Dec. 15, 2015
San Jose State Game Notes
San Jose, Calif. - The San José State women's basketball team returns to The Event Center this week looking to halt a seven-game slide, the program's longest since the 2010-11 season. The Spartans will have two cracks at ending the streak, Thursday against New Mexico State and Sunday against UC Irvine.
Game # 9
San José State Spartans (1-7)
vs.
New Mexico State Aggies (7-2)
Thursday, December 17, 7:00 p.m.
The Event Center, San Jose, Calif.
Streaming video, live stats and Internet radio available at www.sjsuspartans.com
Game # 10
vs.
UC Irvine Anteaters (3-6)
Sunday, December 20, 2:00 p.m.
The Event Center, San Jose, Calif.
Streaming video, live stats and Internet radio available at www.sjsuspartans.com
LIVE STATS
Fans can view live stats of all San José State women's basketball games, home and away, 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 and the majority of Mountain West 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 Spartans women's basketball on all our social media platforms. The team's Twitter handle is @sjswbb, Facebook page is /SanJoseStateWBB, Instagram is sjsu_wbb.
RADIO COVERAGE
Fans across the nation and internationally can listen to every Spartans' women's home game and select road games via Stretch Internet Radio. Jess Knaster and Ta'Rea Cunnigan, the leading scorer in San José State basketball history, bring you all the action. You can access the broadcast through the women's basketball schedule page at www.sjsuspartans.com.
DOUBLE DIPPIN
Jasmine Smith (Jr., F, Burbank, Calif.) has three double doubles this season, which leads the team, and her most recent came in the team's last road game, 10 points and 12 rebounds at UOP (12/12). For her career she has 12 double doubles with is the most by any active player in the Mountain West.
TOUGH PRESEASON SLATE
The old adage goes that a tough preseason schedule gets you ready for the conference slate. If that is true then San José State will be prepared when Mountain West action starts. Of the Spartans 11 non-conference opponents, nine participated in the postseason in 2014-15.
One was in the NCAA Tournament (New Mexico State), seven played in the WNIT (Saint Mary's, CSU Bakersfield, Washington State, San Francisco, South Dakota, Pacific, and Hawai'i) and Southern Oregon competed in the NAIA Division II National Tournament.
THIS IS ONE STRONG AND TOUGH SCHEDULE
In the latest Strength of Schedule report from the NCAA (12/13), the Spartans are playing one of the toughest slate of games in the country. Ranked 38th in the nation, SJSU easily has the toughest schedule in the Mountain West as well. The top-three teams in the MW, Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico have the 226th, 161st and 130th ranked schedules, respectively.
RAMOS NAMED PRESEASON MOUNTAIN WEST NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Dezz Ramos (Jr., PG, West Valley, Utah), who averaged 10.4 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in two seasons at Weber State and sat out 2014-15 due to NCAA transfer rules, earned MW Preseason Newcomer of the Year honors, by a vote of the conference coaches and media representatives last month. Ramos is the first Spartan to earn the honor.
RAMOS THE TIP OF THE SPEAR
Dezz Ramos (Jr., PG, West Valley, Utah) is showing why the voters for MW Newcomer of the Year got their selection correct. She leads the team in scoring at 19.5 point per game and ranks second in the Mountain West. Versus South Dakota (12/8) she erupted for 31 points. It was her Spartan high and the second best single-game scoring effort in her collegiate career.
MORE ON RAMOS
In addition to her scoring prowess, Dezz Ramos (Jr., PG, West Valley, Utah) is lighting up the Mountain West in several other categories. Entering this week's play she leads the conference in three-point field goals (3.1/g) is third in free throw percentage (.833) and fifth in three-point percentage (.440), fourth in assists (4.0/g) and 15th in assist/turnover ratio (1.1:1).
OFFENSE ANYONE?
San José State averaged 78.5 points a game last year to lead the Mountain West and finish the season 11th in the nation. In eight games, the 2015-16 edition of the Spartans appear to be just as potent. They are averaging 79.9 points, 4.9 points per game more than the second ranked team in the conference. SJSU is ranked 24th in the nation.
FROM BEYOND THE ARC...THERE ARE NO RED LIGHTS
In 2014-15, the Spartans led the Mountain West in three-point attempts (872) and makes (271). That's an average of 27.3 attempts and 8.5 makes per game and 2015-16 looks to be even higher. In eight games the team had hoisted 245 threes (30.6/g) and has drained 75 (9.4/g). Both numbers lead the conference and the 9.4 makes per game is 11th best in the nation. SJSU is also ranked 18th in three-point attempts and 26th in total three pointers made.
HARRIS DOING EVERYTHING
Nyre Harris (Sr., G, Stockton, Calif.) is a team captain and is leading by example. Harris tops the team with 2.8 steals per game and 34 defensive rebounds. In addition, she second in minutes (26.6/g), total rebounds (5.9/g), assists (19), and fourth in offensive rebounds (13). Harris has started every game and ranks fourth on the team at 9.1 point per game. In the opener, against Southern Oregon (11/13), Harris picked up the first double double of her college career scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. At Pacific (12/12) she got her second with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Harris, a 5-8 shooting guard, is tied for the conference lead in steals, is 11th in defensive rebounds and the 15th leading rebounder in the Mountain West.
MS. SMITH GOES TO THE HOOP AND BOARDS
Jasmine Smith (Jr., F, Burbank, Calif.) is averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds this year, which is second and first on the team, respectively. She is shooting a team-best .519, which ranks 75th in the nation and third the Mountain West.
Her scoring average is the 18th best in the MW and she is the seventh rebounds and is fifth in offensive boards (3.4/g).
BYRD WATCHING
Riana Byrd (Sr., C, Richmond, Calif.) is a good season away from becoming just the second player in San José State women's basketball history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. Averaging both 9.0 points and rebounds per game over her three years at SJSU, Byrd currently has with 869 points and 856 rebounds. At her current pace she could reach both milestones and join the 1,000/1,000 club later this season.
TURN'EM OVER AND STEAL'EM
San José State's pressure defense can produce a lot of turnovers and a lot of steals, 645 and 347, respectively last season, for an average of 20.2 forced turnovers and 10.8 steals per game.
In 18 games, in 2014-15, the Spartans forced at least 20 turnovers and posted a 14-4 record. They forced 33 turnovers against Southern Oregon and won 92-78.
In games in which the team had at least 11 steals, the Spartans were 10-5. They picked the pocket of Southern Oregon players 20 times in the season opening win.
So far in 2015-16, the Spartans have forced 168 turnovers (21.0/g) and have gotten 85 steals (10.6/g). SJSU's 10.6 steals a game ranks 36th in the nation and its turnovers forced (21.0) is the 32nd best in the NCAA.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE
The Aggies are off to a 7-2 start, but in nine games have ventured away from home only twice and have a 1-1 record in those games. They average 74.2 points a game and have been outscoring opponents by an average of 10.7 points per game.
New Mexico State has four players who are averaging double figures led by Sasha Weber (12.4 ppg). Brianna Freeman is at 11.9 point per game and leads the squad in rebounding (7.6). Shanice Davis is the team's assist leader at 3.8 per game.
Mark Trakh is in his fifth season leading the Aggies program. He brought a 54-68 record at New Mexico State into the season.
THE SERIES WITH NEW MEXICO STATE
This will be the 32nd meeting between the Spartans and Aggies. San José State trails in the all-time series 26-5. The bright spot is in the last two meetings in San Jose, as members of the WAC, the Spartans have been the victor. Four of the team's five wins against NMSU have come on its home court, but overall the Spartans are only 4-11 against New Mexico State in San Jose.
SCOUTING UC IRVINE
The Anteaters start the week 3-6 and have a date with UCLA before playing the Spartans on Sunday. The team have played four road games this year and are 1-3, with its lone win coming at Southern Utah. They average 58.2 points a game and have been outscored by opponents by an average of 12.3 points per game.
UC Irvine's offense is led by Shereen Sutherland who is averaging 9.4 points per game. Mokun Fajenisin is scoring 9.0 points a contest and leads the team with an impressive 9.3 rebounds a game and has 17 blocks. Raelyn Cheung-Sutton has dished out 58 assists in nine game, a 6.4/g average.
Doug Oliver is in his fourth season leading the Anteater program. He brought a 34-60 record at UC Irvine into the season.
THE SERIES WITH UC IRVINE
This will be the 28th meeting between the Spartans and Anteaters. San José State trails in the all-time series 16-11. In the 11 games contested in San Jose, SJSU holds a 6-5 advantage. Overall the Spartans have won four of the last five games including a 91-65 victory last season in Irvine.