Spartans claim victory in duel with Urban Knights

By Ricardo Garcia — Reporter

The San Jose State Women’s basketball team (3-3, 0-0 MW) is now over .500 for the first time this season. 

The Spartans wrapped up a three-game home slate with a dominant 62-49 victory over the Academy of Art (2-2, 0-0 PW).

SJSU had three players finish in double-digit scoring including junior point guard Stephanie Torres who helped spark the offense in the second half and finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists.

The Spartans started off a bit sloppy as they mishandled the ball in some situations which led to the Urban Knights taking advantage of turnovers to get ahead early. 

Despite a strong start offensively by the Academy of Art, this ended up being their only strong offensive possession for the majority of the game.

Their lack of offensive production was due to overall poor shooting as the Urban Knights finished the night shooting 36% from the field and 3-22 on three-point attempts. 

Academy of art fought hard to try and cut the lead down but SJSU remained solid on offense and were able to secure a seven-point lead before halftime.

All it took was the 15-minute halftime break for the Spartans to make the right adjustments in order to take control of the game. Offensively SJSU began the third quarter firing on all cylinders. 

Senior forward Cydni Lewis led the third-quarter surge scoring eight points and going 4-4 on shooting attempts in the third. The Spartans put the cherry on top of an already sweet quarter by staying hot and closing it out on a 9-0 scoring run.

SJSU had no plans of slowing down their offensive onslaught and they continued to push the pace in the opening minutes of the final quarter.

With their backs against the wall, The Urban Knights responded with one final push to try and put themselves back in striking distance but the Spartans did not give an inch and held on to secure the victory.

SJSU has now won two games in a row for the first time this season and move to 2-1 at home. For the Urban Knights, this loss now puts them at three in a row and are now 0-2 on the road. 

The Spartans will look to keep the win streak alive as they are set to begin a three-game road trip against Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, November 30th. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. PT at the UCU Pavilion.

Follow Ricardo on Twitter @SJSURicardoG

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