Jan. 17, 2018
San Jose, Calif.----- Forward Brandon Mitchell came off the bench to score a career-high 18 points for San Jose State University, but he was the Spartans' only double-figure scorer in a 71-54 loss to Mountain West leader University of Nevada in a men's basketball game.
Bidding to end a six-game losing streak, San Jose State (3-15, 0-7 Mountain West) played one of its best first halves of the season defensively and held a 26-24 halftime advantage. Nevada (17-3, 6-0) made only 8-of-30 field goal tries (26.7 percent) in the first 20 minutes, its poorest first-half percentage of the season.
The Wolf Pack found the range in the second half shooting 59.1 percent. Forward Caleb Martin, Nevada's leading scorer, finished with 24 points and was 5-of-6 from the field himself after intermission. Guard Kendall Stephens added 19, 14 in the final 20 minutes.
Even with 10 minutes to go in the game, San Jose State only trailed 42-38 after a Jalen James top of the key 3-point basket. After that, Mitchell was the only Spartan to make a basket, four of them. San Jose State scored baskets on successive possessions just twice in the second half. The Spartans managed to shoot 32.3 percent in the last 20 minutes for a 36.3 game percentage.
The lead changed seven times in the first and three times in the second half before Nevada took the lead for good, 36-35, with two Martin free throws at the 12:55 mark. The Wolf Pack did not get their first double-digit lead of the game, 58-48, until 3:57 remaining on a Martin lay in.
Nevada had the Spartans in team foul trouble early in the second half, but relied on other parts of its game for its seventh consecutive win. Still, the Wolf Pack made 20 of 25 free throws compared to the Spartans' 5-of-6.
Other than Mitchell, no other San Jose State player scored in double figures. Leading scorer Ryan Welage came into the game averaging 17.7 points a game and managed just nine points on 4-of-12 from the field.
The Spartans return to action, Wednesday, January 24, at Boise State in an 8:00 p.m. game (MT).
Newspaper Box Score
Nevada vs San José State
01/17/18 7:30 PM at San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)
At San Jose, Calif. (The Event Center)
NEVADA 71, SAN JOSé STATE 54
NEVADA (17-3, 6-0 MW)
MARTIN, Caleb 7-13 8-9 24; STEPHENS, Kendall 6-13 2-2 19; HALL, Josh 3-9 3-4
10; DREW, Lindsey 2-4 4-4 8; CAROLINE, Jordan 2-6 2-4 6; COOKE, Hallice 1-7
0-0 3; FOSTER, Elijah 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 21-52 20-25 71.
SAN JOSé STATE (3-15, 0-7 MW)
Mitchell, Brandon 8-13 0-0 18; Welage, Ryan 4-12 0-0 9; James, Jalen 3-10
0-0 7; Baumann, Noah 2-3 0-0 6; Barry, Oumar 1-2 2-2 5; FISHER, Keith 1-7
2-2 4; Hillsman, Jaycee 2-4 0-0 4; Nichols, Isaiah 0-0 1-2 1; CHASTAIN,
Ashtin 0-2 0-0 0; Simmons, Caleb 0-2 0-0 0; Carlisle, Nai 0-2 0-0 0. Totals
21-57 5-6 54.
Nevada........................ 24 47 - 71
San José State................ 26 28 - 54
3-point goals--Nevada 9-27 (STEPHENS, Kendall 5-11; MARTIN, Caleb 2-6;
COOKE, Hallice 1-5; HALL, Josh 1-3; CAROLINE, Jordan 0-1; DREW, Lindsey
0-1), San José State 7-21 (Mitchell, Brandon 2-4; Baumann, Noah 2-2; BARRY,
Oumar 1-1; Welage, Ryan 1-5; James, Jalen 1-3; Chastain, Ashtin 0-1;
Simmons, Caleb 0-1; Carlisle, Nai 0-2; Hillsman, Jaycee 0-2). Fouled
out--Nevada-None, San José State-None. Rebounds--Nevada 34 (HALL, Josh 7),
San José State 31 (Mitchell, Brandon 7). Assists--Nevada 13 (MARTIN, Caleb
4), San José State 13 (James, Jalen 2; Carlisle, Nai 2; Barry, Oumar 2).
Total fouls--Nevada 12, San José State 22. Technical fouls--Nevada-None, San
José State-None. A-1738