The San Jose State Spartans were unable to snap a two-game losing skid with a win over the Boise State Broncos on Saturday. The Spartans lost 35-27 to the Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. San Jose State fell to 1-5, while Boise State improved to 3-3.
The Spartans opened the scoring with Kairee Robinson’s 11-yard rushing touchdown — his 20th career rushing touchdown — and Kyle Halvorsen’s extra point for a 7-0 lead at 18:13 of the first quarter. Shortly after, Chevan Cordeiro’s 11-yard rushing touchdown — his third rushing touchdown of the season — and Halvorsen’s extra point doubled the lead to 14-0 at 7:02 of the first.
The Spartans led 14-0 at the end of the first.
The Spartans struck first to open the second quarter. Kyler Halvorsen’s 33-yard field goal extended the Spartans’ lead to 17-0 at 14:55 of the second.
The Broncos finally got on the board and made it a ten-point game midway through the second quarter. Eric McAlister’s 83-yard passing touchdown from Broncos backup quarterback Maddux Madsen and Jonah Dalmas’ extra point cut the Spartans’ lead to 17-7 at 13:33 of the second.
The Spartans poured in the points midway and late in the second quarter. Kyler Halvorsen’s 27-yard field goal made it a 20-7 game at 11:20 of the second. Quali Conley’s six-yard rushing touchdown and Halvorsen’s extra point expanded the Spartans’ lead to 27-7 with 4:56 left in the second.
The Broncos scored late in the second quarter. Broncos backup quarterback Maddux Madsen ran for an eight-yard rushing touchdown, and Jonah Dalmas kicked an extra point to cut the Spartans’ lead to 27-14 with 42 seconds left in the second.
The Spartans held a 27-14 halftime lead over the Broncos.
The Broncos opened the second half scoring. Taylen Green ran for a one-yard rushing touchdown, and Jonas Dalmas kicked an extra point to cut the Spartans’ lead to 27-21 with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans held onto a 27-21 lead at the end of the third.
The Broncos’ offense exploded in the fourth quarter. Taylen Green ran for an 11-yard rushing touchdown and Jonah Dalmas kicked an extra point to help the Broncos take a 28-27 lead at 14:25 of the fourth. Riley Smith caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Broncos starting quarterback Taylen Green, and Dalmas kicked an extra point for a 35-27 lead with 3:30 left in the fourth.
Notes Spartans freshman linebacker Jordan Pollard recorded his second career interception on Saturday, October 7.
Spartans sophomore tight end Joshua Scott celebrated his birthday on Thursday, October 5.
Up Next The Spartans will take on the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday, October 14, at 3:00 p.m. Pacific.
The Air Force Falcons running back Lee Eldridge (24) takes a leap over the San Jose State University Spartans linebacker Taniela Latu (41) at Spartan Stadium in San Jose on Fri Sep 22, 2023 (@AF_Football photo)
Friday, September 22nd, 2023
By Troy Ewers
San Jose, CA – CEFCU Stadium was the location for this Mountain West conference duel between the San Jose State Spartans and Air Force Falcons. This Friday night battle may have felt like being in high school and watching a game at your school, but the energy and competition was way more intense with more at stake. Air Force handled the San Jose State with a 45-20 win.
Spartans QB Chevan Cordeiro had his hands full against Air Force considering going into this game the Falcons with a conference leading defense. Air Force’s defense ranked first in the conference in seven categories (scoring defense, passing defense, rushing defense, total defense, opposing first downs, third down defense, and sacks for).
Air Force also was the conference leader in six offensive categories (pass yards/completions, rushing offense, passing efficiency, third down %, sacks against, and time of possession). How would SJSU head coach Brent Brennan prepare for this top ranked squad?
San Jose State’s opening drive showed that coach Brennan was very prepared for the Falcons. The first drive for the Spartans went 75 yards in eight plays and took only 4:17 off the clock, this efficient drive didn’t showcase Cordeiro’s efficiency with the offense, but he was able to score on his feet with a 10 yard run to give the Spartans the lead to start the game, but the extra point was missed, 6-0.
Air Force this season had only allowed seven points in the first half and SJSU had already done better essentially in the first quarter. Air Force’s opening drive wasn’t a quiet in and out drive, they went 62 yards, but could only collect three points off the field goal from Matthew Dapore. 6-3 game at this point in the first quarter. The Spartans next drive went nowhere as they were forced to punt and it was a better example of the Falcons defense that was advertised.
The second quarter started with Air Force with the ball around midfield and the rushing offense of the Falcons displayed why they were the leaders of the Mountain West. Not only did they control the pace of the game, but after going 65 yards on the drive, a rush by Emmanuel Michel for 17 yards through the defense into the end zone, the Falcons were able to take the lead including adding an extra point, 10-6 Air Force.
The shootout continued with SJSU moving the chains for a 60 yard drive and the exclamation point on the drive was a 29 yard touchdown run by Kairee Robinson, breaking tackles and finding holes, showing off great field vision and putting the Spartans over 13-10.
The momentum swayed largely in San Jose State’s favor after they completely stuffed Air Force as the Falcons tried to rush the ball and went absolutely nowhere and forced a punt. This was SJSU’s opportunity to possibly extend their lead going into halftime.
Cordeiro and this offense took full advantage of this opportunity and in four plays went 64 yards and pounded the ball into the end zone with another Robinson TD for SJSU. Cordeiro at this point in the game was throwing a perfect 11/11 so far as the Spartans were up 20-10.
Air Force’s response as the second quarter winded down was to go 75 yards and run the ball in for TD, but the attack was more balanced as Falcons QB Zac Larrier founds holes in the Spartans defense that made their attack feel easy and as the half ended the score was close, 20-17 with SJSU up.
The second half started with Air Force having the ball and their game plan was to take over possession time with their nation leading running game. Coming into the second half with 199 rushing yards, Air Force added 75 yards on that stat with a long drive that went 15 plays and took more than half of the quarter to execute, but they executed to perfection with a rushing touchdown by John Lee Eldridge III and on that drive it felt like every running back on Air Force’s roster touched the ball and the Falcons took the lead, 24-20.
Cordeiro’s first incompletion came in the first play of the opening drive for SJSU in the second half and he followed it up with a second incomplete and an eight yard run, but no first down and with 5:28 left in the third, the game was coming down to who can stick to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
Air Force’s run game was hitting on all cylinders. So far this season they average 320 yards a game and this game was no different for the Falcons as they hit 333 yards when the whistle blew for the end of the third quarter.
With the ball to start the fourth quarter and red zone field possession, Air Force had a chance to extend the lead the only way they knew how and they did exactly that. Converting on a fourth down for a touchdown, Michel jammed in a one yard run in the end zone and took an 11 point lead to start the final quarter, 31-20.
A real shift in momentum came when SJSU tried to convert on fourth down to mount a comeback, but that attempt failed as they were stuffed by the Air Force D-Line and the possession would change hands. The Spartans had been scoreless in the second half at this point and with Air Force having the ball after that turnover on downs, it was clear who had everything in their favor the second half.
The proverbial nail in the coffin for SJSU came when Eldrige III broke tackles and hurdled falling Spartans for a 34 yard TD, 38-20 Air Force. After that TD the fans were filing out to beat the traffic. Both Michel and Eldrige III had 100+ yards rushing and the total rushing yards at this point for Air Force were 380, upholding their average on the season.
Cordeiro would throw an interception to Air Force’s Trey Taylor in a routine pop up pick and by this point in the game, all Air Force had to do was run this clock down to zero. Air Force while running down this clock would score again, 45-20, but the damage was not only done, but the 16,124 in attendance dwindled to around 2,000 people with two minutes left.
When the final whistle blew it was clear who had won this game and it was clear Air Force was just as dominant as they were advertised. On defense they were a force and on offense they used a ground game that was classic old school smash mouth football.
For SJSU there’s a lot to learn from this game and with a bye week next week, they have time to reflect and learn from this game. Their next game would be in Idaho against Boise State on October 7th.
Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images. Stanford running back E.J. Smith.
By: Mary Anne
The Stanford Cardinal said “Aloha” to the 2023 NCAA season with a game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors under a new head coach, Troy Taylor, also known as Stanford’s 35th head coach in program history. Stanford defeated Hawaii 37-24 at the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex on Friday night and said “Mahalo” for their first win of the season. Stanford’s now 1-0, while Hawaii’s now 0-2.
In the wake of the deadly Maui wildfires, Stanford wore Maui decals on their helmets for Friday’s game, and Hawaii initiated a Maui relief drive and collected non-perishable goods as part of a previously scheduled fan fest just days ago. A moment of silence was held to remember the Maui wildfire victims before kickoff.
After the opening kickoff, the Troy Taylor era was officially underway, and the Cardinal scored first. E.J. Smith rushed up the middle for a 1-yard gain for the rushing touchdown. Joshua Karty kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 7:25 left in the first quarter.
Just 49 seconds into the second quarter, Hawaii tied the game 7-7. Pofele Ashlock caught a 7-yard reception thrown by Brayden Schager for the passing touchdown. Matthew Shipley kicked the extra point for a 7-7 tie at 14:11.
The Cardinal responded a little over two minutes later. Benjamin Yurosek caught a 32-yard reception thrown by Ashton Daniels for the passing touchdown. Joshua Karty kicked the extra point for a 14-7 lead at 12:24.
The Cardinal extended their lead late in the second quarter. Bryce Farrell rushed for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Joshua Karty kicked the extra point for a 21-7 lead with 4:25 left in the second.
Brayden Schager threw a 33-yard pass deep to the right to Karsyn Pupunu. The play was under review, and after further review, the ruling of a completed pass stood, and Hawaii’s 1st and 10 remained. Michael Shipley kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut the Cardinal’s lead to 21-10 at 0:00.
The Cardinal brought a 21-7 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.
The Cardinal scored first to open the second half. Joshua Karty kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 24-10 lead at 11:07.
The Rainbow Warriors scored late in the third quarter. Steven McBride caught a 24-yard reception thrown by Brayden Schager for the passing touchdown. Rainbow Warriors head coach Timmy Chang attempted a two-point conversion, but it was no good. Hawaii cut Stanford’s lead to 27-16 at 14:52.
The Cardinal extended their lead midway through the fourth quarter. Joshua Karty kicked a 46-yard field goal for a 30-16 lead with 9:15 left in the fourth.
The Cardinal expanded their lead late in the fourth quarter. John Humphreys caught a 13-yard reception thrown by Ashton Daniels for the passing touchdown. Joshua Karty kicked the extra point for a 37-16 lead with 5:30 left in the fourth.
The Rainbow Warriors scored with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Pofele Ashlock caught a 16-yard reception thrown by Brayden Schager for the passing touchdown. Dalen Morris rushed the football for a successful 2-point conversion and cut the Cardinal’s lead 37-24 with 1:08 left in the fourth, but it was too little, too late.
Notes Stanford accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in August 2024.
Up Next Stanford will take on the No. 6 USC Trojans on Saturday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m. Pacific.
The Tim Miles era has officially begun in San Jose, Calif. Miles spoke about his vision for the future of San Jose State men’s basketball in his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
Here’s the initial press release, which was released on Tuesday.
After a nationwide search, San Jose State University named Tim Miles head coach of the men’s basketball program. SJSU Director of Athletics Marie Tuite made the announcement on Tuesday.
“I am so thrilled to announce Tim Miles as our new head men’s basketball coach and welcome him and his wife, Kari, daughter Ava, son Gabe and “Sammy” (family dog) to the Spartan Family,” Tuite told the media. “Going into this national search, my top priorities were to find someone that not only had head coaching experience, but also had success in building programs. Coach Miles fits that description perfectly. If you look at the job he did at Colorado State and Nebraska, you will see that he completely changed the culture of those programs and elevated each program to new heights. I have full confidence that he is going to the same here at San José State.”
Miles, who re-enters to coaching ranks on the cusp of 400 career wins (399-334), brings over 24 years of head coaching experience with him to the South Bay, most recently at the University of Nebraska where he led the Cornhuskers from 2012-2019. During his time in Lincoln, Nebraska saw unprecedented success as they were guided to some of their most successful seasons in program history. In 2014, just two seasons after being hired, Miles led the team to their first NCAA Tournament in 16 seasons. He was named the Jim Phelan Award winner for national coach of the year and was also tabbed as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
“I’m excited to join President Mary Papazian, Marie Tuite, Charlie Faas and the San Jose State Athletic Department,” Miles said. “I have been most impressed with their genuine enthusiasm and eagerness of the entire administration and staff to elevate the men’s basketball program. I’m ready to raise the bar and work arm and arm with Marie to make our basketball program a team that will compete at the highest level of the Mountain West Conference and beyond.
“I can’t wait to get on campus to meet the team, begin assembling our staff and recruiting the type of player that will match our expectations for winning basketball.”
The 2013-14 season made Nebraska the talk of college basketball after they reached the tournament, despite being selected to finish last in the Big Ten standings. They overcame a 1-5 start in conference play, won 10 out of their last 12 games, and finished in fourth place with an 11-7 record. Among those wins was a 60-51 victory over #9 Michigan State, the program’s first road win over a top-10 program since 1997, and a 77-68 win over Wisconsin, who later advanced to the 2014 Final Four.
Nebraska’s turnaround began immediately under Miles’ wing with the Cornhuskers seeing a three-win improvement from 12-15 wins in 2012-13. With just one returning starter, Miles and company defeated three NCAA Tournament teams and finished the year with a victory over Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament.
After the success of the Huskers’ NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013-14, the following season saw more firsts for the Nebraska program as they achieved a national ranking for the first time since 1995.
In 2017-18, Miles led the Cornhuskers to one of their most successful seasons in program history. Nebraska won 22 games, their most since 1990-91, with a school-record 13 wins in conference play. They earned a bid to the NIT for their first postseason appearance in four seasons.
In Miles’ final season at Nebraska, the Huskers won 19 games and earned another top-25 ranking in the Associated Press poll. They advanced to their second-straight NIT appearance.
In his seven seasons at the helm of Nebraska, Miles guided nine players to All-Big Ten accolades including two-time all-conference pick Terran Petteway, who became the first Husker in program history to win the Big Ten scoring title in 2013-14 with an average of 18.1 points per game.
In addition to being a premier talent at building programs, Miles demanded excellence from his student-athletes in the classroom. He guided 17 Nebraska players to Academic All-Big Ten honors, including a conference-best five selections in 2015. In 2014-15, Shamian Shields became the first player in program history to earn first-team Academic All-American honors.
Prior to his extended stint at Nebraska, Miles made a name for himself at Colorado State when he took the Rams to new heights and laid the foundation for what’s now one of the top teams in the Mountain West. In five seasons, he increased his win total in each season with his best year being 2011-12 where he saw CSU defeat a school-record three ranked teams to their first 20-plus win season since 1997-98. The Rams finished with a 20-12 record, put three players on the all-conference team, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years. For his efforts, Miles was named the District VIII Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
The 2011-12 CSU team averaged 70.1 points per game and was the MW leader in field goal percentage (47.1), 3-point percentage (40.0), and free throw percentage (76.8). They also were one of just two programs nationwide to rank in the top 10 in both free throw and 3-point percentage. The Rams’ 20-win campaign was just the seventh in program history.
Similar to what he would eventually do at Nebraska, Miles quickly turned the CSU program around. His first two seasons saw the Rams battle through growing pains and injuries while continuing to make strides. CSU improved their win total in league play in his second season and finished the year off with a key victory over Wyoming in the MW Tournament.
Years three through five were some of the most successful for the Rams in recent history, culminating in CSU’s NCAA Tournament bid in 2011-12. In 2009-10, he led the Rams to their first postseason appearance in seven years after posting 16 regular-season wins. CSU was selected to participate in the CBI, and he was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.
The 2010-11 team finished in fourth place in the MW after posting the program’s first winning record since 2007. The Rams finished the year 19-13 and earned a berth to the NIT for their second-straight postseason appearance. Miles and company won nine conference games that year, the most for the Rams since the formation of the MW in 1999-2000, and received votes in the top-25 national poll at the year’s end for the first time since 2005-06.
Before going to CSU, Miles was the head coach of the North Dakota State Bisons for six seasons, where he guided the program through their transition to Division I. The Bison reached at least 16 wins in each of Miles’ final five seasons. One of their biggest moments came in 2005-06 against 13th-ranked Wisconsin. NDSU handed the Badgers a 62-55 loss, snapping Wisconsin’s 27-game win streak against non-conference opponents. The loss was also just one of 10 non-conference home losses for the Badgers under hall of fame coach Bo Ryan. Miles was awarded the CBS Sportsline Division I Independent Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award.
Miles was also the catalyst for turning around Southwest Minnesota State University, who he guided for four seasons before joining NDSU. Prior to his arrival, the Mustangs had just one winning season in the previous decade. He changed all of that by posting a 78-39 four-year total, including a program-record 28-win season in 2001. The Mustangs won the 2001 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship and the NCAA North Central Regional Championship before advancing to the Division II Elite Eight. He was named the NSIC and North Central Region Coach of the Year Awards for his unprecedented success.
Miles made his head coaching debut as the head man at Mayville (N.D.) State University. The program was just 4-44 in the previous two seasons before he took over. He was able to turn things around and led them to a 35-22 record over three seasons. Miles was inducted into the Mayville State Hall of Fame in 2016.
Before reaching the head coaching ranks, Miles made his coaching debut as an assistant at Northern State. He spent six seasons on staff from 1989-90 to 1994-95, helping lead the program to five NAIA playoff appearances and five regional titles. As the team’s recruiting coordinator, he brought in and molded five All-Americans and helped the Wolves advance to the NAIA National Championship in back-to-back seasons.
A Doland, S.D. native, Miles graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., in 1989. He then earned his master’s degree in health and physical education from Northern State in 1990. In 2007, he was inducted into the University of Mary Hall of Fame.
Following his stint at Nebraska, Miles took a two-year break from coaching, turning in his whistle for a microphone. He worked for the Big Ten Network, Fox Sports, and FS1 as an analyst in 2019 and also took his talents to a podcast called “Inside the Mind of Miles” as part of the “Field of 68” college basketball media network.
Miles and his wife, Kari, have one daughter, Ava, and one son, Gabe. They have a yellow lab, who’s appropriately named Sammy.
After suspending its regular season due to COVID-19, the #9 San Jose State Spartans took on the #8 Wyoming Cowboys in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Unfortunately, SJSU suffered a triple-digit loss, 111-80.
— San Jose State Men’s Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) March 10, 2021
But the Spartans’ journey wasn’t without its fair share of trials and tribulations. From tough losses to delayed flights, SJSU was burdened by a laundry list of issues. SJSU, however, rose up from those challenges.
“Our team has transformed and evolved over the course of this season,” head coach Jean Prioleau told media members. “Toughness comes in many forms and this group has shown toughness on many different levels.”
The Spartans’ starting five featured Omari Moore, Trey Smith, Sebastian Mendoza, Richard Washington, and Ralph Agee. Agee made a jumper to get the Spartans on the board first 2-0 just 30 seconds into the first half. Just eight seconds later, Ike Graham responded with a layup to tie the game at 2.
The Spartans and Cowboys exchanged leads and ties for several minutes in the first half. But it was the Cowboys who took the lead and never looked back. Marcus Williams made a layup in the paint to make it a 10-point game, 21-11, at 14:21. Graham Ike helped Wyoming open a 16-point lead with 2:51 left.
Wyoming closed out the first half scoring with a pair of free throws from Kenny Foster with 28 seconds left. SJSU trailed 59-45 at halftime. Omari Moore led the Spartans with 13 points and five assists at the half.
The Spartans had their work cut out for them. SJSU opened the second half scoring as Ralph Agee capitalized on a Cowboys turnover, made a second-chance layup, and brought the Spartans within 12 points, 59-47, just 34 seconds into the second half.
After a glimpse of hope, the Spartans’ problems reappeared. Ralph Agee appeared to have put a foot to Graham Ike’s groin. The officials handed Agee a Flagrant 2 foul. Subsequently, Agee was ejected from the game. Nate Lacewell entered the game for Agee.
Marcus Williams made a jumper to help the Cowboys take a 20-point lead, 79-59, at 11:27. While the Spartans tried to inch closer, their efforts were ineffective as the Cowboys used a 11-3 run to take a 90-64 lead with 7:36 left.
The Cowboys reached the 100-point mark when Marcus Williams made a layup with 4:15 left. Wyoming proceeded to pour in the points with back-to-back three-pointers by Drake Jeffries and Hunter Thompson, respectively.
The Spartans went on a late 5-0 run, but continued to trail 109-80. The Cowboys had the last laugh as Drake Jeffries capitalized on a Spartans turnover and made a two-point dunk to make it a 111-80 game with three seconds left. The Spartans lost 111-80.
SJSU finished with a 5-16, 3-14 MW record, while Wyoming called it a wrap with a 14-10, 8-9 MW record. Wyoming moved on to the quarterfinals.
Just one day after the San Jose State men’s basketball team announced their makeup game against Nevada at the Provident Credit Union Event Center on March 3, news broke that their three remaining regular season games have been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Their team activities have also been cancelled.
The Spartans were scheduled to play Wyoming on February 25 and 27, respectively. The Spartans were rescheduled to play Nevada on March 3. All three games have been cancelled.
SJSU hopes to continue their basketball-related activities before the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament, which will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas from March 10 to 13.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State men’s basketball team had hoped to snap their three-game losing skid with a win over the UNLV Rebels — especially in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network on Sunday. However, SJSU lost a heartbreaker, 67-64, to UNLV at the Provident Credit Union Event Center. SJSU (5-15, 3-13 MW) has now lost four straight games. Sebastian Mendoza led the Spartans with 14 points.
The Spartans’ starting five featured Omari Moore, Trey Smith, Sebastian Mendoza, Richard Washington, and Michael Ofoegbu Jr. The Spartans won the tip, and the game vs. UNLV was underway.
The Rebels got on the board first, as Devin Tillis and Caleb Grill each made layups for an early 4-0 lead at 18:21. However, SJSU responded to tie the game 4-4, thanks to two layups by Mendoza and Moore. Both teams exchanged leads and ties during the first half, but it was the Rebels who hung on for a mere 28-27 lead at halftime. The Spartans had the last score of the first half, as Ofoebu made a late layup with 16 seconds left.
The second half resembled the first half. Both teams exchanged leads and ties, the game went down to the wire, and the Spartans came up short in the end.
The Rebels opened the second half with a free throw by Bryce Hamilton just nine seconds in. At 13:09, Jalen Dalcourt hit a fastbreak 3-pointer cut the deficit to 44-39. Richard Washington hit his first 3-pointer of the game to cap off a 10-0 Spartans run with 8:30 left. Trey Smith added a 3-pointer of his own to tie the game 54-54 and make it a 13-0 Spartans run. The Rebels bounced back to take a 61-55 lead with 5:20 left, but Washington hit a 3 to bring the Spartans within three points, 61-58, just 22 seconds later. Washington and Sebastian Mendoza were in double figures and led the Spartans’ scoring attack with 10 and 12 points, respectively.
Omari Moore made it a one-point game, 61-60, with a jumper in the paint with 2:14 left. Moore made a second-chance layup to bring the Spartans within two points, 66-64, with 42 seconds left. UNLV called a timeout and David Jenkins Jr. made a second-chance free throw to secure a 67-64 win. UNLV (10-11, 7-7 MW) now has a two-game winning streak. Bryce Hamilton led the Rebels with 17 points.
The Spartans wrap up the regular season with a two-game series against the Wyoming Cowboys starting on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 pm PT.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — For the first time in a year, there was a Spartans game day in San Jose. SJSU welcomed UNLV for a two-game series starting Friday night at the Provident Credit Union Event Center. Both the Spartans and Rebels looked to snap a two-game losing skid. Unfortunately, SJSU was handed its third straight loss, 76-60.
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau switched up his starting lineup, which featured Omari Moore, Trey Smith, Sebastian Mendoza, Richard Washington, and Ralph Agee. Washington returned to the lineup following a head injury sustained one month ago.
The Spartans got the party started in the first half. Sebastian Mendoza hit a 3-pointer for a 3-0 lead at 19:23. SJSU had a 19-16 lead until 11:05. UNLV used a 11-0 run to take a 27-19 lead with 8:05 left. Ralph Agee ended the Rebels’ run with a free throw, cutting the deficit to 27-20 with 6:03 left.
Despite UNLV’s efforts to take a double-digit lead, SJSU kept the game close. The Rebels saw their 29-20 lead disappear, thanks to Trey Smith’s 3 with 4:31 left. Ralph Agee’s back-to-back layups helped the Spartans to a 32-31 lead with 1:35 left. UNLV regained its lead, 35-32, on David Jenkins Jr’s jumper and Moses Wood’s second-chance layup, respectively. The Spartans trailed 35-32 at halftime.
The Rebels opened the second half scoring as Devin Tillis made a layup at 19:33. UNLV went on a 9-4 run to lead 47-36 at 16:15. However, a Spartan scoring surge — led by Richard Washington’s 3 — allowed them to keep the game close, 47-43, at 14:12.
The Spartans trailed 65-53 with 7:09 left. But there was a silver lining as three starters — Trey Smith, Ralph Agee, and Richard Washington — were in double figures with 15, 14, and 13 points, respectively. Washington left the game to sit on the bench late in the game. Nate Lacewell entered the game for Washington.
The Spartans had the last scoring play as Sebastian Mendoza made a fastbreak free throw to cut the lead to 76-60 with 1:33 left. UNLV dribbled out the shot clock, and handed SJSU a 76-60 loss. SJSU fell to 5-14, 3-12 MW, while UNLV improved to 9-11, 6-7 MW.
The Spartans and Rebels meet again on Sunday, February 21 at 1 pm PT.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State men’s basketball team was looking forward to returning home to San Jose, Calif., to host its first “real” homestand for the first time in a while. But not so fast, my friends.
The Spartans had to break the bad news on Friday afternoon. Due to COVID-19 concerns within the Nevada men’s basketball team, the two-game series between the Spartans and Wolf Pack originally scheduled for February 13 and 15 has been postponed.
The Mountain West conference will announce further updates and schedule adjustments at a later date.
The Spartans came off a bye week, only to receive another week off out of precaution. SJSU will continue to practice and make the most out of their free time, and then turn their attention to the UNLV Rebels for a two-game series scheduled to be played on February 19 and 21 at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
The San Jose State men’s basketball team looked to erase the memory of their three-game win streak coming to a screening halt in Wednesday night’s game against the San Diego State at Viejas Arena.
Unfortunately, the Spartans’ wish wasn’t granted. SJSU lost 77-55 for their second straight loss, and fell to 5-13, 3-11 Mountain West. Trey Smith led all scorers with 22 points. Smith had his second 20-point game of the season.
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau shuffled his starting lineup before Wednesday’s matchup. Caleb Simmons, Jalen Dalcourt, Omari Moore, Trey Smith, and Ralph Agee took the court. SJSU won the tip, and the game got underway.
The Aztecs opened the scoring with a three-pointer by Jordan Schakel at 18:41 of the first half. The Spartans responded with a jumper in the paint by Ralph Agee and a jumper by Terrell Gomez in a span of 13 seconds, taking a 5-2 lead at 17:39.
Both teams exchanged leads and ties throughout the first half. The Spartans closed out the first half with a bang. Trey Smith hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left. With the three, Smith recorded a game-best 12 points; and led all scorers with 12 points at halftime. SJSU trailed 33-27 at halftime.
The second half opened up with an Aztecs’ score, but a different player. Nathan Mensah made a second-chance layup for a 35-27 Aztecs lead just 11 seconds into the second half.
Ralph Agee made a pair of free throws, helping the Spartans pull within 10 points, 49-38, at 12:38 of the second half. But the Aztecs heated up, and Lamont Butler hit a three to make it a 20-point game, 58-38, with 9:52 left in the second half. The Aztecs’ fiery offense didn’t stop there. The Aztecs went on a 14-3 run that ended when Trey Smith hit a three with 6:59 left in the second half. Smith scored on a pair of free throws to help the Spartans pull within 23 points, 76-53, with 1:11 left in the second half.
Nate Lacewell wrapped up the Spartans’ scoring with a pair of free throws with eight seconds left in the second half. SJSU lost 77-55.
SDSU improved to 15-4, 9-3 Mountain West. Jordan Schakel led all scorers with 24 points. Schakel now has 200 career threes.
The Spartans host the Nevada Wolf Pack for a two-game series starting on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm PT.
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