By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Senior Staff Writer | Sophomore guard Jermaine Washington takes a fadeaway jump shot while being double-teamed during SJSU’s 89–58 loss. (Photo by Tylen Pelaez — The Spear)
San Jose State men’s basketball (6-15, 1-9 MW) fell 89-58 to Boise State (13-8, 5-5 MW) at home Tuesday after being outscored 53-25 in the second half.
The Spartans trailed by just three points at halftime after an efficient first half saw them shoot 50 percent from beyond the arc while holding the Broncos to just 28 percent.
SJSU found an early rhythm offensively, putting together a 7-0 run midway through the first half behind timely 3-pointers from sophomore guard Jermaine Washington and redshirt sophomore guard Pasha Goodarzi, who each connected twice from beyond the arc.
Redshirt sophomore forward Adrian Myers capped the stretch by beating the shot clock with a banked-in 3 as SJSU kept pace with Boise State.
That momentum quickly disappeared.
Boise State took control after the break, shooting 58.9 percent from the field in the second half and overwhelming the Spartans with its physicality inside.
SJSU finished the game shooting just 37.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3-point range.
“As soon as we got behind, things got a little tough on the offensive end. We missed some real inside, some easy shots, some good looks, and then they capitalized,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said.
Although the Broncos struggled from long range, finishing 5 of 16 from beyond the arc, they dominated the paint with 56 points inside compared to just 24 for the Spartans. Boise State controlled the glass, outrebounding SJSU 39-20.
That rebounding disparity was magnified by the continued absence of senior forward Yaphet Moundi, the team’s leading rebounder, who missed his eighth straight game.
Depth also played a significant role in a lopsided outcome. Boise State utilized a 10-man rotation and received 41 points from its bench, while the Spartans scored just 15 bench points and relied heavily on a short eight-man rotation.
Junior guard Colby Garland led SJSU’s bench with 10 points for the second straight game, though he logged starter-level minutes with 31.
Senior forward Sadraque NgaNga was another bright spot, posting a career-high 15 points after scoring 14 in the Spartans’ 66-62 loss to Wyoming on Jan. 24.
For the Broncos, junior forwards Drew Fielder led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Meadow added 15 points.
“Once we got down a certain amount of points, we were noncompetitive; we just quit competing,” Miles said. “Boise is too big, too physical, too good to play like that. It was a disappointing night for us.”
The Spartans have now dropped four consecutive games and lost 10 of their last 11.
SJSU will look to regroup when it closes its homestand against New Mexico at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
