SAN JOSE, Calif. - Head coach Jean Prioleau and the San José State men's basketball team will participate in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Suits and Sneakers event on Saturday with a 2 PM tip against Air Force at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
COACHES VS CANCER
Against Air Force, the Spartans will participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer #SuitsAndSneakers campaign, in conjunction with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society. SJSU coaches will wear #SuitsAndSneakers on the bench on Saturday. Around the nation, participating teams will be supporting childhood cancer research, services, and awareness, as well as promoting cancer prevention efforts targeting children.
"On Saturday I'll be thinking about my mother Barbara, a breast cancer survivor," said Prioleau. "We all know people who have won the fight and people who have lost. We honor them and their families as we continue the fight against cancer."
SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS (6-14, 2-6 MW)
PPG: 69.3 | FG%: 39.7 | 3FG%: 30.2 | FT%: 68.7
Notes: The Spartans suffered one of their worst losses of the year on Tuesday, 86-59, at New Mexico. The Spartans shot just 27.0 percent from the floor while the Lobos shot 56.6 percent. SJSU has bounced back from a tough road loss at the Event Center before, winning two of its last three of its last four home games. Forward Seneca Knight is averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.6 boards per game. After having 15-or-more turnovers in nine of its first 12 games, the Spartans have been under 15 in eight straight.
AIR FORCE FALCONS (9-11, 3-5 MW)
PPG: 75.2 | FG%:46.7 | 3FG%: 38.3 | FT%: 76.1
Series: SJSU trails, 6-10 all-time (3-4 at home)
Last: SJSU lost, 87-56, in the MW Tourney last year
Notes: Air Force is coming off a pair of losses to Colorado State (78-65) and Utah State (72-47). After defeating Wyoming (86-77) to open conference play, the Falcons have lost three straight Mountain West road games. Forward Lavelle Scottie is ranked in the top-15 of the MW in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) and ranks third in the conference, shooting 45.7 percent on field goals. Air Force is second in the MW in free throw percentage.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV - None
Stream - MW Digital Network at sjsuspartans.com/watch
Radio - Justin Allegri on the call through TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app. Search TuneIn for "San Jose St. Basketball".
RED HOT KNIGHT
- Seneca Knight has been on a tear as of late, setting new career-highs in scoring in two of the last four games.
- First, Knight scored a then-career-high 28 points in a SJSU win over Nevada on Jan. 8. He was 8-of-17 shooting and 8-of-12 at the free throw line.
- Then, just two games later on Jan. 15 at UNLV, Knight set a new career-best with 30 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He was 12-of-15 at the free throw line against the Rebels.
- It was the Spartans' first 30-point game since Ryan Welage had 37 points against Wyoming on Jan. 27, 2018.
KNIGHT'S BIG NIGHT BEATS NEVADA
- Sophomore guard Seneca Knight scored a then-career-high 28 points as the Spartans defeated Nevada, 70-68, on Jan. 8.
- Knight drew a game-high eight fouls and went 8-of-12 at the free throw line. He was 8-of-17 shooting with four threes.
- The Spartans outscored the Wolf Pack, 24-12, at the free throw line which helped them overcome a poor shooting game. SJSU was just 8-of-33 from three-point range.
- The Spartans won their second league game of the season after going 2-34 in MW play over the previous two seasons.
- The win was SJSU's third straight at home, its longest home winning streak in three years.
SPARTANS ROAR BACK TO BEAT NEW MEXICO
- Junior Richard Washington hit a game-winning three-pointer, his seventh of the game, with eight seconds left to give SJSU its second-straight win over New Mexico, 88-85.
- New Mexico led by as much as 14 points in the first half while the Spartans led by as much as 18 in the second.
- Washington posted a career-high 25 points and a career-high seven three-pointers. He had made just six three-pointers over the previous 10 games.
- SJSU had runs of 14-0, 10-0 and 12-2 in the game while New Mexico had runs of 17-2 and 11-0.
- The victory was the highest NET/RPI win of head coach Jean Prioleau's career. New Mexico entered the game at No. 59 in the NCAA's NET rankings and dropped to 86.
SAN JOSE STATE POUNDS PEPPERDINE
- The Spartans snapped an eight-game losing streak with an 83-68 win over Pepperdine on Dec. 28.
- The Spartans turned the ball over a season-low seven times.
- Senior guard Brae Ivey tallied a career-high 23 points and hit a career-best five three-pointers.
- Sophomore guard Seneca Knight posted his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
SPARTANS COME UP JUST SHORT AT SANTA CLARA
- Down by as much as 17 points in the second half, the Spartans rallied back but the comeback fell short in an 89-85 loss at Santa Clara on Dec. 18.
- San José State scored 58 points in the second half after scoring just 26 in the first half.
- The Spartans had five players score in double figures for the first time since a win over Life Pacific on Nov. 7, 2018.
- Guard Zach Chappell tallied a career-high 20 points off the bench and dished out a team-high six assists.
- In his first career start, forward Ralph Agee posted 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
- SJSU outrebounded Santa Clara, 36-25.
HEARTBREAK AT SAN DIEGO STATE
- The Spartans suffered a heartbreaking loss at San Diego State on Dec. 8. Up by a point with five seconds remaining, the Spartans saw SDSU point guard Malachi Flynn hit a deep three-pointer at the buzzer for the win.
- Forward Ralph Agee posted his first double-double for the Spartans with 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
- The Spartans held SDSU to just 31.7 percent shooting.
- SJSU matched a season-low with 11 turnovers.
SPARTANS STYMIE GRAMBLING STATE
- Grambling State entered the game on Nov. 20 with the nation's No. 1 scoring offense, averaging 114 points over its first three games.
- The Spartans held the Tigers 38 points under their average in an 83-76 win at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
- Grambling State was 1-of-10 shooting on three-pointers.
BALANCED EFFORT IN WIN VS. SIMPSON
- The Spartans had 13 different players score in an 85-60 win over Simpson on Nov. 17.
- Guard Zach Chappell came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
- Guard Seneca Knight was 6-of-8 shooting for 15 points.
- Forward Ralph Agee posted 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
- Freshman walk-on Harminder Dhaliwal made his collegiate debut and had two points and two rebounds in six minutes.
SPARTANS STUN HOFSTRA IN SEASON-OPENER
- San José State opened the 2019-20 season with a bang, defeating Hofstra on the road, 79-71, on Nov. 6.
- Hofstra won 27 games last year, SJSU lost 27 games.
- In his Spartan debut, JC transfer and former Wake Forest guard, Richard Washington, posted a team-high 23 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting. He scored 12 of his 23 points in the final four minutes, including a stretch of three straight three-pointers to put the game away.
- It was SJSU's first win in a road opener since 2010-11 when the Spartans topped Eastern Washington, 67-60.
- The Spartans snapped a 21-game road losing streak dating back to the 2017-18 campaign.
- SJSU won on the East Coast for the first time since 2001-02, when the Spartans defeated Fairleigh Dickinson at the BCA Tournament hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C.