Feb. 29, 2016
San Jose, Calif. - In its final home game of the 2015-16 Mountain West schedule, the San José State Spartans host the Wyoming Cowgirls. The game will mark the final appearance for five seniors, Emily Schill, Ellie Stevens, Emily Vann, Nyre Harris and Riana Byrd.
San José State Spartans (12-15, 10-6 MW)
vs.
Wyoming Cowgirls (13-14, 6-11 MW)
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 - 7:00 p.m.
San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)
THE EVENT CENTER BIDS FAREWELL TO FIVE SENIORS
SJSU wraps up the home portion of the 2015-16 schedule with its game against Wyoming on Tuesday and it will be the final appearance on Walt McPherson Court for five seniors. Seniors Emily Schill, Ellie Stevens, Emily Vann, Nyre Harris and Riana Byrd will be honored in a ceremony prior to tip off.
GOAL NO. 1 ACCOMPLISHED
With its win over Utah State in combination with losses by New Mexico and UNLV, the Spartans achieved its first goal of the season...a first round bye in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament. San José State and Boise State, which face off in the final regular season game of the year, are still battling for the third and fourth seeds. The third seed plays the winner of the #6 vs. #11 match-up at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8. The fourth seed plays the fifth seed at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
THE EVENT CENTER THREE-POINT RECORD EQUALED
In the Spartans 83-65 victory over Utah State (2/27), SJSU equaled the team's Event Center record for three-point field goals made in a game. Two years ago, against Georgia State (12/18/13), San José State hit 14 threes in a 95-81 victory. On Saturday, the Spartans matched that total draining 14 three balls.
DOUBLE DIGIT CONFERENCE WINS
With its victory over Utah State on Saturday, its 10th in Mountain West play this year, San José State has reached double-digit conference wins for just the fifth time in the 40 years it has been affiliated with a league. It's the first time the team has reached double-digit conference victories since the 2004-05 season, when the team posted a 10-8 record in the WAC. The other three times the program posted double digit conference wins were 2001-02 (WAC), 1977-78 (NorCal) & 1978-89 (NorCal) when they set the program record with 12 wins.
TRENDING UP
The Spartans are entering their third conference tournament, since joining the Mountain West prior to the 2013-14 season, and year-after-year the program has been trending up. In its first year in the league, SJSU finished in 10th place and was eliminated in the first round of the conference tournament. Last year, the team improved to the eighth seed and went on a run into the semifinals becoming the first eight seed to defeat the top seed in the 16-year history of the Mountain West. This year the team has improved again, securing a top-5 seed and earning a first round bye.
VANN AND BAIRD SIZZLE FROM DISTANCE VERSUS UTAH STATE
Senior Emily Vann and junior Paris Baird were on fire from beyond the three-point line in the Spartans 83-65 win over Utah State. Vann shot 75 percent (6-of-8) from beyond the arc and finished the game with career highs in points, three-pointers and three-point attempts. She was one away from equaling the program's Event Center record for threes in a game, seven, which is held by Rebecca Woodberry, Danada Smith and Kari Steele.
Baird was equally dangerous from outside, going 5-of-8 from long range (62.5 percent). Baird set single game records for threes and three-point attempts and equaled her career-high with 15 points.