Tag: San Jose State

No. 11 San Jose State to face No. 6 Wyoming in opening round of Mountain West Tournament

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State men’s basketball team plays its opening round game of the Mountain West Tournament on Wednesday, March 7, at 4:00 pm PT inside the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be broadcast live on Facebook and fans can find the streaming link below or head over to the men’s basketball schedule page for access. Fans can also tune in to Justin Allegri and Jess Knaster’s call of the game on KLIV 1590 AM.

Round 1 of the Mountain West Tournament
#11-SJSU (4-25) vs. #6-Wyoming (19-12)
Wednesday, March 7, 4:00 pm PT
Thomas & Mack Center (18,000)
Las Vegas, Nev.

TV: Facebook
Radio: KLIV 1590 AM

Spartans at the Mountain West Tournament
SJSU is working against some rough history at the Mountain West Tournament. Although it’s short history, the Spartans are 0-3 all-time in the tournament with a 25.3-point average margin of defeat. Last year, the #9-Spartans were knocked out of the tournament by #8-Utah State with a 90-64 beatdown.

History between SJSU and Wyoming
Wyoming controls the all-time series against the Spartans, 12-2. The Cowboys beat the Spartans in San Jose, 90-86, in overtime on Jan. 27 and won again on February 17 in Laramie, 89-75. SJSU’s last win over Wyoming came in 2015-16 at home by a score of 62-55. It was SJSU’s first win at home as members of the MW.

No shortage of points in first two meetings
SJSU averaged 80.5 points in two games against Wyoming this year. That’s the highest two-game average against any MW opponent this season, as was the 89.5 points per game that the Spartans gave up in the two losses to the Cowboys. SJSU’s Ryan Welage scored a new career-high 37 points to lead the Spartans while Justin James scored 30 points to lead Wyoming to a 90-86 overtime win in the first meeting. It was Keith Fisher III’s turn for a career-high 26 points for SJSU in the second meeting. But Wyoming had six players finish in double-figure scoring that day, led by Hayden Dalton with 22 points. The Cowboys hit 16-of-42 three-point field goal attempts in the 89-75 win over the Spartans in the second meeting.

Explosion of threes
In an attempt to guard against easy points around the basket, SJSU has been allowing its opponents to shoot 3-pointers at record volumes. Over the last five games, SJSU opponents are averaging 39 three-point field goal attempts and combined to shoot 35.5 percent (70-197). Wyoming set the MW record with 42 attempts in the February 17 meeting with the Spartans, but that record only stood for 11 days until USU put up 43 3-pointers against the Spartans. The strategy worked against the Aggies, who made only 12 of their 34 attempts, and SJSU capitalized for a 64-62 win. The other results, while the percentages weren’t high, the sheer volume of three-point baskets has been too much for SJSU to keep pace with.

Ryan Welage earns All-Mountain West honorable mention
The MW head coaches tabbed Spartans forward Ryan Welage All-Mountain West honorable mention. Welage receives the honor after leading SJSU in scoring 18 times during the regular season. He had 13 games of 20 or more points and two 30-point games, including his career-high 37 points against Wyoming on January 27. The Greensburg, Ind, native is the league’s most accurate free throw shooter at 87.5 percent (98-112), while making 45.7 percent of his shots from the field. It is the first all-conference honor of any kind for Welage.

Keith Fisher III provides second spark for SJSU
Redshirt freshman Keith Fisher III has developed into a top scorer and rebounder for the Spartans over the course of his first season. His per game averages for the conference season are 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. In the last five games those numbers jump up to 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds. The Los Angeles native has led SJSU in scoring in five of the last seven games, including a career-high 26-point effort at Wyoming on February 17. He scored a team-high 18 points in the team’s regular season finale at Air Force.

Hillsman returns to starting lineup
Jaycee Hillsman had come off the bench in 16 consecutive games before being inserted back into the starting lineup for the February 17 game at Wyoming. He made the most of that opportunity with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and was a starter playing heavy minutes for the remainder of the regular season. Since returning to the starting five Hillsman is averaging 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists, all of which are above his season averages. The Champaign, Ill., native was on the floor for all 40 minutes of SJSU’s 64-62 win over USU.

Welage is a Spartan great
Ryan Welage hit two major career milestones this season by reaching the 1,000-point plateau and becoming the program’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers. Welage scored his 1,000th point on January 9 at San Diego State, making him the 15th player in the 108-season history of the program. He has since risen up the ranks to seventh on the all-time scoring list with 1,233 points, and will take over sixth with just four points on Wednesday. In SJSU’s win over USU, Welage buried the 154th 3-pointer of his career making him the all-time leader at SJSU.

San Jose State ends regular season with 83-61 loss to Air Force

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans entered Clune Arena on Saturday afternoon for yet another Mountain West matchup against the Air Force Falcons.

In case you missed it, SJSU picked up their first conference win of the season with a close 64-62 win over the Utah State Aggies at the Event Center on Wednesday night. It was also SJSU’s first conference win at home since February 18, 2017, and first win over USU in San Jose since 2008.

Jaycee Hillsman and Keith Fisher III contributed to most of the Spartan offense in the first half. Hillsman and Fisher III had all 10 points for the Spartans, but there was too much offensive pressure from the Falcons, especially from senior guard Jacob Van. The Spartans trailed by five, 15-10, at the 11:34 mark.

Fisher III had 10 points at one moment in time, but he managed to connect with a long-range jumper to pull the Spartans within 11 with 6:38 left. This was an even deeper deficit, but at least the Spartans tried their best to get back into the game.

The Spartans trailed the Falcons 50-26 at the end of the first half. Fisher III led all scorers with 14 points and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Air Force was 10-18 from the 3-point line.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Hillsman and Noah Baumann forced the Falcons to a call a timeout. Though, SJSU still had a long way to go in redeeming themselves as they trailed the Air Force 57-38 at the 15:20 mark.

The Spartans cut the lead by 20, but continued to trail the Falcons 81-61 with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Air Force dribbled out the final 15 seconds and Falcons coach Dave Pilipovich shook hands with Spartans coach Jean Prioleau as Pilipovich’s team cruised to a 83-61 win at home.

The Spartans finished the 2017-18 season with a record of 4-25 overall (1-17 MW) while the Falcons ended the season 12-18 overall (6-12 MW).

Notes
Spartans’ starting lineup: Oumar Barry, Jalen James, Keith Fisher III, Jaycee Hillsman and Ryan Welage.

Falcons’ starting lineup: CJ Siples, Jacob Van, Trevor Lyons, Ryan Manning and Frank Toohey.

Up Next
The No. 11 Spartans take on the No. 6 seed in Game 3 of the First Round of the Mountain West Tournament on Wednesday, March 7 at 4:00 pm PT.

San Jose State looks to make it two wins in a row at Air Force

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State wraps up regular season at Air Force
The San Jose State men’s basketball team has a chance to win two in a row in the regular season finale at Air Force on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans are coming off of their first Mountain West win this season, a 64-62 triumph over Utah State at home. Tipoff for Saturday’s game is set for 2:00 pm MT and will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network. Justin Allegri will have the play-by-play call on the Spartans’ radio broadcast on KLIV 1590 AM with the pregame show starting at 1:30 pm MT.

Game #29
SJSU (4-24, 1-16 MW) at Air Force (11-18, 5-12 MW)
Saturday, May 3, 2018, 2:00 pm MT
Clune Arena
USAFA, Colo.

TV: Mountain West Network
Radio: KLIV 1590 AM

Mountain West Tournament tickets on sale

Single-game and all-session tickets for the upcoming Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas are on sale at SJSUSpartans.com/tickets. Head to the web site and make your plans to see the Spartans in their opening-round game on Wednesday, March 7, at 4:00 pm PT. inside the Thomas & Mack Center. The ticket office can be reached by telephone at (408) 924-7589.

Mountain West win at last
SJSU sent its seniors out the right way on Wednesday night with the team’s first win during Mountain West play, a 64-62 victory over Utah State. The game featured 15 lead changes, but it was SJSU with more points in the end after Isaiah Nichols buried a jumper with 57 seconds left. His shot put SJSU up 64-60 and the Spartans held on for the victory after Utah State’s last-second shot was ruled before the buzzer. The win snapped a 21-game losing streak to Utah State, which dated back to the 2008 season.

Series between SJSU and Air Force
SJSU and Air Force are deadlocked at 6-6 in the all-time series. SJSU’s three-game win streak against Air Force was snapped earlier this year when the Falcons won 78-71 inside the Event Center. SJSU erased an 18-point deficit in the game and took multiple leads, but Ryan Swan’s 19 points led the Air Force to a victory.

Nichols makes late-season noise
Sophomore guard Isaiah Nichols has played 25 minutes and 27 minutes, respectively, in the last two games and has made a great impact for the Spartans. Nichols scored nine points on three 3-pointers against SDSU. He only made one basket in the last game against USU, but it was the basket to clinch SJSU’s first Mountain West win of the year–a jumper from one step inside the three-point line in the left corner. Nichols had been averaging 13.2 minutes per conference game before getting 25-plus minutes of burn in the last two games.

Welage takes over as all-time leaders in threes
After coming up empty against SDSU, Ryan Welage drilled his 154th career 3-pointer in his last game against Utah State and took over as SJSU’s all-time leader in made threes in a career.

Spartan opponents load up from downtown
USU attempted a Mountain West record 43 threes against SJSU on Wednesday night. It continued a trend where Spartan opponents are living beyond the arc. In the last four games, SJSU opponents are averaging 39.0 three-point attempts per game and hit 34.6 percent. Guarding against easy points in the paint, the Spartans have been playing the 3-point percentages against their opponents. Air Force comes into Saturday with the Mountain West’s lowest 3-point field goal percentage at 32.2 percent.

Fisher extends career-scoring high again
Redshirt freshman Keith Fisher III extended his career-scoring high twice in one week with a 23-point performance at Colorado State on February 10, followed by 26 points at Wyoming. Fisher has finished seven of the last 10 games in double-figure scoring. Over the last five games, he’s averaging 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds.


Hillsman makes fourth straight start
Jaycee Hillsman has started the last four games for the Spartans after playing as a reserve in 16 consecutive games prior. During his time back in the starting lineup, he’s been averaging 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists–all above his season averages. Hillsman is averaging 36.6 minutes per game during the stretch when he averages around 25 minutes over the course of the conference season. He led SJSU with 19 points last game in the win over USU and has finished in double-figure scoring in three of the last four games.

San Jose State men’s basketball podcast with Ana Kieu: SJSU upsets USU 64-62 for first conference win; Welage was honored for 1,000 points; Fisher III continues to shine

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

On the San Jose State men’s basketball podcast with Ana:

1. The Spartans lost to the Wolf Pack 80-67 in Reno last Wednesday. They had a single-digit deficit midway through the first half, but they let it slip away. What did Nevada do to stifle the Spartan defense?

2. Despite the Spartans’ loss to the Wolf Pack, the San Jose State men’s basketball Twitter tweeted a sportsmanlike tweet of SJSU’s Jaycee Hillsman and Nevada’s Jordan Caroline side-by-side with smiles on their faces. Can you spare me a few details on two of Champaign’s finest?

3. Spartans junior forward Ryan Welage has come a long way. Athletic director Marie Tuite and head coach Jean Prioleau honored him for his 1,000 points before the San Jose State vs. San Diego State game on Saturday night. Welage was also named to the All-District VIII First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). What else can you say about Welage and his impact on SJSU?

4. Spartans freshman forward Keith Fisher III dominated on the court with 21 points in the Spartans’ 71-59 loss to the Aztecs at home. What’s in store for Fisher’s future?

5. The Spartans upset the Aggies 64-62 at the Event Center on Wednesday night. How did the players and coaches feel after picking up their fourth win of the season?

6. The Spartans football team began spring practice this week. It’s too early to tell, but what are your thoughts on the players and coaches at the moment?

Ana does the San Jose State men’s basketball podcast each week for sportsradioservice.com.

 

San Jose State releases 2018 football schedule

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

Brent Brennan was a San Jose State assistant football coach the last time the Spartans’ schedule had at least three consecutive home games on the schedule.

There was 2006 when the team went from 3-8 to 9-4 and a New Mexico Bowl victory, thanks to four home games in a row, covering September to mid-October. The next year, Brennan was still on the SJSU coaching staff that had three home games in a row. The Spartans finished that season at 5-7.

Brennan will be the SJSU head coach this time when the Spartans’ 2018 schedule includes three consecutive home games in CEFCU Stadium.

“We play in a very good conference. We’re excited to play the teams on our schedule. We have another tough non-conference schedule that’s going to test us early starting with UC Davis,” said Brennan. “The schedule includes eight teams that played in a 2017 bowl game.”

SJSU opens Mountain West play on September 29 at home against Hawaii. Then, the Spartans take on conference opponent Colorado State on October 6 and conclude three consecutive weeks at home with the team’s first meeting with Army West Point on October 13. SJSU will become the 38th school to play the three military service academies (Air Force, Army, and Navy) when the Spartans and Black Knights take the field.

The remaining three home games start with a Thursday, August 30 season opener with UC Davis, October 27 vs. UNLV and November 17 against Nevada.

SJSU’s road opponents start with Pac-12 non-conference opponents Oregon on September 8 and Washington State on September 15. In conference action, the Spartans travel to San Diego State on October 20, Wyoming on November 4, Utah State on November 11 and close the regular season at Fresno State on November 25.

This year’s schedule concludes the home-and-home cycle with Mountain West Mountain Division opponents Colorado State, Utah State and Wyoming.

Kickoff times and games assigned to the Mountain West television and broadcast partners will be announced in the future.

Season ticket renewals are underway. New season ticket holders can purchase their seats beginning March 24 when the Spartans host their annual Spring Game in CEFCU Stadium starting at 1:15 pm.

First conference win of the season: San Jose State holds on for 64-62 win over Utah State

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Photo credit: @SJSUAthletics

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s obvious the San Jose Spartans have a nightmarish record this season, but the players and coaches had something to smile about as the team hosted its Senior Night against the Utah State Aggies in the Event Center on Wednesday night.

From the Spartans’ perspective, their series history with the Aggies hasn’t been pretty. Utah State has won 21 straight games dating back to 2008 and hold a 60-21 advantage in the all-time series vs. San Jose State. Not only that, SJSU hasn’t won a conference game at home since February 18, 2017, against the Air Force Falcons. The Spartans beat the Falcons 83-78 in overtime.

The Spartans fell behind early in the game as the Aggies’ Koby McEwen, Julion Pearre and Sam Merrill overpowered the Spartan defense with four 3-pointers along with a jumper and a layup. However, the Spartans were able to pick themselves up off the ground and tie the game at 16 apiece at the 11:50 mark.

Spartans’ Jaycee Hillsman hit a three to give his team a 19-16 lead at the 11:11 mark, but the lead was short-lived as Merrill quickly responded with a three of his own. McEwen and Diogo Brito followed up with shots of their own to help the Aggies to a larger lead.

Yet, SJSU didn’t let USU’s lead discourage them. Welage and Fisher each hit a jumper to pull the Spartans within one with 7:23 left.

The Spartans tied the game at 29 apiece, thanks to Hillsman’s jumper with 4:41 left. Ashtin Chastain made a pair of free throws to put the Spartans up 31-29 with four minutes left, but the Aggies quickly responded on Merrill hit a three to pull his team within one just six seconds later.

Both teams exchanged leads numerous times, but the Spartans played efficient defense and the game was tied at 37 apiece at the end of the first half.

Spartans’ halftime stats: 15-27 FG-FGA (total), 2-4 FG-FGA (3-pointer), 5-9 FT-FTA, 6 offensive rebounds, 12 defensive rebounds, 18 total rebounds, 6 PF, 37 TP, 5 A, 6 TO, 1 Blk, 1 Stl, 100 Min.

Again, both teams exchanged leads numerous times, but the home crowd erupted when Welage hit a three to put the Spartans back on top 52-49 at the 11:43 mark.

The Aggies tied the game at 52 apiece on Daron Henson’s three at the 12:23 mark, but the Spartans re-tied the game at 54 apiece on Fisher’s jumper with 8:41 left and picked up a 60-58 lead a little over three minutes later.

Welage hit a jumper to extend the Spartans’ lead to four points, but Dwayne Brown Jr. pulled the Aggies within two with a little over two minutes left.

However, SJSU didn’t press the panic button yet. Isaiah Nichols hit a jumper to put the Spartans up by four with 53.1 seconds left.

The Spartans’ challenged the Aggies’ play, but the officials reviewed the play and determined that it was a two-point field goal. SJSU continued to lead USU by two points with 11.3 seconds left.

The Spartans held onto that two-point lead for a 64-62 win over the Aggies. With the win, SJSU won their first conference game of the season.

Spartans’ full-time stats: 25-54 FG-FGA (total), 5-14 FG-FGA (3-pointer), 9-15 FT-FTA, 12 offensive rebounds, 25 defensive rebounds, 37 total rebounds, 13 PF, 64 TP, 9 A, 10 TO, 4 Blks, 3 Stls and 200 Min.

Notes
Spartans’ starting lineup: Keith Fisher III, Oumar Barry, Jalen James, Jaycee Hillsman and Ryan Welage.

Aggies’ starting lineup: Koby McEwen, Sam Merrill, Julion Pearre, Quinn Taylor and Dwayne Brown Jr.

Up Next
The Spartans conclude the regular season in Colorado as they take on the Air Force Falcons on Saturday at 1 pm PT.

San Jose State’s Jalen James and Ryan Singer will play in final home game on Senior Night vs. Utah State

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Photo credit: @SJSUAthletics

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State hosts Utah State on Wednesday night
The San Jose State men’s basketball team plays its final home game of the 2017-18 season on Wednesday night. It’s Senior Night inside the Event Center and the program will honor Jalen James and Ryan Singer, whom will play in their final home game as Spartans. Tipoff is set for 7:00 pm PT on the Mountain West Network. Spartan fans can tune into KLIV 1590 AM and hear radio broadcaster Justin Allegri.

Mountain West Tournament tickets on sale

Single-game and all-session tickets for the upcoming Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas are on sale now on SJSUSpartans.com/tickets. Head to the website today and make your plans to see the Spartans in their opening-round game on Wednesday, March 7, at 4:00 pm PT inside the Thomas & Mack Center. The ticket office can be reached by telephone at 408-924-7589.

Game #28
San Jose State (3-24, 0-16 MW) vs. Utah State (14-15, 7-9 MW)
Wednesday, February 28, 7:00 pm PT
The Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

TV: Mountain West Network
Radio: KLIV 1590 AM

SJSU’s last meeting with USU
The Spartans and Aggies met in this season’s MW opener back on December 27 in Logan, Utah. The result was an 86-72 win for Utah State, which scored 36 points off of 23 Spartan turnovers. Ryan Welage scored a team-high 22 points while Jaycee Hillsman added a career-high 18 points for SJSU.

USU had four players in double-figure scoring led by Koby McEwen with 24 points. The Spartans finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Aggies 40-23, but the 36 points off of turnovers handed USU the win.

SJSU’s history with USU
From a SJSU perspective, their series history with USU isn’t pretty. The Aggies have won 21 straight games dating back to 2008 and own a 60-21 advantage in the all-time series. SJSU’s last win against USU came on February 18, 2008, at home by a score of 70-67.

What has changed for SJSU?
One big thing that has changed for SJSU since the last meeting with USU is the development of redshirt freshman Keith Fisher III. He was held scoreless in just 14 minutes of action during the first meeting. Fisher enters Wednesday night averaging a team-high 18.4 points and 8.2 rebounds over the last five games. He has scored 20 or more points in three of the last five and reached double-figure scoring in seven of the last nine games.

Where is Welly?
Ryan Welage went 0-for-2 from downtown last game against SDSU, so he remains tied for SJSU’s all-time lead with 153 made 3-pointers. He have one more shot to take the record all for himself in front of the home crowd with just one make from downtown on Wednesday night. Welage sits 28 points away from taking over as the sixth-leading scorer in program history. He’s currently in seventh place with 1,209 career points.

Jalen James and Ryan Singer will play in their final home game as Spartans
Senior Jalen James will be suiting up for his 115th game as a Spartan on Wednesday night. The fifth-year senior helped SJSU get its first MW win on the road at Nevada with a game-winning shot with 1.2 seconds remaining. James also recorded just the second triple-double in program history when he has 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists on the road at Houston back in December of 2013.

Singer injured his knee during SJSU’s third game of the season and will call it a career after appearing in 48 games since his arrival in 2014-15.

San Jose State suffers 71-59 loss to San Diego State

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Photo credit: @DoublePumpHoops

By: Ana Kieu

There’s not much left to salvage for the San Jose State Spartans, and the numbers prove it. Still, the Spartans hosted the San Diego State Aztecs in one of the biggest games of the season Saturday night in the Event Center in San Jose, California.

Before the first timeout of the game, San Jose State trailed San Diego State by one, 10-9, at the 11:47 mark of the first half. The score continued to remain close as the Aztecs held a one-point lead, 23-22, with 3:30 left in the half.

Then, SJSU had a big finish, which gave the hapless team some hope against SDSU. Ashtin Chastain helped the Spartans take the lead and Jalen James beat the halftime buzzer. Yet, the Spartans continued to trail the Aztecs 28-24 at the half.

Isaiah Nichols hit a 3-pointer–his third of the game–to cut the Aztecs’ lead to 45-41 at the 12:51 mark of the second half.

The Spartan defense faltered and that was one of the reasons why they got blown out by the Aztecs. The Spartans were overpowered by the Aztecs’ power of threes. Spartans’ Jaycee Hillsman made a pair of free throws and hit a three, but it didn’t matter.

The Spartans lost to the Aztecs 71-59 on Walt McPherson court. Keith Fisher III led all scorers with 29 points. Ryan Welage had nine points and eight rebounds.

With the loss, SJSU lost their 16th straight game and its record is now 3-24, 0-16 MW. Meanwhile, SDSU improved to 17-10, 9-7 MW.

Notes
Spartans’ starting lineup: Ryan Welage, Keith Fisher III, Oumar Barry, Jalen James and Jaycee Hillsman.

Aztecs’ starting lineup: Matt Mitchell, Nolan Narain, Jalen McDaniels, Trey Kell and Devin Watson.

Up Next
The Spartans host the Utah State Aggies in their final home game of the season Wednesday night at 7 pm PT.

San Jose State hosts San Diego State on Saturday night

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By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State men’s basketball team hosts the San Diego State men’s basketball team on Saturday night inside the Event Center with a tipoff scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. Tickets for the game are available at the Spartan Ticket Office, which can be reached at 408-924-7589. ESPN3 will broadcast the game live and Spartan fans can listen to the home broadcast by tuning into KLIV 1590 AM to hear Justin Allegri’s play-by-play call.

Game #27
SJSU (3-23, 0-15 MW) vs. SDSU  (16-10, 8-7 MW)
Saturday, February 24, 2018, 7:00 pm PT
The Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

TV: ESPN3
Radio: KLIV 1590 AM

Spartans to honor Welage Saturday
Earlier this season, Ryan Welage became the 15th player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in the 108-year history of the SJSU men’s basketball program. Since then, he has risen among the all-time scoring ranks to seventh place with 1,200 points. SJSU Director of Athletics Marie Tuite and head coach Jean Prioleau will present Welage with a ceremonial 1,000-point basketball prior to the Spartans’ tipoff on Saturday night.

SJSU all-time scoring leaders
1. 1,767 – Ricky Berry (84 games)
2. 1,750 – Adrian Oliver (80 games)
3. 1,504 – Stu Inman (123 games)
4. 1,432 – Wally Rank (102 games)
5. 1,272 – Justin Graham (119 games)
6. 1,236 – Chris McNealy (81 games)
7. 1,200- Ryan Welage (87 games)
8. 1,173 – Coby Dietrick (72 games)
9. 1,139 – Terry Cannon (97 games)
10. 1,136 – Johnnie Skinner (73 games)

King of the three-ball
Welage sank four 3-pointers last game at Nevada, which brought him into a tie with Tim Pierce as the all-time leader for made threes in a Spartan career with 153. His first 3-pointer of the night Saturday would make him the all-time 3-point makes leader in program history.

SJSU career 3-point field goals made leaders
1. 153 – Tim Pierce (86 games)
1. 153 – Ryan Welage (87 games)
3. 138 – Adrian Oliver (80 games)
4. 134 – Rashad Muhammad (58 games)
5. 125 – Robert Owens (61 games)

Spartan opponents have been loading up from downtown
In the last two games, Wyoming and Nevada combined to attempt 79 threes against the Spartans. The two combined to make 40.5 of the shots from beyond the arc. Wyoming jacked up 42 shots from downtown, which was a school record for a Spartan opponent. Kendall Stephens and Hallice Cooke shot 26 of Nevada’s 37 threes in the last game, of which they hit 12. Guarding against easy points in the paint, the Spartans have been playing the 3-point percentages against their opponents. SDSU comes in shooting 34.7 percent as a team from beyond the arch, ranking seventh in the Mountain West.

Series history with SDSU
SDSU holds a 37-35 edge over San Jose State in the all-time series. SJSU’s 76-71 win over the Aztecs last season inside the Event Center last year snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series which dated back to 1999.

Last meeting with SDSU
SJSU suffered a 36-point, 85-49, loss to SDSU earlier this season on January 9 inside the Viejas Arena. The one shining moment of the evening was Welage sinking a pair of free throws in the second half for his career-points 999 and 1,000. With that he etched his name in the SJSU history books as the 15th player in the 108-year history of the program to reach 1,000 points.

Mountain West tournament seeding impact
At 0-15 in league play, SJSU is locked in the 11th spot and will play the sixth-seeded team in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament. Right now, teams four through eight in the MW standings are all separated by 2.0 games, and one of them is SDSU. The Aztecs are currently in sixth place and one of three teams heading into the weekend with an 8-7 record in MW play.

Team defense continues to hold Spartans back
Just a few weeks ago, the Spartans had a top-five field goal percentage defense in the MW of 42.5 percent. However, in the last five games, Spartan opponents are hitting 46.2 percent of their field goal attempts and averaging 81.4 points per game. SDSU comes into Saturday’s game shooting 46.0 percent as a team and averages 77.8 points per game, which ranks seventh in the MW.

Fisher III extends career-scoring high again
Redshirt freshman Keith Fisher III extended his career-scoring high twice in one week with a 23-point performance at Colorado State on February 10, followed by 26 points last Saturday at Wyoming. Fisher has finished eight of the last 11 games in double-figure scoring. Over the last five games he is averaging 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds while hitting 52.6 percent of his shots. He was limited to just five points in the last game at Nevada after fouling out with just under 12 minutes to play in the second half.

Hillsman returns to starting lineup vs. Wyoming
Jaycee Hillsman not only returned to the starting lineup for the first time since December 5, but he also played a career-high 39 minutes last Saturday at Wyoming. He finished the game with a double-double including 15 points and 10 rebounds. The junior from Champaign, Illinois, is averaging 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 24.4 minutes during conference play.

CoSIDA selects San Jose State’s Ryan Welage to All-District VIII First Team

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Photo credit: @TheSJSUSpartan

By: Ana Kieu

The 2017-18 CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Teams have been released, and San Jose State forward Ryan Welage was selected to the All-District VIII First Team.

The CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Welage is the first San Jose State men’s basketball player to receive all-district honors since the very first awards were handed out during the 1982-83 season.

“Ryan is a great student-athlete for our program,” said Spartans’ head coach Jean Prioleau. “He works extremely hard to have success both in the classroom and in the game of basketball. That’s why he’s a team captain. We’re very happy to see him receive this honor and hope to see him selected again later this year.”

With first-team honors, Welage now advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be announced in March.

Welage, a kinesiology major with a minor in nutrition at SJSU, earned a 4.0 GPA (Grade Point Average) in the fall and has an cumulative GPA of 3.84.

Joining Welage on the First Team is Stanford’s Dorian Pickens, Oregon State’s Stephen Thompson, Jr., Grand Canyon’s Joshua Braun and Fresno State’s Sam Bittner.

Welage and the Spartans hit the home court Saturday night against San Diego State with a tipoff set for 7:00 pm PT.