Spartans Suffer 80-55 Loss At Nevada In MW Opener

Dec. 28, 2016

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Reno, Nev. --- Brandon Clarke finished with a team-leading 18 points and nine rebounds, but a cold-shooting San José State men's basketball team suffered its largest loss of the season, 80-55, to Nevada in the Mountain West opener for both teams.

While Clarke hit 8-of-15 from the floor the Spartans (7-5, 0-1 MW) collectively finished the game shooting a season-low 29.2 percent (19-65) from the field.

Nevada (12-2, 1-0 MW) led by as many as 14 in the first half, and outscored SJSU 40-26 in the second period. Four Wolf Pack players finished in double-figure scoring, led by Marcus Marshall with 25 points.

It was a physical game with players from both teams combining for five technical fouls. Jalen James received two technical fouls and was ejected at the 14:49 mark in the second half. When the dust settled from the sequence, four techs were handed out - two to Nevada players and two to James.

Nevada held a 50-34 lead at the time of the technical, and from there grew the lead to as large as 26 points during two different points in the remainder of the second half.

Nevada's initial separation came when it built an eight-point advantage during a 6:25 Spartans scoring drought midway through the opening period.

Brandon Clarke hit a spinning layup to end the drought and keep Nevada's lead to single-digits, 20-12. From there Marshall and Jordan Caroline scored 12 straight points for the Wolf Pack which helped build a 37-23 advantage by the 1:47 mark.

SJSU came out of the halftime locker room trailing 40-29 and missed its first three shots.

The Spartans were 0-for-9 in the first half from downtown, and finished the game just 2-for-21 from deep. Ryan Welage hit SJSU's first 3-point basket of the game at the 17:40 mark in the second half for his only points of the game.

Gary Williams, Jr., was in double-figure scoring with 14 points for the Spartans.

D.J. Fenner scored 14 points and Caroline and Leland King II each had 13 points for Nevada. Caroline grabbed 12 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the year.

SJSU finished with a season-low six turnovers, but was out-rebounded 50-35 by Nevada.

The Spartans return home to face Colorado State on January 4 for a 7:00 p.m. tip.

Newspaper Box Score

San Jose State vs Nevada
12/28/16 7:00 p.m. at Reno, Nev. (Lawlor Events Center)
At Reno, Nev. (Lawlor Events Center)

NEVADA 80, SAN JOSE STATE 55

SAN JOSE STATE (7-5 (0-1 MW))
Clarke, Brandon 8-16 2-3 18; WILLIAMS, JR. GARY 5-12 4-5 14; James, Jalen
2-7 3-3 7; Brown, Terrell 1-6 2-4 5; Welage, Ryan 1-7 0-0 3; CHASTAIN,
Ashtin 0-0 2-4 2; Mitchell, Brandon 1-2 0-0 2; Hillsman, Jaycee 1-6 0-0 2;
Singer, Ryan 0-0 1-2 1; Nichols, Isaiah 0-3 1-2 1; Schwartz, Cody 0-4 0-0 0;
Thornton, Isaac 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 19-65 15-23 55.

NEVADA (12-2 (1-0 MW))
MARSHALL, Marcus 6-14 9-10 25; FENNER, D.J. 5-12 3-4 14; KING II, Leland
6-10 1-3 13; CAROLINE, Jordan 4-8 5-8 13; OLIVER, Cameron 4-9 0-0 9; RAMSEY,
Devearl 0-0 4-6 4; HALL, Josh 1-2 0-0 2; CARLSON, John 0-0 0-1 0; TOOLEY,
Charlie 0-0 0-0 0; CUNNINGHAM, David 0-0 0-0 0; DREW, Lindsey 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 26-55 22-32 80.

San Jose State................ 29 26 - 55
Nevada........................ 40 40 - 80

3-point goals--San Jose State 2-21 (Brown, Terrell 1-4; Welage, Ryan 1-5;
0-2; Thornton, Isaac 0-1; WILLIAMS, JR. GARY 0-4), Nevada 6-16 (MARSHALL,
Marcus 4-6; OLIVER, Cameron 1-4; FENNER, D.J. 1-5; CAROLINE, Jordan 0-1).
Fouled out--San Jose State-None, Nevada-None. Rebounds--San Jose State 35
(Clarke, Brandon 9), Nevada 50 (KING II, Leland 12). Assists--San Jose State
6 (James, Jalen 2), Nevada 15 (DREW, Lindsey 4). Total fouls--San Jose State
26, Nevada 22. Technical fouls--San Jose State-CLARKE, Brandon; James, Jalen
2, Nevada-DREW, Lindsey; MARSHALL, Marcus. A-10098