San José, Calif. - It was a great day to break some records as San José State stepped back into non-conference play and earned its third consecutive victory in blowout fashion.
Seven Spartans finished the afternoon scoring in double figures as the team cruised to a 128-62 victory over visiting La Verne. The 128-point outburst set a school-record for points by SJSU in a single game.
"That was a good win," said head coach Jamie Craighead after the victory. "Obviously it was a great shooting day for us. It was awesome seeing some of the kids who don't always get a lot of time get in there and give us a glimpse of the future."
A trio of Spartans (8-3, 2-0 MW) tallied double-doubles in the winning effort, paced by a 19-point, 13-rebound performance for forward Tyra Whitehead. Point guard Danae Marquez added 15 points and 12 assists off the bench while sophomore Raziya Potter totaled 13 points and 10 assists herself.
A pair of freshmen also shined in the win as Kalina Obrey and Miyah Lewis-Hampton scored their first-career points in impressive showings. Obrey finished with nine points on three-of-three shooting from three-point range while Lewis-Hampton added five points and five rebounds without missing a shot from the field.
This one was all San José State from the outset as the team came out of the gates looking ready to play after having a week off between games. Leading 13-12 midway through the opening quarter, the team used a 14-0 run to open up a 15-point advantage at the end of the first.
"JC always does a good job of reminding us to always stay focused and active," Obrey said. "We try to play all out and with a lot of heart whenever we step on the court."
That heart was shown throughout as the team's lead was extended more in the next 10 minutes and even further in the third quarter as the home team took a 60-34 lead into the half and a 95-52 advantage into the fourth. Perhaps most impressive was its ability to shoot better in each quarter throughout the game, ultimately firing at a 65 percent clip in the afternoon's final 10 minutes.
It was a Marquez jumper with 2:49 remaining that eclipsed the program's previous high of 119 points, set back on Nov. 16, 2014 against Columbia. One final bucket from Marquez with 30 seconds left, this one from three-point range, brought the total to 128, sealing the deal on the team's 128-62 victory.
Great day to have a great day.
— San José State Women's Basketball (@SanJoseStateWBB) December 15, 2019
Take a ?? pic.twitter.com/RHFXQJryeT
The 66-point win breaks a record for margin of victory that has stood since 1979 at San José State. The previous mark of 65 (96-31 vs. Cal Poly) was set on Jan. 6, 1979 and was not touched until Saturday afternoon.
Another record from 1979 was matched on Saturday as the team tied a program-record for made field goals with 44. The effort matches the previous high of 44, coming on Jan. 4, 1979 against Arizona.
In addition to the double-double trio of Whitehead, Marquez and Potter, four other Spartans finished scoring in double figures. Senior Fieme'a Hafoka dropped 17 points and finished the day with a +/- of 51, while Megan Anderson, Courtesy Clark and Cydni Lewis all added 14 points themselves.
SJSU's 128 points is the second-highest scored by a Division I team this season, trailing only Coastal Carolina (132 vs. Wesleyan). The win keeps the team perfect at the Provident Credit Union Event Center this season, improving its record to 6-0 in front of the home crowd.
San José State now sets its sights on the Maui Jim Maui Classic, where it will look to continue its winning ways starting on Wednesday against BYU. Tip-off for that one is set for 5:30 p.m. (HT) in Lahaina.