SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State men's basketball junior guard Richard Washington had already been clutch all night long, but with a one-point deficit in the waning moments, he knocked down the biggest shot of the night as his seventh 3-pointer of the night gave the Spartans an 87-85 lead with three seconds remaining.
A Newport News, Virginia, product, Washington finished the night with 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting from 3-point range. His seven treys were part a 12-for-33 night behind the arc for the Spartans a whole. Brae Ivey knocked down a pair while Omari Moore, Zach Chappell and Kaison Hammonds hammered home the others.
The win over the Lobos (13-3, 2-1) is the third in program history for the Spartans. The also defeated New Mexico last season at home in an 89-82 victory.
"Hats off to New Mexico. I think Coach Weir is an outstanding coach," SJSU head coach Jean Prioleau said. "I'm really proud of our guys. We beat a really good team. We beat a team that didn't have two of their guys, and they have a guy that might be the best player in our league, a guy that can score in Jaquan Lyle. I thought we did a great job in the first half, but didn't do a great job in the second half. We did something that a lot of people didn't think we could do."
SJSU (5-10, 1-2) had to hold on for dear life in the final moments after mounting an 18 point second half lead. After chipping into the lead over the final 12 minutes, Lobo Vance Jackson knocked down a triple with 1:47 left to spark an 11-0 run that ended with a conventional 3-point play that gave New Mexico an 85-84 lead with just :16 seconds on the clock.
On the ensuing possession, the Spartans drove into the paint and found Washington alone just outside the arc for an open look. The bucket was buried and the Spartans regained the lead for good. Ivey converted 1-of-2 free throws in the final seconds, giving the Lobos one last chance. They were able to put up an ill-fated shot from the logo as the buzzer sounded, but it rimmed out, sending them home with their first conference loss of the season.
"I give a lot of credit to Coach Prioleau, he's been holding me accountable and making sure that I put the work in and never let me get down on myself," Washington said. "He told me, 'it's coming, it's coming and stay ready', and that was tonight."
The Spartans finished the night with a 48 percent shooting clip (32-67) and was 36 percent from 3-point range. In addition to Washington, three other Spartans reached double figures with Ivey finishing with 13 and Seneca Knight and Ralph Agee scoring 10 apiece. Knight, who has scored in double figures in eight-straight contests, also pulled down eight boards to lead the squad.
The first half was a tale of runs with Omari Moore scoring the first seven Spartan points on a 3-for-3 start from the field, including a corner trey for the first bucket of the night. New Mexico then rattled off a 17-2 run to take a 23-9 advantage before Washington ended the spree with a triple with 12:30 on the clock.
It was then the Spartans' turn to go for a run, and they used a 14-2 one that erased the big deficit. Washington knocked down two more triples in the spree to help the Spartans tie the game at 26-26. Zach Chappell then gave SJSU the lead outright after a scoop and score.
SJSU then took a nine point lead thanks to another 10-0 run. Washington once again was the catalyst with two more 3-pointers. The junior finished the half with five treys on 5-of-9 shooting for 15 points.
While New Mexico shot slightly better overall in the first half (48 percent to 46 percent), the Spartans knocked down the deep ball with a 39 percent clip behind the arc on 7-of-19 shooting. SJSU also dominated in turnovers with 10 forced and just two against.
The Spartans came out hot out the gate in the second half with a 9-0 run to take a 59-42 advantage with just over 14 minutes to play. SJSU forced four turnovers in the spree. The lead was increased to as much as 18 at 62-44 with 12:46 on the clock before the Lobos began to play chip away thanks to errant passes and turnovers.
Vance Jackson and JaQuan Lyle each scored 25 points to lead New Mexico. The Lobos shot 49.2 percent (30-of-61) for the night and committed 18 turnovers that led to 29 Spartan points.
With their second-straight win, the Spartans now turn their sights to Fresno where they will try to keep the momentum rolling against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.