SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Justin Strings scored a career-high 23 points and Sacramento State beat Incarnate Word 73-70 on Monday.

Strings' 3-pointer with 3:27 left put the Hornets up by five. Incarnate Word's Mitchell Badillo answered with a 3, but the Cardinals then went scoreless until Shawn Johnson's 3-pointer with one second left, going 0 for 5 -- all on 3-point attempts -- over a stretch of 3:09.

Marcus Graves scored 20 points for Sacramento State (6-2). Cody Demps added 14 points and six assists. The Hornets shot 49 percent from the floor.

Incarnate Word (3-3) was paced by Jontrell Walker with 18 points. Johnson finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Kyle Hittle added 11 points.

Strings and Dreon Barlett hit 3-pointers near the end of the first half to help Sacramento State to a 42-35 lead at intermission.

Sacramento State's 6-2 record is its best after eight games in the program's Division I era (1991-present).