Dec. 21, 2016
San Jose, Calif.----- Guard Jalen James scored a career-high 23 points and forward Ryan Welage added a season-high 22 as San José State University defeated Southern Utah, 92-82, in a non-conference men's basketball game.
The Spartans (7-4) led the entire game winning their third in a row and sixth in their last seven to close out their most successful pre-conference win-loss record since the 2010-11 season when San José State was 8-3.
Four Spartans finished in double-figure scoring. Guard Gary Williams, Jr., came off the bench with a season-high 17 points and reigning Mountain West "Player of the Week" Brandon Clarke scored 15 and matched a career high with six blocked shots.
San José State led by as many as 13 points, 29-16 with 7:42 left in the first half. The Spartans built their lead on the strength of its best first-half three-point shooting of the season making 7-of-12. Welage made all four of his three-pointers and finished with a career-best 5-of-6 from long distance.
Southern Utah (2-11) lost its seventh in a row and remained winless against Division I opponents in 2016-17. The Thunderbirds trailed 44-34 at halftime, but battled to 70-68 after two free throws by Jacob Calloway with 6:52 remaining. Southern Utah's John Marshall had a chance to give his team its first lead of the game, but missed a 3-point field goal with 6:03 to go. Williams, Jr., converted two free throws, a Welage basket and a 3-point field goal by James gave the Spartans a 77-68 advantage with 4:45 left.
San José State closed out the game making 10-of-16 from the free throw line in the final 1:13. The Spartans made a season-high 26 free throws in 37 attempts in the win.
Randy Onwuasor of Southern Utah led all players in scoring with 28 points, 14 in each half. Guard James McGee added 18 and Will Joyce came off the bench to score 11.
San José State opens conference play on Wednesday, December 28, at Nevada in a 7:00 p.m. (PT) contest.
Newspaper Box Score
Southern Utah vs San José State
12/21/16 7:00 PM at San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)
At San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)
SAN JOSE STATE 92, SOUTHERN UTAH 82
SOUTHERN UTAH (2-11)
ONWUASOR, Randy 11-23 5-6 28; MCGEE, James 5-10 6-9 18; JOYCE, Will 5-7 1-2
11; CALLOWAY, Jacob 3-9 2-3 9; HOLKER, Brayden 3-4 0-0 6; MARSHALL, John 1-7
4-6 6; MADUNIC, Ivan 1-2 0-0 2; DAY, Decardo 0-1 2-3 2; MUSOKO, Christian
0-0 0-0 0; JOHNSON, Matthew 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-63 20-29 82.
SAN JOSE STATE (7-4)
James, Jalen 6-10 8-10 23; Welage, Ryan 8-13 1-2 22; WILLIAMS, JR. GARY 4-10
9-10 17; Clarke, Brandon 6-12 3-4 15; Nichols, Isaiah 1-3 3-5 5; THORNTON,
Isaac 1-3 1-2 4; Schwartz, Cody 1-2 0-0 3; Brown, Terrell 1-3 0-0 2;
Hillsman, Jaycee 0-2 1-4 1; Mitchell, Brandon 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 26-37
92.
Southern Utah................. 34 48 - 82
San Jose State................ 44 48 - 92
3-point goals--Southern Utah 4-19 (MCGEE, James 2-6; CALLOWAY, Jacob 1-5;
ONWUASOR, Randy 1-5; MARSHALL, John 0-2; MADUNIC, Ivan 0-1), San Jose State
10-20 (Welage, Ryan 5-6; James, Jalen 3-4; Schwartz, Cody 1-2; THORNTON,
Isaac 1-1; Brown, Terrell 0-1; Hillsman, Jaycee 0-1; Mitchell, Brandon 0-1;
Nichols, Isaiah 0-2; WILLIAMS, JR. GARY 0-2). Fouled out--Southern
Utah-CALLOWAY, Jacob, San Jose State-None. Rebounds--Southern Utah 37
(HOLKER, Brayden 7; MCGEE, James 7), San Jose State 36 (Welage, Ryan 9).
Assists--Southern Utah 11 (MCGEE, James 4), San Jose State 20 (NICHOLS,
Isaiah 6). Total fouls--Southern Utah 28, San Jose State 19. Technical
fouls--Southern Utah-None, San Jose State-None. A-1289