By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Spear Reporter | Junior guard Colby Garland draws contact from Bethesda junior guard Zeke Bennett during SJSU’s 110–56 win. (Photo by Alexis Corona-Aguilar – Spear photographer)
San Jose State men’s basketball (1-4, 0-0 MW) earned its first win of the season in dominant fashion, rolling past Bethesda (0-5, 0-0 Big SSIC) 110-56 in its home debut Monday night at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
The Spartans opened with their best half of the season, taking a 54-24 lead into the break behind another strong start from junior guard Colby Garland, who scored 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half.
He finished with a team-high 17 points and shot 75% from the field, and is now averaging 22.8 points per game.
Despite his early-season scoring surge, Garland said winning is his only priority.
“It was good to get on the other side of the column, but it’s big for our confidence just to get a win,” Garland said. “We came out and did things that we struggled with. We did pretty good tonight, so I’m happy that we just got in the winning column.”
Bethesda was led by senior guards Cameron Durr with 11 points and Miles Sulka with 10 points.
SJSU continued to play shorthanded, missing five players, including starters Javaughn Hannah and Adrian Myers. The absences opened opportunities for several young Spartans to step up.
Redshirt freshman guard Ben Roseborough delivered 15 points on five made threes.
Sophomore guard Jermaine Washington lit up the scoreboard, hitting more than half his shots and sinking four triples.
Washington said last week’s matchup at No. 17 Michigan State helped fuel his performance.
“They (Michigan State) showed us what we can improve on, what we need to be better at,” Washington said.
The Spartans posted their best shooting night of the season, shooting 52% from the field and 52% (12-for-23) from three.
“You could tell early the guys were settling in and confident with their shooting, and I think being at home really helps that,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said. “In our private scrimmage we shot really well, made a whole bunch of threes. We hadn’t shot that well any other time, so it was good to get back home and see the ball go through the hole.”
Several Spartans also recorded their first collegiate points. Junior forward Marcus Overstreet threw down an and-one dunk for his first SJSU basket and finished with 14 points. Freshman forward Douglas Langford added six points, while freshman forward Japhet Moupadele made his debut impact, scoring 13 points.
With under 13 minutes left in the second half and SJSU leading 77-35, freshman center Eren Karakaya entered and immediately energized the crowd with a lob dunk from Garland. He finished with seven points.
Miles said the depth performances were encouraging as the team navigated its early-season injuries.
“Those guys are going to have to earn their way in,” Miles said. “We’re really short on guard play, so we’re going to have to look at playing bigger against some of these bigger teams too. I think competition is great, and these guys are going to keep competing, and the cream will rise to the top.”
SJSU continues its homestand at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, at the Provident Credit Union Event Center against Southern University.
