Tag: Mountain West Conference

San Jose State Loses Final Game To Utah State 90-70

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Jose State Spartans guard Latrell Davis (6) and forward Tibet Gorener (5) battle Utah State Aggies forward Great Osobor (1) at Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose on Wed Mar 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, March 6th, 2024

By Troy Ewers 

San Jose, CA – In the final home game of the season, the San Jose State Spartans host Utah State. Last game Alvaro Cardenas scored 17 points to lead San José State (9-21, 2-15 Mountain West) in a 68-50 loss at UNLV (18-10, 11-5 Mountain West) on Saturday night. • Cardenas shot an efficient 6-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range. On Wednesday night San Jose State lost their last game of the season by 20 points to end the season 90-70 to Utah State.

The first half for the Spartans was a fast paced half, but not with the results SJSU was hoping for. Missed shots and turnovers created a gap between Utah State and SJSU where the Spartans were further and further away from the lead.

A lack of offensive boards didn’t help the fact that the Spartans were missing shots. Only 4 offensive boards in the half. MJ Amey Jr. was taking over on offense for SJSU with 15 points in the first, but the lead was still significant for Utah State. Mason Falslev of Utah State hit a 3 pointer to end the half with a statement as they led the Spartans 53-37 at halftime. 

Hot start for Utah State and they didn’t let up the whole half. Darius Brown II had 21 points and 9 assists and Falslev had 20 points (8-11 FG, 2-3 3pt) which led Utah State in a big lead.

Falslev, despite a great game went down with two minutes left in the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury. For SJSU Amey Jr. led the Spartans with 20 points, but it was nowhere enough as they clocked in a 90-70 loss in their final regular season game.

San Jose State Loses In Las Vegas Against UNLV 68-50

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Jose Spartans forward Tibet Gorener (12) studies the basket during a free throw against the UNLV Runnin Rebels at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Sat Mar 2, 2024 (San Jose Spartans photo)

Saturday, March 2nd, 2024

By Troy Ewers

The Runnin Rebels of UNLV host the San Jose State Spartans in the final away game of this regular season for the Spartans. Last game San Jose State lost to No. 20 San Diego State. – Myron (MJ) Amey Jr. produced a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead San José State(9-20, 2-14 Mountain West) in a 72-64 loss at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.  

A low scoring first half, neither team shooting more than 40% from the field. UNLV started the game with a 13-2 run eight minutes in and even though SJSU would bring it close at points in the half, the Spartans couldn’t string together a good enough run to take the lead. UNLV with the lead at halftime 33-18. 

Second half it was clear San Jose State couldn’t get a bucket at all. Shooting better than the first half, but not so much better as they only could generate 17-53 from the field. Neither team was hitting well from three, but UNLV shot well enough from the field to hold a commanding lead.

Spartans leading scorer Alvaro Cardenas delivered 17 points to try to get the Spartans to close the gap, but Runnin Rebels Dedan Thomas Jr. led UNLV in points with 18 points and it was a big part of UNLV’s lead here. The clock ran out and it was forsure over at this point as UNLV beat the Spartans 68-50. 

Next game for San Jose State is tier final game of the season in San Jose at the Provident Credit Union Event Center and it’s against Utah State, Wednesday night March 6th. 

San Diego State Beats San Jose State 72-64 Thanks To Jaedon Ledee With A Double-Double

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose State Spartans forward Trey Anderson (15) and the Spartans took a tough loss to the San Diego Aztecs in San Diego on Tue Feb 27, 2024 (San Jose State Spartans photo)

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024

By Troy Ewers

The San Jose State Spartans are in San DIego facing the San Diego State Aztecs.  Myron (MJ) Amey Jr., Latrell Davis and Alvaro Cardenas each scored more than 10 points to lead the Spartans (9-19, 2-13 Mountain West) in an 84-63 loss to Nevada (22-6, 9-5 Mountain West) on Friday night.

When the Spartans played San Diego State on Jan. 9, they were down two with a chance to tie the game with three seconds left but Trey Anderson’s layup attempt was blocked by Jay Pal. The Spartans lost the contest by only three, 81-78, against the Aztecs who were ranked 19th in the nation. 

The first half was a back and forth game, but both teams shot under 40% from the field for the majority of the half. At the end of the half it was a low scoring performance where SDSU led 29-22. 

A more eventful second half for the Spartans as the Aztecs held the lead the whole way, but SJSU was able to close the gap at a point in the game. MJ Amey Jr. put up a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but compared to Jaedon Ledee came through with 27 points and 11 rebounds to defeat the Spartans 72-64.

Alvaro Cardenas who leads the conference in assists only had 2 assists this game and the Spartans only shot two free throws all game (they went 50%). 

The next game for the Spartans is in Las Vegas against UNLV on Saturday, March 2nd. With only 2 games in the season left, it seems like the Spartans season may be over, but they proved tonight this team won’t quit.

Spartans Lose Again As Colorado State Beats San Jose State 66-47

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Nique Clifford guard (10) goes for the easy lay up for the Colorado State Rams against the San Jose State Spartans guard Alvaro Cardenas (13) at Moby Arena in Fort Collins CO on Fri Feb 9, 2024 (image by Colorado State Rams)

Friday, February 9th, 2024

By Troy Ewers

The Colorado State Rams host the San Jose State Spartans in this Friday night Mountain West Conference battle. Friday night’s game was Tim Miles’ second time back at Moby Arena in Fort Collins since he left Colorado State after the 2011-12 season to become the head coach at Nebraska.

Miles was the head coach at CSU for five seasons, from 2007-08 through 2011-12, where he compiled a 61-78 record. Unfortunately Miles couldn’t turn back his old team as the Spartans were dropped by the Rams 66-47.

A shaky first half for the Spartans as Colorado State ran away with this game early. Scoring 22 points in the paint, the Rams were in top of the Spartans all half. Rashaan Mbemba led the Rams at the half with 10 points and was one of the pivotal pieces that was scoring in the paint.

San Jose State was not shooting well, especially from three. On Tuesday night against Fresno State, Tibet Gorener made his 162nd career 3-pointer, becoming the Spartans’ all time leader in 3-pointers made, but made none in the first half. SJSU at halftime fell behind Colorado State, 38-19 and needed a quick solution to the offensive takeover the Rams were providing. 

Even though SJSU made a slight comeback in the beginning of the second half with 12 points in the first four minutes, it didn’t matter as the Rams never stopped dominating the game. 23 points off the bench for CSU and 38 points in the paint made it difficult to gain any ground for the Spartans. The game was a runaway as it ended with Colorado State winning 66-47. 

The positive in this loss for the San Jose State Spartans was that Alvaro Cardenas continued putting up double digit points against the Rams just like he did in both games of the 2022-23 season. This game Cardenas scored 14 points going 6-13 from the field, but still didn’t equal a W for SJSU. The next game for San Jose State is back at home against Air Force on February 13th and as the season winds down before we approach March Madness, the Spartans want to end with pride and some noise in their favor.

Nevada Takes Control And Beats San Jose State 90-60

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo by SJSU Spartans

Friday, February 2nd, 2024

By Troy Ewers

The Nevada Wolf Pack host the San Jose State Spartans for some Friday night hoops. Four of the eight conference games for SJSU have been decided by three points or fewer. They lost at Wyoming on a buzzer beater, fell by only three to No. 19 San Diego State, won at the buzzer at Air Force and lost on a last-second shot to Fresno State. 

Nevada shot well early in the first half and didn’t stop throughout the half. The Wolf Pack started off on a 12-0 run (25-5 in the first 10 minutes) and the Spartans couldn’t stop them if they tried. The Wolf Pack took control and it was 49-24 at halftime.

Out of the 24 points SJSU scored, three players scored 19 of those points. MJ Amey Jr. had nine, Alvaro Cardenas had seven, and Trey Anderson had three in the first half. The biggest point of concern in the first half was SJSU shooting 37% from the field and 25% from the three point line.

Everything was going well for Nevada as at one point they led by 40 points in the game, Nick Davidson with 22 points and Jarod Lucas with 20 ponts, the game was solidified in the Wolf Pack’s hands. San Jose State had a combination of nothing falling for them and what felt like everything fell for Nevada. The game ends with Nevada winning with no issues 90-60. 

This game was definitely something Tim Miles and the Spartans want to forget and they have four days to do it. SJSU’s next game is February 6th against the Fresno State Bulldogs back in San Jose and this season may be a no go for the Spartans as a Mountain West champion contender, but they still have that dog in them where they won’t end this season without a fight.

UNLV Runnin Rebels Run Over San Jose State Spartans 77-65

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Jose Spartans battled and dropped their third game in a row to the UNLV Runnin Rebels at Provident Event Credit Union in San Jose on Sat Jan 27, 2024 (photo by SJSU Spartans)

Saturday, January 27th, 2024

By Troy Ewers

The San Jose State Spartans host UNLV in a conference game. The Spartans won both contests against the Runnin’ Rebels last season, including an overtime win at home and a nine-point victory in Las Vegas.

Tibet Görener scored 11 points in both games while Trey Anderson registered a game-high 19 points in the win on the road. The Spartans couldn’t hold the Runnin Rebels back and went down to defeat 77-65 at Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose.

Starting off hot, the Spartans shot 90% from the field and 100% from three in the first nine minutes and gained a controlling lead early. UNLV closed the gap by shooting proficiently from the field, 24 points in the paint, but were scoreless in the final three minutes of the half which kept SJSU on top. SJSU held the lead at half 39-32.

Tibet Gorener and Alvaro Cardenas both led the Spartans with 10 points and SJSU’s largest lead was 12 points. The Spartans have held leads in the past, but they haven’t had a great track record of holding leads. 

The second half was a complete breakdown for the Spartans as they lost the lead to the Rebels halfway through the second half. UNLV went on a 14 of 14 run to end the game and put a dagger in the heart of the Spartans and pop the balloon of energy in the Event Center. UNLV wins 77-65 decisively. Keylan Boone led the Rebels with 18 points and was a huge deciding factor in this game. 

The Spartans couldn’t hold this lead and it’s another loss on the season, most importantly another loss in the Mountain West Conference. The next game for SJSU is against Utah State in Utah on January 30th and the Spartans look to regain some momentum going into February.

Buzzer Beater Finish For The Spartans As They Lose 85-82 To Fresno State

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Tuesday, January 16th, 2024

The San Jose State Spartans made a valent effort against the Fresno Bulldogs at Save Mart Arena in Fresno on Tue Jan 16, 2024 (photo by the San Jose State Spartans)

By Troy Ewers 

The Fresno State Bulldogs hosted the San Jose State Spartans in a Mountain West Conference game. Three of the four conference games for SJSU have been decided by three points or fewer. They lost at Wyoming on a buzzer beater by the Cowboys’ Akuel Kot, fell by only three to No. 19 San Diego State and won at the buzzer at Air Force.

The Spartans have yet to play a conference game where the winning team won by more than ten points. Boise State came closest when they beat the Spartans by nine. This was a close three point game on Tuesday night in Fresno but the Spartans couldn’t hold on taking a tough 85-82 loss.

The first half of the game looked like Fresno State was going to run away with this early, but not if Tibet Gorener had anything to say about it. Spartans forward Gorener utilized every bit of his 19 minutes of the half. 22 points and 5 rebounds for Gorener led SJSU on a back and forth.

Spartans went 53% from the three point line which not only kept them in the game as halftime approached, but a one point lead at halftime. Fresno State hit 56% from the field, but it couldn’t stop Gorener and the Spartans from grabbing a lead. 40-39 Spartans at half. 

The second half was another close call for San Jose State. The whole half these two teams traded buckets Gorener adding another 10 points to his total, Trey Anderson had 21 points and MJ Amey Jr. came in with a clean 13 points.

The game was another heavyweight bout for the Spartans where no one had a real advantage, but the whole time these two never slacked off. When the final seconds ticked down Amey Jr. got a turnover off an offensive foul and after the Fresno State timeout with four seconds left.

The Bulldogs guard Isaiah Hill who walked out of here with 24 points, 16 coming in the second half, hit a contested three and once again the Spartans had a game decided by three points or fewer. Fresno State wins off a buzzer beater 85-82. 

Spartans can’t shake these late game pressure situations, making it the fourth out of five conference games that were decided by three points or fewer. The highlights for the Spartans, was Tibet Gorener having 32 points, but in SJSU’s case it’s another key player for them balling out, but can’t close it out.

The Spartans have a “long” break before their next game. An Eight day break and then the Spartans are back in San Jose at the Provident Credit Union Event Center against New Mexico on January 24th.

Buzzer Beater Finish As San Jose State Loses 75-73 To Wyoming

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

By Troy Ewers

 The San José State Spartans (7-7, 0-0 Mountain West) battled the Wyoming Cowboys (8-6, 0-0 Mountain West). The Spartans have not played since Dec. 20 when they won 81-78 over Santa Clara. In the victory, the Spartans were led by MJ Amey Jr. and Alvaro Cardenas. Amey Jr. registered 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block while Cardenas produced a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists. Unlike their win against the Broncos the Spartans were defeated by the Cowboys on Tuesday night by a bucket 75-73.

Game recap: The first half for the Spartans was a high energy and high volume half that ended with them having a hefty lead 47-35. SJSU hit 51% from the field, 50% from the three point line, and 22 rebounds and despite having five turnovers, the Spartans maintained control against Wyoming the whole half.

Cardenas led San Jose State with 12 points, also leading in assists and rebounds by halftime. Wyoming’s biggest flaw was their shooting, only hitting 30% from the field, causing them to try and dig out of a 12 point hole. The Spartans are 5-3 this season when leading at halftime.

San Jose State held the lead the whole half, but the gap was closed by Wyoming as they matched the Spartans on the boards and on the scoreboard. With six minutes left Wyoming tied it up at 66 points a piece.

The remainder of the half was a back and forth where both teams traded baskets and even leads, but the final seconds wound down and Wyoming’s Akuel Kot hit a mid range buzzer beater to win the ballgame for the Cowboys 75-73. 

Now 5-4 when leading at half, but more importantly 7-7 in their overall record, the SJSU Spartans need to string together some wins if they want this season to result in a conference championship or even sniff a chance at it. Being 0-1 after this Wyoming matchup isn’t helpful, but they can bounce back against Boise State back in San Jose at 7:30pm PT on Friday, January 5th.

San Jose State Ends 2023 With A 81-78 Victory Against Santa Clara; Face Wyoming Jan 2nd

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Alvaro Cardenas (13) San Jose Spartans guard finished second in scoring with 14 against the Wyoming Cowboys at Provident Credit Union Event Arena in San Jose Wed Dec 20, 2023 (San Jose Spartans photo)

Wednesday, December 20th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Jose, CA – The San Jose State Spartans host the Santa Clara Broncos in a matchup between Silicon Valley schools. The Spartans are coming off their first home loss of the season, an 86-75 defeat to Montana Sunday afternoon. 

The first half for San Jose State was them clicking on all cylinders, 55% from the field. Tibet Gorener and Latrell Davis led the Sparatans with 10 points each with MJ Amey Jr. with nine. Meanwhile Santa Clara was led by Carlos Marshall Jr. who had 23 points, but that wasn’t enough to put them up at the half as the Brocos were trailing by three as the half ended with 42-39 SJSU. 

The second half started and the Spartans went right on the offensive. Santa Clara was on their heels all first half, so San Jose State needed to separate themselves from this hungry Broncos team if the Spartans were gonna walk out of the event center with a W.

The whole game it felt like Santa Clara was right there with SJSU, but that’s because they were. Four different players in double digits (Amey Jr, Davis, Gorener, and Cardenas) contributed to SJSU maintaining a lead, but the Broncos were always within a fighting distance.

The last minute they were tied at 76 a piece and after a Santa Clara three. Amey Jr. hit two free throws to take the lead and after a missed three from the Broncos, the Spartans had Adrame Diongue at the free throw line, not being that great from the line, he missed one and made one, putting SJSU up three with  12 seconds left.

Adama Bal scored a layup to put the Broncos within one and had to foul the Spartans again to regain possession, this time Alvaro Cardenas who hit both free throws to make their lead a three point lead. The final chance buzzer beater three for Santa Clara hit rim, but no success and the Spartans won 81-78.

Amey Jr. with 19 points and Cardenas with a double double are just one of the many reasons the Spartans left with the win, but they won this by playing their game both halves. 

Spartans got a feel-good win before the holiday break and got a well deserved break. Their next game will be in 2024, specifically January 2nd 2024 in Wyoming against Wyoming. The San Jose State Spartans look to start their next year with more success than they did, ending 2023 7-6.

San Jose State Spartans Lose In Overtime To Cal Poly Mustangs 81-77

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Jose State Spartans forward Tibet Gorener (5) with center Adrame Diongue (4) stays ahead of Cal Poly Mustang center Kobe Sanders (3) in Montana on Wed Nov 29, 2023 (San Jose State Spartans photo)

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Looking for their fourth win in a row, the San José men’s basketball team took on the Cal Poly Mustangs. The Spartans won their final two games at the 2023 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, against Norfolk State and Hampton, then returned home and defeated North Dakota State. The contest against Cal Poly was the first of three games on the road as the Spartans will play at Montana on Saturday and North Dakota State on Monday. The Spartans suffered the their first loss of this three game road trip 81-77.

The first half was all in the control of the Spartans with Trey Anderson leading the team in points with 10. 50% from the field and 50% from the three plus only three turnovers, the Spartans were feeling it on offense, but keeping Cal Poly from really catching a stride was a big key to maintaining a lead for SJSU. At the end of the half Spartans hold a lead 38-30. 

The Spartans biggest problem this season is when they lose, it’s usually because they aren’t able to close it out. This seemed to be the case early on in the second half when Cal Poly was able to bring the game within two with 13 minutes left in the game.

Cal Poly eventually took the lead for the first time in the half at 47-46, but it was clear the Spartans had to lock in. Late into the half the Spartans started to run away with the lead and it was because Anderson, Tibet Gorener, and MJ Amey Jr. who all had double digit points, but in the last minute of the game Cal Poly found a way to push it and bring the game within three points.

In the last 13 seconds, Cal Poly made a point game, but a clutch two free throws by Amey Jr. made it a three point game. Cal Poly’s Kobe Sanders made a three to tie and when Alvaro Cardenas missed the game winning three, we went to overtime. 69-69. 

Overtime it went back and forth between the teams, but with 18 seconds Cal Poly had a four point lead and SJSU missed three point opportunities, but settled for a two and were down two with three seconds left in OT. 79-77 Cal Poly and Kobe Sanders was at the free throw line. Sanders made both free throws and went back up by four and that was the end of the game, Cal Poly wins 81-77. 

Unfortunate loss for SJSU on the road to close out November, but they stay on the road for their next game against Montana in Missoula, Montana on December 2nd and hope to start the month back in stride before they begin conference play games.