What had the potential to be a statement win for San Jose State turned into a frustrating night defined by missed shots, as the Spartans fell 72–63 to UC Irvine.
SJSU posted a season-low 31% from the field, connecting on just 22 of 70 attempts. From the opening tip, the Spartans struggled to establish any offensive rhythm, repeatedly coming up empty on contested looks and failing to convert opportunities around the basket.
SJSU head coach Tim Miles acknowledged the team’s struggles crediting UC Irvine’s defensive presence.
“Great shot blocking team, I think they’re one of the top 5 or 10 teams in the country and you can see that affected us,” Miles said.
Colby Garland struggled to get things going, shooting 2/10 from the field. He finished the game tallying a season low 7 points.
Garland wasn’t the only Spartan that couldn’t get it going. The starting five for SJSU shot a combined 16 for 56 from the field. The Spartans’ ball movement and shot selection were the major catalysts for this game’s shooting woes.
With the success the Spartans have found in the mid range this season, today’s game highlighted a possible inefficiency in mid range jumpshots.
“We were only 3 for 14 on dribble two’s… that’s a lot of dribble two’s and ineffective shots,” Miles said.
That shot-blocking impact was most evident at the rim, where the Spartans finished just 10-for-32 at the cup, routinely meeting heavy traffic and altered attempts in the paint. The performance marked a major drop-off from the 46.5% field-goal shooting SJSU carried into the matchup.
On the other hand, the Spartans found success tonight in the three pointer. Shooting 38% from the three point line on 24 attempts, knocking down nine of them with
For a team that has relied on efficiency to stay competitive early in the season, their shooting slump proved too much to overcome against the Anteaters.
