Feb. 19, 2016
SPARTANS VS. AZTECS ROUND TWO GOES DOWN SUNDAYWhile San José State has wrenched up its defense in the last three home games, San Diego State comes into The Event Center having been a model for defense all season long. A win for the Spartans would be their third in the last four tries at home, and the first against SDSU since 1999. But Aztecs' Jeremy Hemsley, a Mountain West Freshman of the Year frontrunner, stands in the way Sunday afternoon. Don't miss the Spartans and Aztecs in a 1:00 p.m. (PST) tip on CBS Sports Network.Game # 27
San José State (8-18, 3-11 MW) vs. San Diego State (19-7, 12-1 MW)Sunday, February 21, 2016, 1:00 p.m. (PST)The Event Center (5,000)San Jose, Calif.TICKETSWATCH: CBS Sports NetworkComcast Xfinity: 727AT&T U-VERSE: 643 & 1643DIRECTV: 221Dish Network: 158LISTEN: KLIV 1590 AM & Stretch Internet RadioTURNOVERS HURT IN 61-55 LOSS TO NEVADASan José State led for more than half the game Wednesday night versus Nevada, but 21 turnovers leading to 23 Nevada points killed the Spartans. SJSU also finished the game 10 of 18 from the free throw line, missing critical attempts in the final minutes. Frank Rogers and Ryan Welage each scored 14 points to lead the Spartans in scoring. It was Rogers' 11th time this season as the team's scoring leader and he also brought down a career-high 17 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.TRIAL BY FIRESan José State's four true freshmen: Ryan Welage, Cody Schwartz, Brandon Clarke and Jaycee Hillsman have combined to account for 44.1 percent of the team's scoring in 2015-16. That is by far the highest percentage of points scored by true freshmen among all Mountain West teams, with UNLV next at 26.8 percent. Among top-25 teams, only Kentucky at 48.3 percent, has gotten more scoring production from true freshmen than San José State.SPARTANS WRENCH UP ON DSan José State is next to last in the Mountain West allowing opponents to score an average of 73.1 points per game. But in the last three home games, the Spartans have allowed an average of 54.0 points per game. The opponents during that stretch (Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada) were held to a combined 34.5 percent field goal shooting. This trend of solid defense at home could play a factor Sunday against San Diego State, which has the MW's lowest scoring offense at 66.3 points per game.ROGERS CONTINUES TO LEADSenior Frank Rogers notched his seventh double-double of the season last game versus Nevada with 14 points and 17 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 forward has been the scoring and rebounding leader all season long since he began the year with back-to-back double-doubles. He has made at least one three in 13 of the last 14 games, and he leads the team in three-point shooting at 40.5 percent.KEEP YOUR EYE ON Brandon ClarkeAs his freshman season continues, Brandon Clarke is blooming into San José State's highest-impact player. Over the last four games, Clarke is averaging 12.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2 .5 blocks per game. Working from the inside, Clarke is the Spartans' most efficient shooter at 62.8 percent on the year. In conference play, he has taken over as the team's leading rebounder (7.6 pg) and shot blocker (1.9 pg). He has grabbed multiple offensive rebounds in nine of the last 10 games, including a season-high seven in both games against Fresno State.LAST TIME VS. SAN DIEGO STATEPrinceton Onwas and Ryan Welage each scored 23 points, a career-high at the time for both players, but San Diego State pulled away for a 77-62 victory in the last meeting between the teams back on Jan. 6 in San Diego. The Spartans trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, but cut it to two, 37-35, heading into the break. After briefly leading early on in the second half, Winston Shepard and Zylan Cheatham helped the Aztecs pull away for the win.SAN JOSÉ STATE VS. SAN DIEGO STATESan José State and San Diego State are dead even, 34-34, in the all-time series that spans nearly 80 years. The two teams first met in December of 1936 when they split two games on back-to-back nights in San Jose. The Aztecs have beaten the Spartans five times in a row heading into Sunday's tilt. The last San José State victory at home versus SDSU was January 30, 1999, by a score of 82-57.MORE ON THE AZTECSSan Diego State (19-7) is well on its way to a conference-record 10th Mountain West championship with a 12-1 record in league play. The only loss happened on the road at Fresno State (2/10) by a score of 58-57. The Aztecs have been grinding team's down all year long, proven by having the league's top-ranked scoring defense at 60.2 points allowed per game. The Aztecs also have the league's best rebounding margin at +6.2. Point guard Jeremy Hemsley is a MW Freshman of the Year front runner, leading SDSU in scoring at 13.6 points per game.SPARTANS TOP BULLDOGS FOR THIRD MW WINFrank Rogers scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, and the Spartans hit big shot after big shot on the way to a 65-53 win over Fresno State. It was the second straight win in conference play, a feat which the team hadn't achieved sincethe 2012-13 season when it won two straight Western Athletic Conference games. Brandon Clarke scored 14 points to go along with his season-high 15 rebounds. Isaac Thornton made the play of the game when he scored a bucket, and made the foul shot. The Spartans put the game away making 14 of 15 from the line in the final 7:43. Fresno State's Marvelle Harris, the league's third-leading scorer, was held to a season-low seven points on 2 of 16 shooting.MEN'S HOOPS RACES TO 75-54 WIN OVER AIR FORCEThe Spartans used four consecutive three-point baskets to open up a 12-0 lead and never looked back in the 75-54 win against Air Force. Jaycee Hillsman led the way with 13 points for SJSU which had three more players finish in double-figures scoring. The Spartans' defense held Air Force to 28.6 percent shooting for the game. Isaac Thornton contributed a season-high nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Brandon Clarke finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and a season-high five blocks.