By Matt Weiner (@MattWeiner20) — MBB Beat Reporter
The first matchup of the Spartans (8-19, MW 0-14) back-to-back against Nevada (11-14, MW 5-9) was a formidable effort, one that you can look at proudly the next day in the film room. Thursday night’s 90-60 loss was one that would make you forfeit the last thing you ate beforehand.
Nevada’s Will Baker took over in the first game scoring 23 points, focring Miles to send an infantry down low in the second contest. It mitigated Baker’s numbers, but it freed up opportunities for guard Grant Sherfield to slither around the court for 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting plus 10 assists.
With Sherfield and Baker demanding 5 pairs of eyes on them at all times, shooters on the wing like Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Tre Coleman combined to shoot 5 of 9 from three.
The Spartans wanted to “take the ball out of Sherfield’s hands,” said SJSU head coach Tim Miles. “But then we have to help in and they throw it back and Trey Coleman makes two threes and Desmond Cambridge makes two threes and they ended up making eight threes and they only took nine threes last game.”
The Wolf Pack spent nearly the entire second half up by 30 points.
At one point, the Spartans’ best chance to score points were on Wolf Pack technical fouls following some monstrous denies at the rim.
Myron Amey Jr. led the Spartans with 16 points on 6 of 13 shooting from the field, but wasn’t able to get the three ball to fall going 1 of 4. Overall it wasn’t a great game, as he was one of three Spartans — Omari Moore and Trey Anderson as well — who finished with a +/- of at least -30.
Miles was able to find some positives amidst the bludgeoning.
“I thought Alvaro Cardenas and Myron Amey Jr. made some mistakes,” Miles said. “But I thought they also showed the most spunk, fire, competitiveness on things we are looking for.”
This is now the 14th-straight loss for the Spartans and the prospect of leaving Mountain West play winless is looking to be more surefire by the hour.