By Aaron Johnson (@voz_aaron1) – Managing Editor | Sophomore guard Latrell Davis tries to create space for an inbound pass. (Photo by Abby Westrope- Spear Photographer)
Another close game did not bounce in the favor of San Jose State (13-17, 6-12 MW).
The 77-71 loss to UNLV (15-13, 9-8 MW) highlighted the issue that has been hurting SJSU all year, injuries.
Coming into this game junior center Robert Vaihola and junior guard Will McClendon were ruled out with knee injuries.
Graduate student guard Donovan Yap Jr. was playing well early on in the game until he went down with a foot injury. He would not return and was seen on the bench in crutches.
“I hoped he just twisted an ankle but that wasn’t the case,” head coach Tim Miles said. “I’m glad we’re not playing tomorrow, it’s going to take (him) some time.”
After Yap went down SJSU only had seven available players.
In just 12 minutes of play Yap totaled five assists.
However, the Rebels were also without their leading scorer sophomore guard Dedan Thomas Jr. who averages 15.6 points per game.
Senior guard Josh Uduje got off to a slow start on the offensive side of the ball in the first half as he scored just four points. But in the second half he turned it on as he scored 23 of the Spartans 42 points in the second half.
Uduje is the first player to score 25 or more points in back-to-back games since Omari Moore in 2023.
The first half featured a tough defensive battle between the two teams and junior forward Jeremiah Cherry proved to be a problem in the paint. Cherry scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and tallied two blocks.
Cherry also hit multiple and-one baskets that really hurt the momentum of the game for the Spartans.
The Rebels spread the ball around the court effectively as they had five different players score double-digit figures. Junior guard Jaden Henley was the Rebels leading scorer with 22 points.
Outside of Uduje in the second half, no other Spartan seemed to have a consistent shooting night. Sophomore guard Latrell Davis finished the game with 16 points but shot 4-for-12 from the field.
Davis hit two-threes late in the first half for his first points.
While the game was going back and forth in the late second half, the offense was moving through Uduje and Daivs.
“Whoever’s got the hot hand we tend to gravitate towards them,” Uduje said. “We trust Latrell in late game situations. I call him ‘Late Game Latrell.’”
Outside of Uduje the Spartans shot 5-for-23 from the field in the second half.
Graduate student center Chol Marial started in the absence of Vaihola and established himself as a force in the paint.
“(UNLV) really didn’t want to go inside, they were settling for pull-up two’s,” Davis said. “If they were going inside they were avoiding Marial’s side. It’s good to know we can stop a team from doing one thing and make them do something else.”
Marial had four blocks and showed one of his best games of the year in terms of rebounding positioning; he totaled six boards. Marial swapped minutes with junior forward Sadraque NgaNga who got off to a hot start in the first half scoring seven points on 3-for-4 shooting.
NgaNga cooled off scoring wise in the second half shooting 1-for-6 for two points.
The Spartans have a week off before their next game on the road against Colorado State (19-9, 13-4 MW) at 6 p.m. on March 4.
With how banged up they are, they have a few off days to use for rehab.
“I told the guys let’s enjoy these days off but make sure we are doing all the right things to get our mind and body ready for Colorado State,” Miles said.
