Dec. 9, 2016
SPARTANS HOST LIFE PACIFIC COLLEGE SATURDAYThe win streak may be over but San José State can take four out of five with a win on Saturday against Life Pacific College. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. (PT) inside The Event Center. Last year, SJSU set a school and Mountain West record with 128 points in the 52-point win over the Warriors. Tickets for Saturday are just $5 if you head to the Spartan Ticket Office online and use the promo code WELOVESANJOSE. Live video streaming is available via the Mountain West Network and can be heard live on KLIV 1590 AM.Game #9San José State (4-4) vs. Life Pacific College (5-5)Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, 2:00 p.m. (PT)The Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.
Buy $5 Tickets: Ticket Headquarters (use promo code: WELOVESANJOSE)
Video Streaming: Mountain West Network
Listen: KLIV 1590 AM, KSJS 90.5 FMTICKETS FOR SATURDAY ARE JUST $5!All tickets for Saturday's 2:00 p.m. (PT) tipoff are just five bucks! Log onto the ticket headquarters and use the promo code WELOVESANJOSE to get your tickets now!WIN STREAK ENDS AT MONTANAThe Spartans' three-game win streak came to an end Tuesday night with an 81-62 loss on the road at Montana. The Spartans began the game 1-of-9 shooting and had nine first-half turnovers. While an 11-0 run helped cut the Grizzlies' 19-point lead down to six points, the deficit was too much to overcome. SJSU finished the game with a season-high 19 turnovers, on which the Grizzlies scored 30 points. Free throw shooting was another area that hurt SJSU, which made 9-of-20, while Montana sank 20-of-23 from the line.GARY WILLIAMS PROVIDES SPARKTrailing by 19 in the second half at Montana, Gary Williams, Jr., provided the first real rhythm of the game for San José State with a jumper and a 3-ball on consecutive possessions inside of 15:00 to play. His spark helped ignite an 11-0 run during which he hit another layup to help trim the deficit to six points with 9:01 remaining. While there have been some games in 2016-17 where Williams hasn't even seen the floor, he's proven that he can provide a spark when SJSU needs it most. Williams has started the last four games of which SJSU has won three.SCHEDULE RESETWhen the three-game win streak came to an end Tuesday night, the natural reaction was to ask, what's next?. The Spartans have a chance to win four out of five when they host Life Pacific College on Saturday to begin a three-game homestand. SJSU hosts Bowling Green (12/18) and Southern Utah (12/21) before conference play begins. A win Saturday would give the Spartans a 5-4 overall record and even just a split in the final two nonconference games would have San José State heading into Mountain West play with a winning record.MOVING UP THE CAREER RANKSBrandon Clarke and Isaac Thornton are climbing their way up the San José State career lists as games go on in 2016-17. Clarke is currently tied with Mike Brotherton in eighth all-time on the career-blocks list with 55. He is three swats away from jumping up into sixth all-time where Lance Holloway (2004, 06-08) and Kevin Logan (1990-93) currently sit. Thornton has 123 career steals and is three shy of taking sole possession of second all-time on the career steals list. Justin Graham (2007-11) is the program's career leader by far with 209 steals.WHAT IS LIFE PACIFIC COLLEGE?Life Pacific College is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association's (NCCAA) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC). The Spartans faced West Coast Baptist, also of the PCAC, earlier this season. Life Pacific College, located in San Dimas, Calif., comes in with a 5-5 overall record. The Warriors have Division I losses to Santa Clara (83-65), Pepperdine (85-79) and Southern Utah (101-56). San José State defeated Life Pacific College last season 128-66.
LAST MEETING WITH LIFE PACIFIC COLLEGE
Single-game San José State and Mountain West records fell last season when the Spartans beat Life Pacific College 128-66 on Dec. 22, 2015. Seven San José State players finished in double-figure scoring - another school record - led by Brandon Clarke's 18 points. San José State played Life Pacific College's Pacific Coast Athletic Conference foe West Coast Baptist in the season-opener and beat them 109-70. The last time San José State scored 100 points or more twice in the same season was in 1971-72 with a 107-70 win over Cal State Hayward and a 102-62 win over Nevada.
COMMON THREADS DURING THE LAST WIN STREAK
Number one was defense - SJSU held opponents during the streak to 33.3 percent shooting (54-162) and 25.4 percent from 3-point range. Ryan Welage (6-9, So., F, Greensburg, Ind.) led the team in scoring all three games, averaging 15.7 points. Welage and Brandon Clarke (6-8, So., F, Phoenix, Ariz.) grabbed a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per game, helping the Spartans outrebound all three opponents. The Spartans took good care of the basketball, averaging 10.6 turnovers per game. The team was averaging 14.0 turnovers per game before the win streak began, and then committed a season-high 19 turnovers in the loss to Montana which snapped the streak.
HISTORIC PERFORMANCES ON DEFENSE
In consecutive wins over Idaho and Santa Clara, San José State held both opponents under 50 points - the first time since the 1999-2000 season that the Spartans won back-to-back games while holding the opponents under 50 points. Before that, it hadn't been done since December of 1981. The Santa Clara game was the first time SJSU held a Division I opponent to 40 points or less since Feb. 18, 1961, in a 40-39 loss to San Francisco.
TURNOVER MARGIN SECOND IN THE CONFERENCE
San José State owns the Mountain West's best turnover margin at +2.2. The Spartans dropped from the top spot after a season-high 19 turnovers at Montana. The Spartans are forcing a league-leading 15.4 turnovers per game on their opponents and the team's 7.5 steals per game is second among the 11-team conference.
MORE MOUNTAIN WEST RANKINGS
San José State is second in the the league with an average of 11.5 offensive rebounds per game. Overall, the Spartans are sixth in the MW with a +2.4 rebounding margin. Other per-game team rankings among the conference's top-five include: Steals (7.3 - 2nd), and blocked shots (3.8 - 5th).
FIVE SINGLE-GAME HIGHS
San José State owns five individual single-game highs so far this year in the Mountain West:
- 12 field goals made by Brandon Clarke vs. Portland, 11/15
- 26 field goals attempted by Brandon Clarke vs. Portland, 11/15
- 6 3-point field goals made by E.J. Boyce vs. West Coast Baptist, 11/12
- 10 assists by Isaiah Nichols vs. Portland, 11/15
- 6 blocks by Brandon Clarke at Idaho, 11/29
HILLSMAN'S NEW APPROACH PAYING DIVIDENDS
Over the last five contests Jaycee Hillsman (6-6, So., G, Champaign, Ill.) is averaging 10.0 points per game while shooting a team-best 77.8 percent (14-18) from the floor. He has also hit 20-of-22 from the free throw line during that stretch. His production using higher-percentage shots around the basket and drawing fouls have been the biggest additions to his game from a year ago as a freshman. He is currently second among all Mountain West players with a 90.6 (29-32) free throw percentage. Last year he took more outside shots and finished shooting 31.0 percent and averaging 4.5 points per game. So far in 2016-17, he's shooting 57.1 percent (20-35) and is third on the team at 8.9 points per game.
MITCHELL BECOMES MORE THAN A SPARK
Brandon Mitchell (6-6, Jr., F, Memphis, Tenn.) was an excellent spark off the bench in the win at Washington State with six rebounds, a put-back basket and a pair of blocks. Since then the Spartans have come to depend on him for timely plays - Like his 3-pointer that trimmed Santa Clara's first-half lead to six points and swung the momentum SJSU's way for the ensuing 18-0 run - and an offensive rebound plus the put-back which gave SJSU the lead for good with 10:20 left in the first half at Idaho.
CLARKE SAYS NO NO NO TO IDAHO
Brandon Clarke blocked four shots in the final 5:35 of the win at Idaho. All four times a Vandals player challenged him with a layup or dunk at the rim, they were denied. Clarke finished the game with a SJSU single-game record-tying six swats. He also hit a floater in the lane within the last couple of minutes that helped SJSU keep the edge for a 58-49 victory.
SPARTANS TAKE DOWN WASHINGTON STATE
San José State beat Washington State 88-76 on Sunday afternoon for the first win against the Cougars since 1990 and the first win against a Pac-12 team since 2010. Ryan Welage and Brandon Clarke both finished with a double-double, and that was only the surface of a very balanced offensive performance for the Spartans who had five players in double-figure scoring. There were six lead changes in the game and they were all within the first 10 minutes of the opening period. From there, it was all San José State.
CLIPS FROM THE FIRST ROAD TRIP
San José State's first road trip of the year included wins against Washington State (88-76) and Idaho (58-49). Back-to-back victories away from home hadn't happened since December of 2012 when the Spartans beat Texas State (12/29) and UT Arlington (12/31). SJSU dropped the first contest of the three-game trip to Saint Mary's, currently ranked 12th in the country, 81-64. Despite the loss SJSU hung tight with the Gaels through 30 minutes of the game, which had 11 lead changes and was tied six times. San José State found some mojo against one of the country's best teams and used it to begin a three-game winning streak.
KEYS TO SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
Four things that really stood out about the Spartans on their one and only road trip this season were: second-chance points, bench production, getting to the free throw line and taking care of the basketball. San José State averaged 14.3 second-chance points per game on the trip, while the opponents averaged 7.0. The Spartan bench outscored the opponents 71-44, including a 32-10 advantage in the win over Washington State. Behind Jaycee Hillsman's 22 attempts, SJSU averaged 19.3 free throw tries per game - making 77.6 percent (45-58). Finally, San José State had a season-low eight turnovers at Washington State and finished the trip averaging just 9.0 turnovers per game.
OUSTANDING TRIP FOR WELAGE
A tough shooting night at Idaho (6-19) was the only blemish on an outstanding road trip for Ryan Welage who led the team in scoring during all three games. He extended his season-high in points with 17 at Saint Mary's and then extended it again with 20 at Washington State. He pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds for a double-double in the win over the Cougars. Welage averaged 17.3 points and 8.0 rebounds on the trip, but his best stat was just one turnover in 94 minutes played.