The Sports Network

DATE & TIME: Saturday, January 19, 9 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Dee Events Center (11,500) -- Ogden, Utah. Television: None. Home Record: Sacramento 5-2, WSU 7-1. Away Record: Sacramento 3-5, WSU 5-2. Neutral Record: Sacramento 0-0, WSU 0-0. Conference Record: Sacramento 2-3, WSU 7-0. Series Record: Weber State leads, 33-4.

GAME NOTES: The Weber State Wildcats put their eight-game win streak on the line Saturday, as they host the Sacramento State Hornets in Big Sky Conference play at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.

Thanks to the current hot streak, the Wildcats enter the weekend tied with Montana for the top spot in the conference standings at 7-0. On Thursday night WSU registered yet another double-digit victory in conference by posting an 83-70 triumph over Northern Arizona at home, making the squad 7-1 at the Dee Events Center. Overall, the Wildcats have won 11 of their last 12 outings.

As for the Hornets, they showed quite a bit of promise coming out of the gate for 2012-13, winning five of the first six outings, but the competition back then was somewhat questionable as well. Since then the Hornets have won just three of the last nine games, the most recent of those coming against Eastern Washington (60-53) a week ago. On Thursday the squad was taken out by Idaho State in Pocatello, 60-59.

Weber State owns a commanding 33-4 advantage over the Hornets in the all-time series, thanks to a win streak that has been stretched to 10 straight after the season-sweep last year. The Wildcats are also a staggering 18-1 versus Sacramento at home.

The Hornets had a chance to build on a late lead against ISU two nights ago, but the team missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and from there the Bengals knocked down the game-winner with four seconds left in regulation. John Dickson tried to carry the load for the Hornets as he posted 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Mikh McKinney and Konner Veteto responded with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Most disappointing for the Hornets is that they took the hit at Holt Arena after leading by as many as 11 points. Dickson is playing close to 28 minutes per game which is why he leads the team with 14.2 ppg and is also one of the better rebounders with close to six per game, but for someone who handles the ball as much as he does, Dickson should have more than just eight assists at this stage. McKinney (12.9 ppg) Dylan Garrity (11.8 ppg) and Veteto (11.3 ppg) help to carry the offense to almost 69 ppg at the moment.

Free-throw shooting was a major factor for the Wildcats during their meeting with Northern Arizona on Thursday night as the hosts outscored the Lumberjacks by a huge 29-8 margin at the charity stripe. Kyle Tresnak, who made only half of his six free throws, finished with a game-high 23 points and also pulled down eight rebounds for the home team. Davion Berry tacked on 17 points and Joel Bolomboy was again a major influence in the paint with 13 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots off the bench. As a reserve in all seven conference games, Bolomboy is averaging a modest 6.3 ppg, but more importantly, he is clearing 10.3 rpg and has posted 18 rejections, all of which has helped give the Wildcats a scoring advantage of nearly 17.0 ppg. Scott Bamforth (15.0 ppg), Tresnak (14.3 ppg) and Berry (13.4 ppg) are clearly the top threats at the offensive end versus Big Sky foes.

With Bolomboy giving the Wildcats such a huge lift off the bench, the starters don't have to work so hard and still the wins will come. Expect that to be the case for Weber State again this weekend as it maintains its spot atop the league standings.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Weber State 76, Sacramento State 64