Jan. 29, 2016
San Jose, Calif. - Looking to end a four-game skid in Mountain West Conference play, the San Jose State women's basketball team travels to Colorado Springs, Colo., to play the Air Force Falcons on Saturday night.
San José State Spartans (6-14, 4-5 MW)
at
Air Force Falcons (0-19, 0-8 MW)
January 30, 2016 - 6:00 p.m. (MT) - Colorado Springs, Colo. (Clune Arena)
FOUR-GAME DROUGHT
With its 80-78 heartbreaking loss to Colorado State on Wednesday, the Spartans have dropped their last four games and are in need of a victory to start the second-half of the conference schedule. SJSU began league play with a 4-1 record, but now sit at 4-5. This four-game slide is the second longest of the season, the Spartans lost eight-straight non-conference games earlier in the year.
SEEKING REVENGE IN THE SPRINGS
San José State was stunned almost exactly one year ago, when its lost at Air Force, 83-80 on January 28, 2015. The win for the Falcons snapped a 30-game conference losing streak, which dated back to the 2012-13 season. Since that win Air Force has lost its last 17 consecutive Mountain West games including an 81-60 lost at San José State on January 2.
BYRD INCHES CLOSER TO 1,000-CAREER POINTS
Riana Byrd (Sr., C, Richmond, Calif.) has scored 983 career-points entering the Spartans game against Air Force. Averaging 8.7 points per game this season, she could crack the 1,000-point plateau in the team's game at Fresno State (2./). When she scores her 1,000th point she will be the 14th player in Spartans history to reach the milestone.
BYRD FLIES PAST CHEW INTO 2ND PLACE ON SPARTANS CAREER REBOUNDS LIST
Riana Byrd (Sr., C, Richmond, Calif.) ripped down a season-high 15 rebounds against Colorado State (1/27) and in doing so flew past Roberta Chew and into second place on the program's career rebounds list. The senior from Richmond, Calif., entered the CSU game two boards behind Chew, who grabbed 946 from 1982-85, and came out 13 ahead at 959 for her career. Byrd is the third player in program history to pass the 900 career-rebound plateau. The other two players to reach at least 900 rebounds, Chew and Elinor Banks (1,062 rebounds - 1978-81), both surpassed the 1,000-career points list.
SPARTANS GOOD START TO MW PLAY SLIPPING AWAY
Nine games into the 18 game MW schedule, San José State has seen its best start in Mountain West Conference play begin to slip away. The Spartans were 4-1 through five games of league action, but have dropped its last four in a row. The team was in a tie for first place two weeks ago and now finds itself in a tie for fifth place. On the bright side, the Spartans go their fourth win in conference play in five games. It took SJSU 10 games in 2014-15 to reach four wins and 12 games in its inaugural season of 2013-14 to get its fourth win.
BAIRD ERUPTS AGAINST COLORADO STATE
Paris Baird (Jr., F, Van Nuys, Calif.) had the finest game of her Spartan career against the best team in the Mountain West. Baird scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including going 3-of-4 from three-point range. She pulled down three rebounds, had two assists, two blocks and a pair of steals. Her 15 points, six field goals and three three-pointers were all career-highs. The nine shots, four three-point attempts two assists, blocks and steals all equaled career-highs.