Dec. 14, 2016
San Jose, Calif. - One of the toughest non-conference schedules in the history of San Jose State women's basketball comes to a close on Sunday afternoon in The Event Center, when the Spartans host the Stanislaus State Warriors. Tip off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
San José State Spartans (2-9)
vs.
Stanislaus State Warriors (5-6)
Sunday, December 18, 2016 - 4:30 p.m.
San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center - 5,000)
Streaming video: Spartan Digital Network - www.sjsuspartans.com
Live Stats: www.sjsuspartans.com
TIME TO GIVE YOURSELF A PRESENT
With finals, the holidays and the start of Mountain West play just around the corner, it's a good time for the Spartans give themselves a present by halting a season-high, six-game losing streak. The streak is the second longest in head coach Jamie Craighead's four years at San Jose State. In the six-game stretch, which began in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu on November 26 against #7/7 Mississippi State, SJSU has played just one game on its home floor.
SPARTANS SET THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS RECORD AGAINST SAINT MARY'S
The Spartans are no strangers to shooting three-pointers, through 11 games they lead the Mountain West and are ranked eighth in the nation, with 287 attempts. Against Saint Mary's (12/3) they set a program record hoisting 43 three-pointers, which eclipsed the previous record of 42 that the team set at San Diego State (1/22/14). The mark also eclipsed the most treys SJSU had attempted in a game in the Event Center (38 vs. San Diego State - 2/26/14) and matched the all-time Event Center mark set by Fresno State (2/25/12).
HIGH-POWERED TEAM OFFENSE
For the fourth time in as many years, the Spartans are the highest scoring teams in the Mountain West. Through 11 games San José State has scored 711 points, more than any other school in the league. In addition, they have attempted and made more field goals as well as attempted more three-pointers than any team in the Mountain West.
MAKING THREES AND SETTING RECORDS
SJSU ranks third in the Mountain West and 21st in the nation, having hit 83 threes so far this year. With its 15 three-pointers, against Pacific (11/18), the Spartans established a new record for the program in a game in The Event Center. The previous mark was 14 threes, which was set against Georgia State (12/18/13) and equaled against Utah State (2/27/16). Fifteen treys ties The Event Center record for a women's team which the Spartans now share with Southern Utah (12/8/12) and Boise State (1/25/14).
STEPPING UP
One-third of the season is gone and three returning Spartans have more than upped their games compared to last year. Andrea Kohlhaas (So., G, Besigheim, Germany), through 11 games, has already established career-highs in every offensive category. Paris Baird (Sr., F, Van Nuys, Calif.) has nearly doubled her output per game in field goals and rebounds and Rachol West (Sr., G, Bakersfield, Calif.) has more than doubled her numbers from last year in points and rebounds.
SMITH CLOSING IN ON 1,000 CAREER POINTS
With nine points against Santa Clara, Jasmine Smith (Sr., F, Burbank, Calif.) passed 900 for her career, currently sits at 968 and has 1,000-career points clearly in her sight. If she reaches the milestone, she will be the 15th player in program history to do so and the third player in as many classes to finish her career with more than 1,000 points. In 2015, Ta'Rea Cunnigan completed her Spartans career with 2, 062 career points, which is the school record. Riana Byrd graduated in 2016 with 1,034 points.
STABLE STARTERS
Through 11 games, San José State has used exactly one starting lineup - Myzhanique Ladd (Jr., G, Seattle, Wash.), Paris Baird (Sr., F, Van Nuys, Calif.), Jasmine Smith (Sr., F, Burbank, Calif.), Rachol West (Sr., G, Bakersfield, Calif.) & Dezz Ramos (Sr., PG, West Valley, Utah). Eleven games in a row with the same starters, equals the longest streak in head coach Jamie Craighead's four seasons in San Jose. The Spartans opened 2013-14, her first season, with the same starting five -Ta'Rea Cunnigan, Rebecca Woodberry, Britta Hall, Riana Byrd and Classye James - for its first 11 games.
RAMOS ADDS TO HER TROPHY CASE
After garnering All-Mountain West, Mountain West Newcomer of the Year and Preseason Mountain West Newcomer of the Year honors in 2015-16, Dezz Ramos (Sr., PG, West Valley, Utah) is adding more hardware to her trophy case in 2016-17. She started the year being named to the Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team, added a Mountain West Player of the Week honor (averaging 34.0 points and 8.5 assists in two games) and most recently was named to the All-Tournament Team of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu, Hawai'i. In Hawai'i, she averaged 11.4 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals in three games.
MORE DEZZ
This year, Ramos has scored a single-game career-high 38 points versus Pacific (11/18) and has 735 points for her 40-game Spartan career. At her current scoring pace, 18.4 points per game at SJSU, she could become just the second player in school history to score 1,000 points in her first two seasons as Spartan and would become the 16th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
CRAIGHEAD EIGHT WINS FROM 100 FOR HER CAREER
With eight more victories, Spartans head coach Jamie Craighead will reach the 100-win career plateau. With that win she will tie Karen Smith (1993-99) with 49 victories and will rank third in the program all-time wins list. The late Janice Richard (1999-2006) ranks second with 93 wins and Sharon Chatman (1977-86), with 143 victories, is the all-time leader in wins and is the only coach in SJSU women's basketball with a winning record (143-121/.542).
ONE TOUGH PRESEASON COMING TO AN END
For the second year in a row, San José State has endured whopper of a preseason slate. This year, ten of the 12 non-conference opponents played in the postseason in 2016, including five that competed in the NCAA Tournament. The other five participated in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). Combined, the Spartans preseason opponents posted a 272-118 (.697) record last year and went 13-9 (.590) in postseason tournament action. Three won conference titles and one won the WNIT Championship.
Despite the tough road to start the year, it should bode well for SJSU. Last year, the team started 2-10, but finished the year with an 11-7 record and in fourth place in the Mountain West.