First Half Dooms Spartans Again

Jan. 25, 2017

Final Stats

San Jose, Calif. - In what has become a trend in the last three games, the San Jose State women's basketball team falls behind by double digits in the first half, battles back in the second half, but can't climb out of the whole they dug for themselves and lose a Mountain West Conference game. On Wednesday night the trailed by as many as 32 points in the second quarter before falling 68-56 to Colorado State.

SJSU (6-14, 3-5) fell behind the Colorado State Rams by 13 points, 24-11 after 10 minutes. With the score 2-2, CSU went on a 12-0 run fueled by six points from Ellen Nystrom and three-pointers from Elin Gustavvson and Hannah Tvrdy.

A Paris Baird layup halted the Rams run and after a Dezz Ramos three and a pair of Taylor Turney free throws the Spartans had the deficit down to six, 14-8. But Colorado State (15-5, 7-1 MW), which shots 71 percent for in the quarter, closed the period on a 10-3 spurt and opened a double digit lead which I would never relinquish.

The second period was the worst for the Spartans since the NCAA instituted four 10 minutes quarters for the women's game last season. SJSU missed its first 13 shots and didn't score until Rachol West drained a three with 1:42 to go before the half. In the same time period, CSU rattled off 19 straight points, shot 50 percent for the quarter, and led 43-16 at intermission. In its last three games, SJSU has been outscored 141-76 in the first half.

The Spartans, settling for jumpers and not attacking the Rams zone, made just 2-of-16 attempts (12.5 percent) in the second quarter and scored just five points, both program lows in the four-quarter era.

CSU's Stine Austgulen, who finished with 17 points, hit a three to open the third period, but after that the Spartans offense finally got on track. SJSU out shot Colorado State 46 percent (6-of-13) to 20 percent (3-of-15) and was able to cut the lead which had been as many as 30 points to 21 by the start of the fourth quarter.

San Jose State continued to cut into the CSU lead in the fourth period and by the time the final buzzer sounded the score was a more respectable 68-56.

Dezz Ramos led the Spartans with 17 points and three assists. Paris Baird, who pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds when these two teams met in Fort Collins a few weeks ago, ripped down 14 in The Event Center. Taylor Turney and Myzhanique Ladd had seven points each and Rachol West and Hallie Gennett added six apiece.

Gustavvson's 26 point and 10 boards paced Colorado State. Nystrom added 17 points and 15 rebounds.

CSU dominated in the paint out scoring the Spartans 26-to-14 and for the game outshot San Jose State 44 to 28 percent.

The Spartans committed a season-low five turnovers, forced 11 by Colorado State and used them to outscore CSU 18-to-5 in points off turnover.

The Spartans return to action on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Spartans and UNLV Rebels tip off at 4:00 p.m. in Cox Pavilion.

Colorado State vs San Jose State

01/25/17 7:00 p.m. at San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)

At San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)

COLORADO STATE 68, SAN JOSE STATE 56

COLORADO STATE (15-5, 7-1 MW)

GUSTAVSSON,Elin 10-15 5-5 26; AUSTGULEN,Stine 5-7 2-2 17; NYSTROM,Ellen 7-21

2-2 17; TVRDY,Hannah 1-5 0-0 3; KAISER,Callie 1-6 0-0 3; TRYGGEDSSON,Sofie

1-1 0-0 2; KANTZY,Amanda 0-0 0-0 0; HAMM,Myanne 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-57 9-9

68.

SAN JOSE STATE (6-14, 3-5 MW)

Ramos, Dezz 7-17 0-0 17; Ladd, Myzhanique 2-9 3-3 7; Turney, Taylor 2-5 3-4

7; Gennett, Hallie 2-5 0-0 6; West, Rachol 2-12 0-0 6; Smith, Jasmine 1-4

2-2 4; Baird, Paris 1-10 2-3 4; HAFOKA, Fieme'a 1-4 0-0 3; Harris, Alexis

1-2 0-0 2; Benally, Analyss 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-69 10-12 56.

Colorado State................ 24 19 13 12 - 68

San Jose State................ 11 5 19 21 - 56

3-point goals--Colorado State 9-18 (AUSTGULEN,Stine 5-7; KAISER,Callie 1-2;

TVRDY,Hannah 1-2; GUSTAVSSON,Elin 1-2; NYSTROM,Ellen 1-4; HAMM,Myanne 0-1),

San Jose State 8-36 (Ramos, Dezz 3-8; West, Rachol 2-11; Gennett, Hallie

2-4; HAFOKA, Fieme'a 1-1; Baird, Paris 0-4; Benally, Analyss 0-1; TURNEY,

Taylor 0-3; Ladd, Myzhanique 0-4). Fouled out--Colorado State-None, San Jose

State-None. Rebounds--Colorado State 44 (NYSTROM,Ellen 15), San Jose State

38 (Baird, Paris 14). Assists--Colorado State 16 (NYSTROM,Ellen 9), San Jose

State 10 (Ramos, Dezz 3). Total fouls--Colorado State 7, San Jose State 10.

Technical fouls--Colorado State-None, San Jose State-None. A-953