Nov. 19, 2013
San Jose, Calif. - The San José State women's basketball team hosts its last two home games for nearly a month, when the University of San Francisco Dons and University of San Diego Toreros come to The Event Center on Wednesday night on Saturday afternoon, respectively.
GAMES 5 & 6
SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY (3-1)
vs. San Francisco (1-2)
Wednesday, November 20, 7:00 p.m.
The Event Center, San Jose, Calif.
vs. San Diego (3-0)
Saturday, November 23, 3:00 p.m.
The Event Center, San Jose, Calif.
Streaming video for both games is available on the Spartan Digital Network at www.sjsuspartans.com/video
Radio broadcast for both games on 90.5 KSJS-FM and at www.ksjs.org
LIVE STATS
Fans can view live stats of all San José State women's basketball games by accessing the "Gametracker" feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the women's basketball schedule page to follow the action.
VIDEO STREAMING
Spartan Digital is your all-access passport to Spartan Athletics. For live and recorded video/audio of San José State women's basketball home, Mountain West (road and home) and select road contests, Spartan Digital is your home. Go to Spartan Digital at top of the Spartans Athletics home page or go to www.sjsuspartans.com/video.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with all 16 of San José State's team through social media sites Twitter and Facebook. For Twitter go to @sjsuathletics and on Facebook become friends with Sammy Spartans.
The women's basketball Twitter handle is @sjswbb and our Facebook page is /SanJoseStateWBB.
RADIO COVERAGE
KSJS (90.5 FM, San Jose) originates San José State women's basketball home broadcasts and select road contests.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TICKETS
Tickets for San José State women's basketball home games are free for all SJSU students with a valid student ID. Adult tickets are $5.00 and $3.00 for youth (12 and under).
Groups of 20 or more can buy discounted tickets at $3.00 per person by 5:00 p.m. the business day before the game via the Spartan Ticket Office at (408) 924-SJTX (7589) or (877) SJSUTIX (757-8849).
The Event Center Box Office opens two hours prior to tip-off for any weekend, holiday game or doubleheader and is open regular business hours (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) for weekday games or weekday doubleheaders.
PARKING
Parking for all San José State women's basketball games is in the University's Seventh Street Parking Garage. The Seventh Street Garage, located on the Northwest corner of San Salvador Street and Seventh Street, can be accessed through Seventh Street. Parking is $5.00.
CUNNIGAN NAMED MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ta'Rea Cunnigan (JR., G, Winchester, Calif.) has earned Mountain West Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for games played from Nov. 11-17, 2013. It is the first Mountain West weekly honor for Cunnigan.
During the week, she passed the 1,000 career-point plateau, becoming the 13th player in San José State women's basketball history to do so, reaching the milestone in 63 games, the second quickest to the mark in program history.
She led San José State to a 2-1 record, while pulling the top defensive assignment for each opponent and being the leading scorer in two of the three games. Cunnigan averaged 22.7 points, 4.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting .415 (22-of-53) from the field and .786 (22-of-28) from the free throw line.
CUNNIGAN 13th TO 1,000-POINT PLATEAU
Ta'Rea Cunnigan (Jr., G, Winchester, Calif.) scored 22 points against UC Riverside, reached the 1,000-point plateau on her first bucket of the second half, and now stands at 1,010 points for her career. She is the 13th Spartan to reach the milestone, the second fastest to do so (63 games) and now has her sights set on Lora Alexander (1989-90) who scored 1,019 points in 56 games over two years.
CLIMBING THE CAREER LIST(S)
After just two seasons, Ta'Rea Cunnigan (Jr., G, Winchester, Calif.) is already in the top-10 of four San José State career categories. Her 310 free throws and 423 free throw attempts rank second and fourth, respectively. Cunnigan joins Cricket Williams (2001-04) as just the second player in Spartans' history with more than 1,000 points and 300 free throws. In addition, her .733 free throw shooting percentage is fifth all-time and .332 3-point shooting percentage is the 10th best in program history.
There are three categories, among the Spartans' career records, that Cunnigan should enter into the top-10 during this season. She is 11 3-pointers, 15 3-point attempts and five steals from the top-10 in each category.
Riana Byrd (So., C, Richmond, Calif.), had 64 blocked shots in her freshman campaign and has five more this season, is already in seventh place in the program's career blocks list.
BYRD PICKS UP RIGHT WHERE SHE LEFT OFF LAST SEASON
Last year Riana Byrd (So., C, Richmond, Calif.) was the first Spartan to average a double double, 11.4 pts and 10.9 rebs., in 23 years. It's early in the season, but for Byrd the beat goes on. She averaging 9.5 points and 10.8 rebounds in four games this year.
BEING HEALTHY HELPS
Classye James (Jr., G, East Palo Alto, Calif.) was hampered by a hip injury all last season but gutted it out all year. She averaged 7.6 points and shot just .263 from the field and .183 from behind the arc. With a summer to heal, James is showing the game that earned her a McDonalds All-American nomination as a senior in high school. She is averaging 14.8 points, has reached double figure scoring in three games.
SPARTANS HAVE FOUND THEIR FIRST FIVE
In head coach Jamie Craighead's up tempo offense every player on the roster will get lots of time on the court this season, but through four games this season, the Spartans have sent the same five out to start each game - Britta Hall (Fr., G, Tualatin, Ore.), Ta'Rea Cunnigan (Jr., G, Winchester, Calif.), Classye James (Jr., G, East Palo Alto, Calif.), Rebecca Woodberry (Jr., G, Phoenix, Ariz.) and Riana Byrd (So., C, Richmond, Calif.).
VICTORY PUSHES SPARTANS OVER .500 IN SEASON OPENERS
With its 100-78 win over San Francisco State (11/8), the Spartans now sport a 20-19 record in its 39 -year history of women's basketball. The win was just the second time in the last nine season's that San José State has won its season opener.
CRAIGHEAD A WINNER IN HER FIRST GAME ON THE SAN JOSÉ STATE BENCH
With the Spartans 100-78 victory against San Francisco State, head coach Jamie Craighead won the first season opener of her head coaching career, after four tries while at Sacramento State.
She also becomes the third women's basketball head coach to find victory in her Spartans debut, joining Hall of Fame coach Sharon Chatman and Tina Krah in winning her first game on the San José State bench.
SCOUTING SAN FRANCISCO
The Dons are a member of the West Coast Conference. They went 12-19 last year, 4-12 in conference action and were eliminated in the second round of their conference tournament.
USF (1-2) opened its season with a pair of road games; falling at Fordham (80-66) and taking a 83-69 win at Columbia. On Sunday they defeated Long Beach State 85-82 in double overtime.
Taj Winston, a junior guard, is the team's leading scorer (17.0 pts) as well as tops in steals (3.33). Guards Rachel Howard, a freshman, and Zhané Dikes, a sophomore, are also in double figure scoring at 16.7 and 11.7 points, respectively. Junior forward Page Spietz is at 6.0 points and tops the squad with 7.7 rebounds per game
Head coach Jennifer Azzi is in her fourth season leading the USF program. She brought a 21-69 overall record into the 2013-14 season.
This will be the 39 meeting between these two teams. San Francisco defeated the Spartans 92-64 last season on the hilltop, but San José State leads the series 21-17.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO
The Toreros play in the West Coast Conference. They went 22-10 last year, 12-4 in conference action and reached the championship game of the conference tournament. They advanced to the WNIT where they were eliminated in the second round.
USD (3-0) has opened its season with wins at Northern Colorado (69-56), against Arizona State (61-53) and at San Diego State (48-45).
Amy Kame, a senior guard, is the team's leading scorer (16.3 pts) as well as tops in assists (2.67). Forwards Felicia Wijenberg, a senior, and Sophia Ederaine, a junior, are also in double figure scoring at 10.7 and 10.3 points, respectively. Ederaine aldo tops the squad with 9.3 rebounds per game
Head coach Cindy Fisher is in her ninth season leading the USD program. She brought a 201-182 overall and 148-101 USD record into the 2013-14 season.
This will be the eighth meeting between these two teams. San Diego defeated the Spartans 91-52 last season in on their home floor and holds a 5-2 advantage in the series.