By Nick Austin – Spear Reporter | (photo by Nick Orozco)
With 6:01 left in the fourth quarter SJSU took its first lead of the game at 62-60 courtesy of a 3-pointer by junior Amira Brown.
The Spartans would go on to win the game 68-67 as they improve to 5-3 on the year.
While ESPN had the Spartans favored by over 80% to win the game, they trailed for the majority of it and at times were down double digits.
“Really proud of our ladies,” SJSU head coach Aprill Phillips said after the win. “It wasn’t perfect but I think it was a really good opportunity and we’re excited to be leaving here 1-1.”
Junior Sofia Kelemeni was the star of the game scoring a career-high 20 points while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists.
The first half was defined by UMass-Lowell’s ability to hit shots as they were 14-26 at halftime with five of those shots being three-pointers.
However, the Spartans defense and offense showed up in the second half as they held UMass-Lowell to 38% from the field while shooting 52% overall.
The Spartans were also able to win the free throw battle by six points which proved key in their one point victory.
SJSU will look to improve upon its 5-3 record as the team is scheduled to play Saint Mary’s at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
