Santa Clara Edges Sacramento State 83-77
Taj Glover scored 19 points for Sacramento State in a loss to Santa Clara on November 8, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Basketball
Santa Clara defeated Sacramento State 83-77 in a men's basketball game. Sacramento State cut a double-digit second-half deficit through steals and transition scoring before Santa Clara closed the game on a 15-2 run.
Why it matters
The result gives Santa Clara a late-game margin that decided a close contest in Sacramento. The outcome shows how Sacramento State's bench and guard play kept the game within reach until the final minutes.
The box score shows Taj Glover scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting with four steals, and Williams added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists for Sacramento State. Santa Clara's bench scored 32 points to Sacramento State's 24, and the season standings impact is not addressed in the source.
The players
Taj Glover
Taj Glover is a guard for the Sacramento State Hornets who led his team in scoring in this game.
Sacramento State Hornets
The Sacramento State Hornets are the men's basketball program of California State University, Sacramento, competing in NCAA Division I.
The details
Santa Clara opened the second half with a double-digit lead before Sacramento State cut into it through Glover's steals and transition baskets, with Glover scoring 15 of his 19 points after halftime. Santa Clara answered with a 15-2 run late in the game to secure the 83-77 win.
Timeline
November 8, 2026: Santa Clara defeats Sacramento State 83-77.
November 14, 2026: Sacramento State plays UC Davis at Hornet Pavilion in the Causeway Classic.
Season Trajectory
Early-season non-conference results like this one feed into the seeding and at-large considerations that Division I programs weigh later in the year. The extraction does not indicate how this game affects either team's position in its conference standings.
Sacramento State fans should note that the Hornets next face UC Davis on November 14 in the Causeway Classic at Hornet Pavilion. The Glover and Williams production, which accounted for 40 of the team's 77 points, is the key factor to watch in that matchup.
The takeaway
Sacramento State's offense leaned heavily on two players, and the Causeway Classic against UC Davis gives the Hornets an immediate chance to show whether that balance can hold against a rival. Watching how the bench contributes in that game will show whether the 24 bench points in this loss were an exception.
What happens next
Sacramento State plays UC Davis at Hornet Pavilion on November 14 in the Causeway Classic.
Further reading
For more college hoops coverage, browse the Basketball section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The State Hornet.
