Tag: San Jose State Spartans

San Jose State lose 80-65 to get swept at Fresno State

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By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans concluded its back-to-back series against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Sunday at the Save Mart Center. The Spartans not only lost 80-65, but were also swept by the Bulldogs in a two-game rivalry series.

SJSU head coach Jean Prioleau put together a new starting lineup of Jalen Dalcourt, Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Nate Lacewell, and Ralph Agee. Dalcourt became a first-time starter for the Spartans.

Ralph Agee found his way inside the paint and made a layup to give the Spartans an early 2-0 lead. Nate Lacewell knocked down a jumper to make it 4-0 Spartans at 18:12 of the first half.

The Bulldogs tied the game at 6 and went ahead 9-6 in a span of 37 seconds. Deon Stroud found his way inside the paint and made a game-tying layup. Stroud followed up with a go-ahead 3-pointer.

Richard Washington knocked down a jumper to pull within one, but the Bulldogs persisted, scoring seven points for a 16-10 lead with 9:36 left in the half. Devin Gage hit a 3-pointer and Jordan Campbell made two layups in the paint.

Deon Stroud hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Bulldogs to a 13-point lead, 31-10, with 4:28 left in the half. The Bulldogs used a 13-2 lead to take a 38-20 lead with 2:09 left in the half. Nate Lacewell made a pair of free throws, and the Spartans entered halftime, trailing 41-25.

Although Jalen Dalcourt opened the scoring with an early 3-pointer, both the Bulldog offense and defense dominated the Spartans and never looked back. Orlando Robinson hit a 3-pointer to help the Bulldogs to a 20-point lead, 50-30, at 17:20 of the half.

The Bulldogs maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the half. While Nate Lacewell made a free throw with nine seconds remaining, it was too little, too late for the Spartans, who lost to the Bulldogs 80-65.

SJSU fell to 2-8, 0-6 Mountain West. Richard Washington led all scorers with 24 points.

FSU improved to 5-3, 3-3 Mountain West. Deon Stroud led all scorers with 22 points.

The Spartans continue their conference slate against the Colorado State Rams on Thursday, January 14 at 6:30 pm PT.

San Jose State falls to rival Fresno State 79-64

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By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans looked to win their second straight game as they began conference play with back-to-back games against the rival Fresno State Bulldogs.

Both teams played really hard, but the Spartans ended up losing to the Bulldogs 79-64 at the Save Mart Center on Friday night. SJSU is now 1-15 at the Save Mart Center.

The Spartans had a new opponent, but head coach Jean Prioleau kept the same starting five. Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Trey Smith, Nate Lacewell and Ralph Agee walked onto the court with their game faces on.

The Spartans drew first blood 21 seconds into the first half, thanks to Richard Washington’s jumper. Washington scored 7 points in the first four minutes of the game.

The Bulldogs tied the game at 2 and took a 7-2 lead, but the Spartans scored 9 points to tie the game at 11 at 15:56 of the first. Richard Washington made a jumper to make it 19-14 Spartans at 12:41 of the first. Washington’s back-to-back free throws and Sebastian Mendoza’s jumper gave the Spartans an 8-point lead, 24-16, at 10:40 of the first.

The Spartans’ lead didn’t last long. The Bulldog defense stepped up late, Deon Stroud made a game-tying jumper to tie the game at 31 with 5:50 left in the first and Orlando Robinson hit a 3-pointer to give Fresno State a 34-31 lead 55 seconds later.

The Bulldogs had a 38-34 lead at the final timeout with three minutes remaining in the first. San Jose State, however, went ahead for good after Richard Washington hit a 3-point jumper with one second left in the first. The Spartans led by three, 45-42, heading into the locker room at halftime.

Richard Washington struck first with a jumper for a 47-42 Spartans lead 31 seconds into the second half. Ralph Agee made it 49-42 Spartans at 18:40 of the second. SJSU proceeded to shoot 55% from the field and 50% from downtown and took a 5-point lead, 53-48, at 15:31 of the second.

Four turnovers in a span of 1:51 hurt the Spartans. The Bulldogs tied the game at 57 on a Junior Ballard 3-point jumper with 9:43 left in the second. Orlando Robinson caught a pass from Anthony Holland to make a layup and give the Bulldogs a 2-point lead, 59-57, with 8:47 left in the second.

Ralph Agee made a game-tying layup, but Fresno State used a 10-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 69-59, with 4:07 left in the second. The Bulldog defense shut down the Spartan offense, holding them to only 19 points in the second. The Bulldogs won 79-64.

FSU improved to 4-3, 2-3 Mountain West. Orlando Robinson led all scorers with 23 points. Four Bulldogs players finished in double figures.

SJSU fell to 2-7, 0-5 Mountain West. Richard Washington led all scorers with 30 points.

The Spartans and Bulldogs meet again on Sunday, January 10 at 4 pm PT.

San Jose State defeats Benedictine Mesa 80-64 for second win of the season

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By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans stayed in Phoenix to face the Benedictine Mesa Redhawks at the Ability 360 Sports and Fitness Center on Monday night.

SJSU recently added Benedictine Mesa to their non-conference schedule over the weekend. This turned out to be a good idea as the Spartans beat the Redhawks 80-64 to pick up their second win of the season and snap their 6-game losing skid.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau stuck with the same starting lineup, keeping Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Trey Smith, Nate Lacewell and Ralph Agee. The Spartans won the tip and the game between the two bottom-feeders was underway.

The Redhawks opened the scoring in the first half. Tyler Fernstrom hit a 3-pointer just 17 seconds into the half. The Spartans used a 12-0 run, capped by Ralph Agee’s 8 points and 5 rebounds, to take a 14-5 lead at 13:25. Jalen Grijalva ended the Spartans’ run with a 3-pointer at 13:01.

Jalen Dalcourt continued to impress the masses as he went 4-for-4 on 3-pointers with 3:33 left in the half. Dalcourt previously posted 23 points in his Spartan debut on Sunday. The Spartans were all smiles at the break when they took a 47-28 lead into halftime over the Redhawks.

The Redhawks scored first to open the second half. Nick Sessions made a jumper to cut the Spartans’ lead to 47-30 just 13 seconds into the half.

Ralph Agee broke out in a big way and recorded a career-high 18 points as the Spartans led 70-54 with 6:04 left in the half. The Spartans were a little scared of the Redhawks, who pulled within 10 points when Nick Sessions hit a 3-pointer with 4:02 left in the half, but they weren’t intimidated. The Spartans took care of business and won by a final score of 80-64 in Phoenix.

SJSU improved to 2-6, 0-4 MW. Ralph Agee led all scorers with 18 points.

BM fell to 0-4, 0-0 CAL PAC.

The Spartans take on the Fresno State Bulldogs for a rivalry matchup on Friday, January 8 at 6 pm PT.

San Jose State falls short in a wild game, losing 87-86 to Boise State

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By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans looked to start the new year on the right foot as they wrapped up a back-to-back series against the Boise State Broncos at Grand Canyon University Arena on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Spartans weren’t granted that wish, but it was a closer outcome than expected as they fell short 87-86.

The Spartans’ starting lineup featured Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Trey Smith, Nate Lacewell and Ralph Agee. The Spartans won the tip and were underway in Phoenix. Lacewell made a shot from the 3-point line to help the Spartans get on the board 3-2 at the 19-minute mark of the first half. Lacewell’s five early points helped the Spartans hang tough as they trailed 8-5 at 15:10 of the half.

Jalen Dalcourt entered the game to make his Spartan debut. Dalcourt went on to hit a 3-pointer and accumulated seven points at the final media timeout of the half. SJSU trailed 31-24 with 3:30 left in the half.

Richard Washington buried back-to-back triples to give the Spartans a much-needed boost with 45 seconds left in the half. The Spartans trailed by eight, 42-34, heading into the locker room at halftime.

Omari Moore opened the second half with a 3-pointer from the corner. A little less than three minutes later, Nate Lacewell hit another 3-pointer from downtown. The Spartans trailed by four, 46-42, at 16:20 of the half.

SJSU picked up the pace. Richard Washington knocked down a 3-pointer and Jalen Dalcourt followed up with two and one to help the Spartans to a 53-52 lead at 13:24 of the half.

SJSU experienced some hiccups, but they fought hard to pull off an upset. Richard Washington was back with his old tricks, scoring 19 points (5-of-8 from the 3-point line) and Jaen Dalcourt drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and knocked down all three attempts at the charity stripe. Ralph Agee made a pair of free throws to help the Spartans regain the lead, 70-69, with 6:30 left in the half.

The Spartans’ upset never happened, but it was a closer outcome than expected. Richard Washington’s seventh triple made it a one-point game with 14.6 seconds left in the half. The Spartans had a chance to win the game on their final possession, but they missed a potential game-winning shot.

The Spartans lost 87-86. SJSU fell to 1-5, 0-4 Mountain West.

BSU improved to 8-1, 4-0 Mountain West.

The Spartans face their recently added nonconference opponent Benedictine Mesa Redhawks (0-3) on Monday, January 4 at 6:30 pm PT. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

San Jose State taken down by Boise State 106-54 in first game of Phoenix trip

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By Ana Kieu

San Jose State men’s basketball looked to snap a four-game losing skid against the Boise State Broncos on New Year’s Eve. After all, who wouldn’t want to ring in the New Year with a bang?

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as the first game of the teams’ back-to-back series was lopsided from the get-go. The Spartans got blown out by the Broncos 106-54 at the Ability 360 Sports and Fitness Center on Thursday evening.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau switched his starting lineup, moving Richard Washington in for Seneca Knight and Trey Smith in for Sebastian Mendoza.

Ralph Agee led the Spartans early in the first half with 6 points. Still, the Broncos led 13-9 at the under-12 timeout.

Nate Lacewell knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner before drawing a foul. Lacewell shot 2 out of the break. The Spartans trailed 43-22 with 3:58 left in the half.

Though Ralph Agee had 10 points and Trey Smith added 7 points at the break, the Broncos’ potent offense stymied the Spartans. Both Derrick Alston and Marcus Shaver were in double figures. The Spartans trailed 54-29 going into the locker room.

The Spartans dug themselves into a hole that they couldn’t crawl out of.

Derrick Alston hit two 3-pointers in the first 70 seconds of the second half. Alston went on to score 21 points for his fourth straight 20-point game. Abu Kigab recorded his first double-double of the season.

The Spartans trailed 71-32 at 15:33 of the half. Yet, the Broncos continued to pour it on in the half. Emmanuel Akot hit back-to-back 3-pointers with 8 minutes left in the half.

The Broncos finished with four players in double figures: Derrick Alston with 23 points, Marcus Shaver Jr. with 14 points, Emmanuel Akot with 13 points, RayJ Dennis with 13 points, and Abu Kigab with 12 points.

The Spartans suffered a 106-54 loss to the Broncos. SJSU fell to 1-5, 0-3 Mountain West. BSU improved 7-1, 3-0 Mountain West.

The Spartans and Broncos meet again on Saturday, January 2 in a nationally televised game on FS1 at 6:30 pm PT.

San Jose State no longer undefeated after losing to Ball State 34-13 in Arizona Bowl

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By Ana Kieu

The #22 San Jose State Spartans battled it out with the Ball State Cardinals in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium on New Year’s Eve. The Arizona Bowl was a battle between two conference champions who wanted to make program history, but it wasn’t in favor of the Spartans.

The short-handed Spartans fell behind early. The Cardinals started fast and handed the Spartans their first loss of the season, 34-13.

Derrick Deese took a nasty hit and landed on his head on the first play of the game. Deese went to the injury tent and later headed into the locker room.

BSU wasted no time getting going, scoring the game’s first 27 points.

SJSU quarterback Nick Starkel’s pass was intercepted and Antonio Phillips returned it for 53 yards for a touchdown. Jacob Lewis missed the extra point. The Cardinals took a 6-0 lead at 12:47 of the first quarter.

Will Jones ran for 3 yards for a touchdown. Jacob Lewis kicked an extra point. The Cardinals took a 13-0 lead at the 10-minute mark of the first.

Ty Evans ran for 3 yards for a touchdown. Jacob Lewis kicked an extra point. The Cardinals made it 20-0 with 5:15 left in the first.

Drew Plitt ran for 1 yard for a touchdown. Jacob Lewis kicked an extra point. BSU led 27-0 at the end of the first.

SJSU couldn’t catch a break in the second quarter.

Although Jacob Lewis missed a short-range field goal early in the second quarter, SJSU backup quarterback Nick Nash threw an interception into the end zone. SJSU quarterback Nick Starkel walked off the field holding the back of his knee after completing a 38-yard pass to Dominic Mazotti. Mazotti held his wrist, too.

SJSU kicker Matt Mercurio missed a 49-yard field goal attempt to close out the first half. The Spartans trailed 27-0 heading into the locker room for halftime.

BSU opened the scoring in the second half. Drew Plitt threw a pass to Yo’Heinz Tyler, who ran 48 yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals extended their lead to 34-0 with 9:42 left in the third quarter.

SJSU showed signs of life on offense, but their offensive efforts weren’t enough. Charlie Bostic III returned Jacob Lewis’ punt 99 yards for a touchdown. The Spartans’ 2-point conversion was ruled as no good. The Spartans trailed 34-6 with 9:28 left in the third.

Nick Starkel returned to the field. Starkel threw a pass to Jermaine Braddock, who ran for 8 yards for a touchdown. Matt Mercurio kicked in an extra point. The Spartans trailed 34-13 with 1 second left in the third, and were down 34-13 after three quarters.

BSU maintained their 34-13 lead in the fourth quarter. Despite their efforts, the Spartans lost to the Cardinals 34-13. Both teams finished their respective seasons with respectable 7-1 records.

SJSU quarterback Nick Starkel announced that he’ll return for a final college football season. SJSU will look to replace some offensive seniors in the offseason.

San Jose State falls to Utah State 85-52

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By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans concluded its back-to-back conference series against the Utah State Aggies at the Smith Spectrum on Wednesday evening.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau switched up his starting five, which featured Omari Moore, Seneca Knight, Sebastian Mendoza, Ralph Agee, and Hugo Clarkin.

After a scoreless one minute and 51 seconds, USU got on the board as guard Brock Miller knocked down a jumper to make it 2-0 Aggies. The game was tied at 3-3 at 17:16, thanks to a three-point jumper from SJSU guard Sebastian Mendoza. But the Aggies stifled the Spartans’ starters and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the first half.

If there were any silver linings to the Spartans’ lackluster play, it would be Seneca Knight, Sebastian Mendoza, and Hugo Clarkin. All three of them contributed to the Spartan offense and kept the team to a manageable deficit. SJSU trailed USU 42-25 at the end of the half.

Sadly, the second half didn’t provide relief for the Spartans, who were outscored 43-27 before the final buzzer sounded. USU forward Justin Bean opened the scoring with a two-point tip shot just 26 seconds into the half. The Aggie offense continued to wreck havoc on the Spartans’ defenders, who missed a lot of shots and turnovers. SJSU guard Caleb Simmons wrapped up the scoring with a lone free throw, but it was too little, too late. The Spartans fell to the Aggies 85-52.

SJSU fell to 1-4, 0-2 Mountain West. Richard Washington led the Spartans with 11 points.

USU improved to 5-3, 2-0 Mountain West. Rollie Worster led the Aggies with 15 points.

The Spartans continue their conference slate with a game against the Boise State Broncos on December 31 at 5:30 pm PT.

San Jose State blown out by Utah State 107-62

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By Ana Kieu

San Jose State men’s basketball opened their 2020-21 conference slate with a road trip to Logan, Utah to take on the Utah State Aggies. The two-game series began on Monday night at 6 pm PT.

The Spartans’ starting five featured Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Seneca Knight, Chase Courtney, and Hugo Clarkin. Courtney made his first career start and grabbed three boards by the 15-minute mark of the first half. Even so, SJSU fell behind early, and suffered a brutal loss to USU 107-62.

The Aggies jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Richard Washington tied the game at 3-3 at 18:31. Omari Moore helped the Spartans take their first lead of the game, 4-3, with a free throw at 17:34.

USU wasn’t a force to be reckoned with. Rollie Worster knocked down a jumper to extend the Aggies’ lead to 11-4 at 15:15. SJSU appeared to be disoriented for a little bit as Chase Courtney missed a jumper and a layup, but managed to bounce back, thanks to Sebastian Mendoza and Richard Washington. Mendoza’s three-pointer jumper cut the Aggies’ lead to 23-11 at 10:29.

Seneca Knight made a layup and cut the Aggies’ lead in half, 32-16, with 5:56 left in the first half. However, USU continued to dominate offensively and defensively to maintain a double-digit lead. Marco Anthony had a dunk and Justin Bean grabbed a defensive rebound as the half came to an end. The Aggies took a 47-26 lead into the locker room.

The Aggies used a 19-0 run to open the second half and take complete control of the Spartans, USU took a 40-point lead, 66-26, at 15:01. Sebastian Mendoza knocked down a jumper to end the Aggies’ run at 14:51.

Sebastian Mendoza’s glimpses of tremendous talent weren’t enough to bring the Spartans back to life. The Aggies reached the century mark with 4:08 remaining as Zahar Vedischev knocked down a jumper to make it 101-55. Harminder Dhaliwal’s late jumpers and rebounds were gravity defying, but a lost cause, as the Spartans took a tough loss, 107-62, to the Aggies.

Richard Washington led the Spartans with 20 points. SJSU fell to 1-3, 0-1 Mountain West. USU improved to 4-3, 1-0 Mountain West.

The Spartans conclude their series against the Aggies on Wednesday, December 23 at 6 pm PT.

San Jose State beats Boise State 34-20 for first Mountain West football title

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By Ana Kieu

This year, San Jose State has been in the news for the right reasons.

Saturday marked the Spartans’ first Mountain West championship game, which was aired on FOX, and their opponent was the Boise State Broncos, a conference foe who has won three out of four championships–2014, 2017 and 2019–since joining the Mountain West in 2010. The Spartans held on to win 34-20 to remain undefeated at 7-0 and become the 2020 Mountain West football champions. 

The Spartans put their game faces on and took deep breaths prior to the kickoff at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. SJSU received the opening kick, but Boise State forced a 3 and out, took over a punt and an offensive play led to a Broncos first down. However, the Broncos’ drive stalled at the Spartans’ 29-yard line, and SJSU took over. Nick Starkel threw a 55-yard pass to Tre Walker, who ran it in a touchdown. The extra point was good. SJSU took a 7-0 lead with 8:36 left in the first quarter.

Boise State finally got on the board late in the quarter. Jonah Dalmas’ 51-yard field goal attempt cut the Spartans’ lead to 7-3 with 3:31 left in the first.

With back-to-back sacks, Cade Hall became the first Spartan since 2012 to have 10+ sacks in a season. Hall achieved this feat in less than seven games. The Spartans led 7-3 at the end of the first.

The Spartans struck again early in the second quarter. Matt Mercurio kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 10-3 Spartans just 14 seconds into the quarter.

Matt Mercurio added his second field goal of the quarter–a 36-yarder. The Spartans made it 13-3 with 6:40 left in the second.

Matt Mercurio added his third field goal of the quarter–a 26-yarder. As a result, Mercurio recorded a season-high three field goals, and achieved this feat in less than two quarters. The Spartans’ lead was extended to 16-3 with 2:31 left in the second.

Matt Mercurio went on to tie the NCAA record for field goals with four. Mercurio kicked a 32-yard field goal for a 19-3 lead with 50 seconds left in the second.

Jonah Dalmas wrapped up the first half with a 51-yard field goal. The Broncos cut the Spartans’ lead to 19-6 with one second left. SJSU took a 19-6 lead into halftime.

The Broncos received the ball to start the second half. Avery Williams, the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, returned a 69-yard punt for a touchdown, and tied the NCAA record for career return touchdowns. The extra point was good, and Boise State cut SJSU’s lead to 19-13 with 2:48 left in the third quarter.

Just like that, SJSU was back in the game. Nick Starkel threw a 30-yard pass to Isaiah Hamilton for a touchdown. Starkel then threw to Sam Olson for a two-point conversion. The Spartans took a 27-13 lead at the 14:17 mark of the fourth quarter.

Boise State made it a one touchdown game midway through the fourth. Hank Bachmeier ran for two years for a touchdown, and the extra point was good. The Spartans led 27-20 at the 10:51 mark of the fourth.

SJSU had no fear as Derrick Deese collected Nick Starkel’s pass and ran for a 1-yard touchdown. The extra point was good. The Spartans led 34-20 with 3:48 left in the fourth. 

The Broncos finished the season with a 5-2 record.

Notes: SJSU defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack 30-20 in Sam Boyd Stadium last Friday and broke into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2012 on Sunday.

In his Monday press conference, Spartans head coach Brent Brennan said: “It was a mad scramble, but through everybody’s hard work, we got it done. Our offense got it done, our defense gave us a heart attack, but our defense came through and we had a great time, a really great time for us to come together.”

In his Tuesday press conference, Spartans defensive lineman Cade Hall, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, emphasized the importance of not only his accomplishments, but also his teammates’ hard work.

Hall said: “I’m playing for my teammates, especially for the guys who have been here for all the hard years of this program. I’m playing for them. They deserve it. They put in a lot of hours than I have. They’ve been here longer than I have. They deserve to be a part of a team that has a lot of success and takes this program where it wants to go.”

Up Next: The Spartans will play the Ball State Cardinals in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson on New Year’s Eve.

San Jose State’s non-conference game against Santa Clara cancelled

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By Ana Kieu

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball was scheduled to wrap up their non-conference slate versus the Santa Clara Broncos at the Kaiser Permanente Arena on Friday night.

Unfortunately, SJSU’s annual non-conference game versus Santa Clara was postponed due to an issue that prevented the Spartans’ COVID-19 tests from arriving in time for the tip-off.

The game was originally scheduled for 6 pm, and was pushed back to an 8 pm or 8:15 pm start before the unfortunate postponement. There are no plans for the Spartans to reschedule.

SJSU remains a lowly 1-2, while Santa Clara remains a perfect 6-0.

The Spartans kick off a conference slate against the Utah State Aggies on Monday, December 21 at 6 pm.