San Jose, Calif. – For the first time in the 2018-19 season, the San Jose State women's basketball team heads out on the road for a pair of weekend games starting at USF on Friday night and then on to Portland State for a Sunday matinee.
San Jose State Spartans (0-1)
at
University of San Francisco Dons (0-0)
November 9, 2018 – 7:00 p.m.
War Memorial Gym – San Francisco, Calif.
at
Portland State Vikings (0-0)
November 11, 2018 – 2:00 p.m.
Viking Pavilion – Portland, Ore.
QUICK LOOK AT THE DONS
This will be San Francisco's first regular season game of the year. On October 27, they defeated Chico State, 71-59, in an exhibition. USF posted a 16-15 record last year, 10-8 in West Coast Conference (WCC) play and did not participate in postseason play. The Dons averaged 68.7 points a game in 2017-18 and gave up 69.4, a difference of 0.6 points per game.
San Francisco lost three of its top four scorers from a year ago and a total of 40.6 points per game, nearly 60 percent of their total offense. Shannon Powell, a senior guard, returns as the team's leading scorer, averaging 12.2 ppg a season ago. Powell ranked second in assist last season at 3.0/g, and led the team with 38 steals. Moa Lundqvist returns as the team's leading rebounder (7.1 rpg).
Molly Goodenbour is in her third season leading the Dons' program and eighth as a Division I head coach. In two seasons at USF she has posted a 34-28 record.
SJSU VS. THE WCC
Overall, San José State is 67-107 (.385 winning percentage) against the current make up of the schools in the West Coast Conference (WCC). Of the ten teams in the WCC the Spartans have played, the only program it has a winning record against is San Francisco (22-21). SJSU has a 24-24 record against Santa Clara, but has a losing record against the remaining eight teams in the league.
IT'S A THREE THING
In the 2017-18 season, two Spartans set program records for making three pointers. Analyss Benally (Jr., G, Shiprock, N.M.) sank 60 threes which are the most by a sophomore in program history and are the ninth most by a Spartan in a single season. Coming into the San Francisco game, her 63 career three-pointers are 38 away from tenth place on the program's career list.
Megan Anderson (So., G, Fresno, Calif.) dropped in 46 treys in 2017-18, a freshman record for San José State women's basketball and 18th most for a single-season for the program. In addition to her freshman record, Anderson led all Mountain West freshman and was the fourth most accurate freshman three-point shooter in the nation last season at .438 (46-105). Her .438 percentage is also a single-season record for the program.
BACK TO BASICS
Leading into the 2018-19 season, head coach Jamie Craighead is emphasizing a "back to basics" approach with particular attention being placed on the team's defense. Following a disappointing 2017-18 season, the first in which her Spartans failed to reach double-digit wins, Craighead will have to replace 45 percent of the team's offense, from what last season was the second youngest team in Division I women's basketball.
"Last year we were so young and it was a building year," Craighead said. "I don't like using that term, but ultimately that's what it was. With 11 underclassmen, it is going to take time to see results. But looking back, there was so much growth during the season. Our players competed and never made excuses, which is a testament to their resiliency and character. Last season will only help us this year and moving forward."
FAST BREAKS
Analyss Benally (Jr., G, Shiprock, N.M.) led SJSU with 60 3-ptrs and ranked 4th in the MW at 2.3/g. In her career, 63 of 72 buckets are three-pointers. Established a new SJSU sophomore record for threes in a season with 60 in 2017-18.
Fieme'a Hafoka (Jr., G, Kihei, Maui) Captain...played out of position last season (trail post), but returns to her natural position (wing) in 2018-19
Mikaylah Wilson (So., F, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) in 2017-18, tied among SJSU freshman at 4.3 rebounds per game.
Danae Marquez (So., PG, Fresno, Calif.) led the team and set a single-game best with seven rebounds against SFSU (11/6). Against USF last season, scored 10 points, dished out five assist and had three steals.
Megan Anderson (So., G, Fresno, Calif.) last season led the team with a .438 three-point shooting percentage. She led all Mountain West freshman and ranked fourth in the nation among freshman three-point shooters.
Cydni Lewis (So., F, Long Beach, Calif.) led the team with 14 points in the team's game against SFSU (11/6).
Alexis Harris (Jr.., C, Palo Alto, Calif.) set career-highs with 9 rebs & 4 blocks vs. Southern Oregon (12/20/17) and finished 11th in the MW in blocks/g (0.8) in 2017-18.
Courtesy Clark (So., G, Sacramento, Calif.) equaled a career-high 8 pts against SFSU (11/6).
Andrea Kohlhaas (Sr., F, Besigheim, Germany) returned to action against SFSU (11/6) after nearly a year away rehabbing after a leg injury in the fifth game of last season.
Raziya Potter (Fr., G, Tracy, Calif.) versatile athlete who can score at all three levels and play any position on the floor.
Nefer León (Fr., G, Vitoria, Spain) a combo guard, who will see the majority of her time as a point guard this season.