SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Jameel Pugh had 26 points and six rebounds to help Sacramento State defeat Montana State 70-68 Saturday night.
Jason Harris added 13 points, and E.J. Harris had nine assists for Sacramento State (11-15, 7-6), which clinched its third-consecutive trip to the Big Sky Conference tournament.
JaRon Jefferson had 14 points, and Marvin Moss, Casey Durham and Branden Miller scored 10 points each for Montana State (13-12, 8-4), which lost its four straight game on the road.
In the first half, both teams recorded eight lead changes before Montana State came out on top with a 31-30 halftime lead.
Sacramento State shot a dismal 24 percent (9-for-37) from the floor while the Bobcats, who committed 10 costly turnovers, shot 44 percent (13-for-29).
In the second half, Sacramento State shot 66 percent (10-for-15) in the first eight minutes and went on 27-14 run to take a 57-45 lead.
Montana State reassembled offensively with a 23-12 run to get within one point after the Bobcats' Marvin Moss completed a three-point play with 1:27 left.
DaShawn Freeman's steal from Montana State's Nick Dissly with four seconds left, along with Jameel Pugh's free throw with 1.9 seconds, left sealed the victory for the Sacramento State.
Montana State is still holding on to second place in the Big Sky, and Sacramento moves into a tie for third place with Montana.
