San Jose, Calif. – Four players scored in double figures and the San José State women's basketball led by as many as 27 points before cruising to a 13-point victory, 73-60, over the Air Force Falcons in The Event Center on Saturday afternoon.
The win in conjunction with its 78-70 win at Colorado State on Wednesday night gives the Spartans back-to-back victories for the first time this season. The win also gives the Spartans breathing room of two games between themselves and Colorado State, which is now alone in last place in the league standing. San José State is in 10th place in the Mountain West one game behind Air Force and two behind San Diego State which they play on March 2 in The Event Center.
On 7-of-8 shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 from the line, Mikaylah Wilson led the Spartans with 16 points, which equals her career-high, and grabbed nine rebounds. Since the start of conference play, Wilson is averaging 8.4 point while shooting 51 percent from the floor and grabbing 6.1 rebounds.
Raziya Potter and Danae Marquez each scored 12 points. Potter grabbed four rebounds and had three steals. Marquez continued her stellar play from Wednesday's 78-70 victory at Colorado State. In addition to her dozen points, she two rebounds, five steals, eight assists and only one turnover.
Analyss Benally added 11 points, one rebound, one assist, a steal and a blocked shot. Fieme'a Hafoka scored seven points, grabbed five boards, dished out five assists and had one steal. Courtesy Clark scored only one point, but grabbed five critical rebounds, equaling a season-best, dished out two assists and had two steals.
In the first seven minutes of the game the teams traded buckets and the lead changed hands seven times. A Marquez three-point play at the 1:21 mark give San Jose State (4-21, 3-11 MW) a 17-14 lead and with 35 seconds left in the period, Hafoka nailed a three-pointer which pushed the SJSU advantage to 20-14 by the end of the period.
The second period proved to be the difference in the game. From 1:36 left in the first, with the score tied 14-14, to 5:45 in the second, San José State outscored the Falcons 13-0.
Air Force (8-18, 4-11 MW) took just eight shots and made only one, a three-pointer in the second. They scored a total of five points in 10 minutes while turning the ball over 12 times, which the Spartans turned into 14 of the 20 points they would get in the period. As the teams went to the locker room, SJSU was up 40-19.
In the third, the Spartans continued to pour it on. They established the biggest lead of the game, 27-points at 54-27, with 4:08 to play in the quarter. But with a 12-5 Falcons' run to close the period, it was a 59-39 game heading into the final 10 minutes.
With the game in hand, the Spartans took their foot off the pedal a bit in the fourth. They committed six turnovers, gave up seven second-change points and six points on fast breaks.
Air Force's last gasp came with 6:46 to play. Down by 20 points, they scored nine-straight to make it an 11-point game, 66-55 with 3:59 left. But from that point on the teams exchanged buckets and the Spartans came away with the 13-point win.
Air Force got all its scoring from its five starters. Four were in double figures with Kaelin Immel leading the way with 16 points. Haley Jones added 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
San José State head out on the road for its next game. The Spartans will play New Mexico, in Albuquerque on Wednesday night. Tip off in The Pit is set for 7:00 p.m. (MT).