Dec. 28, 2016
San Jose, Calif. -- Coming off a 90-85 win in its non-conference finale against Stanislaus State, the San Jose State women's basketball team opens its 2016-17 Mountain West Conference schedule with a victory against long-time foe Nevada on Thursday, December 29 in The Event Center.
San José State Spartans (3-9, 0-0 MW)
vs.
Nevada Wolf Pack (6-5, 0-0 MW)
Thursday, December 29, 2016 - 7:00 p.m.
San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center - 5,000)
Streaming Video and Live Stats at www.sjsuspartans.com
CONFERENCE OPENERS
Since the 1989-90 season, the Spartans are 13-14 in conference openers (Big West, WAC and Mountain West). In those 27 years, SJSU began its conference slate at home 16 times. In those games, San José State has posted an 8-8 record. Four of those home match-ups have been against Nevada. The Spartans are 3-1, having won the first three (55-49 in 1992-93, 59-54 in 1994-95 & 76-63 in 2004-05), but dropped the last meeting 64-56 in 2009-10.
JASMINE ON THE PRECIPICE OF HISTORY
With another seven points, Jasmine Smith (Sr., F, Burbank, Calif.) will become the 15th player in the history of San José State women's basketball to reach the 1,000-point plateau. In addition, she will be 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.
MORE GOOD STUFF FOR JASMINE
In addition to being on the cusp of 1,000-points scored for her career, Jasmine Smith (Sr., F, Burbank, Calif.) is on pace to join an even more exclusive club. With 665 career rebounds, Smith is just 35 from becoming just the fifth player in to wear the Gold, White and Blue to have scored 1,000 points and grabbed 700 rebounds. She would join Elinor Banks (1,672 pts./1,062 rebs.), Lamisha Augustine (1,226 pts./700 rebs.), Rhoda Chew (1,188 pts./946 rebs.)and Riana Byrd (1,034 pts./1,038 rebs.) as the only Spartans to reach the milestone.
DEZZ COULD GET TO 1,000 POINTS AS WELL
SeniorDezz Ramos (Sr., PG, West Valley, Utah) was the second-leading scorer in the Mountain West last season averaging 18.1 points per game and this season has up that to 19.1 through the first 12 games. She has scored 775 points in 41 games as a Spartans and is on pace to become just the second SJSU women's basketball player to score 1,000 points in her first two seasons. If she stays at her current scoring pace, she will reach 1,000 points in 14 more games, 55 total games. She would join SJSU Hall of Famer Lora Alexander as the only Spartan to accomplish the feat. Alexander scored 1,019 points in 56 games.
STABLE STARTERS
Through 12 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). Twelve games in a row with the same starters, is 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.
TIME TO GIVE YOURSELF A PRESENT
With its 90-85 victory over Stanislaus State on December 18, the Spartans halted a six-game slide, its longest losing streak of the year and the second longest in head coach Jamie Craighead's four years at San Jose State.
FINAL WORD ON THE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
For the second year in a row, San José State endured whopper of a non-conference slate. 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.
The Spartans schedule is 92nd hardest in the nation based on strength of schedule ratings from the NCAA. Tonight's opponent Nevada has the 289th strongest schedule in 2016-17.