San Jose, Calif.----- San Jose State University forward Michael Steadman scored the last three points of the game in the final 43.1 seconds giving the Spartans a 67-65 win over Bethune Cookman in a non-conference men's basketball game.
The San Jose State win (2-6) snapped a six-game losing streak. Bethune Cookman (4-6) dropped its second game in a three-game California road swing.
Steadman gave the Spartans a 66-65 lead on a lay-in off of a feed inside from guard Noah Baumann and then converted the second of two free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining. The San Jose State newcomer missed much of the second half after he picked up his fourth foul with 14:12 to go. The junior from Union City, Calif., did not reenter the game until the 5:00 mark. He still finished with his third double-double of the season with team highs of 15 points and 13 rebounds.
San Jose State had three players in double-figure scoring on a night when the Spartans converted just 36.5 percent of their field goal tries. Center Oumar Barry scored a career-high 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Baumann added 12 on three three-point baskets.
Bethune Cookman also failed to shoot 40 percent from the field finishing with a 39.0 percent mark. Mark Gordon of the Wildcats was the game's leading scorer with 16 points. Leon Redd scored 13 and guard Malik Maitland added 10.
Wali Parks, who had tied the game at 61-61 with a right corner three-pointer with 3:26 to go, had a chance to win the game for the Wildcats but missed a three-point basket try from the top of the key at the buzzer.
The Spartans trailed, 35-32, heading into the second half. In all, there were 18 lead changes and three ties after intermission. Neither team had more than four-point lead.
San Jose State helped itself just enough at the free throw line converting 16-of-25 tries. Bethune Cookman, a 61.3 percent team from the free throw line, converted just 8-of-17 tries. The Wildcats were just 1-of-4 and missed their last three free throw attempts in the second half.
