springs, CO.

Denver and Sac State share a common opponent in California State University, the Northridge Matadors, and although they both failed, Denver’s 29-point loss was greater than Sac State’s 10-point loss.

After a 2-0 start, Omaha is 1-6 in their last seven games. The Mavericks travel to Sacramento to take on Sac State at The Nest on Saturday. This marks the beginning of a phase in which the Hornets will play seven of eight home games.