Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Basketball Beat Reporter
Omari Moore’s career-high 29 points and five drained threes propelled SJSU men’s basketball (11-4, MW 2-0) to its first win over Colorado State in program history, 78-70.
Coming into Saturday afternoon, SJSU had never topped Colorado State (8-7, MW 0-2) in 23 all-time meetings, losing by 36 in its most recent matchup in San Jose a year ago.
“That locker room is so cool, I was about to break out in tears just thinking about it,” said SJSU head coach Tim Miles.
In just two games, the Spartans have already surpassed their conference win total from last year.
Moby Arena was a venue Miles proudly called home for five seasons and still holds the same sentiment a decade later.
“This place is so special to me and the guys knew that and that was not lost on anybody,” said Miles who coached the Rams from 2007-12.
The Spartans had four players finish in double figures as Sage Tolbert and Tibet Görener both notched 12 points and Alvaro Cardenas amassed 11.
Tolbert went for his fourth double-double of the season, as he paired his 11 points with 13 rebounds.
Fresno State-transfer Robert Vaihola finished with nine rebounds as the Spartans out rebounded the Rams 42-27, a polar opposite of last year’s matchup when the Rams secured 18 more rebounds than SJSU.
“We are an excellent rebounding team and its because of guys like Rob Vaihola and Sage Tolbert,” said Miles. “That’s been critical for us to end possessions, but also give us other opportunities.”
The Spartans had eight more offensive rebounds than the Rams and hit 13 of 27 three’s as Moore pitched in five and Görener had four.
Although the Spartans won by eight and held a lead as big as 11 with 39 seconds remaining, the victory didn’t come easy.
CSU jetted out to a 17-5 lead to start the contest as Rams’ point guard Isaiah Stevens had 10 during that stretch and finished with 24. SJSU scored 11 points the first 13 minutes of the game, but utilized big three’s from Moore, Görener and Cardenas to claw back into it and enter the half down 36-33.
The Rams finished the first half shooting 37% and stayed ahead by knocking down 10 of 11 from the charity stripe.
“In the first half it took us a minute to adjust to their defensive schemes,” Moore said, “I was able to hit a couple shots because they were going under and then in the second half we had a good scheme for what they were doing.”
A monstrous put back slam from center Ibrahima Diallo put SJSU up for the first time in the contest at the 17:44 mark and went up 54-49 going into the final 11 minutes of the game.
However, SJSU went ice cold, and surrendered the lead after not scoring for a five minute stretch as CSU took a 57-54 lead with 6:38 remaining in the contest.
And that’s where SJSU men’s basketball clawed back in and leaped ahead on a 10-0 run to a take a 67-54 lead. No shot bigger than Tolbert’s first three of the game with 4:22 remaining. The Rams never pulled within less than five from that point on.
They were able to shut Stevens down after his electric first half and a majority of his nine second half points came with the game already out reach.
“They talk about Isaiah Stevens as one of the best players in this league and our guy [Omari Moore] did really well and outdid him tonight,” said Miles.
SJSU showed once again that all the records set in the last few weeks, from the 9-4 non-conference start being its best since the 1980-81 season or Wednesday’s win being its first time opening Mountain West play with a win, is far from a fluke.
Saturday afternoon’s victory made it abundantly clear SJSU men’s basketball is no longer the hunted.
In fact, they might be the hunter.
Next up: The Spartans head to Boise State with hopes of making it three-straight wins to begin conference play.
