Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Basketball Beat Reporter
SJSU men’s basketball fended off a sluggish first half to top Cal State LA 69-66 in its 2022 exhibition match.
“I thought it was a great experience for our guys to go through.” said SJSU head coach Tim Miles.
“Now am I happy with the way we played? No. I didn’t like our defensive intensity to start the game. I didn’t like our offensive execution once we started playing better defense, 18 TO’s was awful. Our goal is 10.
Omari Moore finished with a Spartan-best 22 points and his 16 second half points helped push the Spartans past a sluggish early start.
CSU LA jumped out to an early 21-16 and led at the half 39-35, propelled by a lights out 9-of-12 performance from three.
Alexander Sokol had a third of the hits from beyond the arc and led the Golden Eagles’ attack with 13 points. He would finish with a floor-high 23 points.
Coach Miles’ pregame locker game speech to the Spartans ended up being true to a fault.
“My exact words in the locker room to the guys before was like, ‘Hey, if you look over at that group and say ‘Well, they are not very tall ands say this, that or them, those are the types of teams that are going to bang a whole bunch of three’s … and they can really get you in trouble.'”
“Of course that was the worst thing I could’ve said because that’s exactly what happened,” said Miles smiling.
Temple University-transfer Sage Tolbert III had a double-double, going for 11 points and a floor-leading 11 rebounds. The Spartans outrebounded the Golden Eagles 45-17 and held them to one offensive rebound.
“His greatest strength is his ability to rebound the basketball. I think you saw that tonight and we really needed that,” said Miles.
Tibet Görener had the second-most rebounds with eight and had the third-most points with nine.
The Spartans overcame their early woes keeping a steady four or five point lead. However missed free throws and poorly executed offensive possessions gave the Golden Eagles an opportunity to tie the game with 10 seconds left.
But SJSU’s defense clamped down when it mattered most and the final buzzer sounded before CSU LA was able to shoot a potential game-tying three.
“We were able to come out in the second half with a little more run,” said Moore, “and get on the other side of winning.”
Even with the win, Moore acknowledged it was good to get the win, but “we are nowhere near satisfied.”
SJSU’s men’s basketball season will start this Tuesday at home against Georgia Southern.