By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Senior Staff Writer | Junior guard Colby Garland looks to make a play in the paint while defended by Lobos senior guard Tajavis Miller and freshman forward Tomislav Buljan during SJSU’s 90–80 loss on Jan. 31. (Photo by Lucas Quick — The Spear)
The San Jose State men’s basketball team (6-18, 1-12 MW) will look to snap a seven-game losing streak when it hosts Grand Canyon (15-9, 8-5 MW) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Provident Credit Union Event Center.
The Spartans have lost 13 of their last 14 games, including a 76-58 road loss to the GCU Antelopes on Jan. 10. Saturday’s matchup gives SJSU an opportunity for revenge, this time at home.
“They have great talent, they have athleticism,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said.
GCU is led by senior guard Jaden Henley, who averages 17 points per game and ranks second on the team in rebounding at 5.7 boards per contest.
The Antelopes also rely on graduate forward Nana Owusu-Anane, who averages 8.8 rebounds per game and presents another challenge on the glass.
The Spartans could be missing theirleading rebounder, senior forward Yaphet Moundi, for potentially his 12th consecutive game. Without Moundi, rebounding could be a significant challenge for SJSU.
In his absence, junior forward Marcus Overstreet and senior forward Sadraque NgaNga have rotated in the frontcourt.
This time around, SJSU will have junior guard Colby Garland available. Garland, who averages 18.6 points per game, did not play in the previous matchup against GCU due to injury.
“We just gotta come out with our mindset right,” Garland said. “I think they’re coming out starting from the locker room, knowing that we can win this game. We gotta come out with extreme confidence. We gotta come out playing hard.”
Redshirt sophomore guard Pasha Goodarzi has carried a heavy workload in the backcourt amid the continued absence of senior guard Javaughn Hannah and redshirt freshman guard Ben Roseborough. Sophomore guard Jermaine Washington could return after missing the last two games.
“That’s a good problem to have when you have to play 40 minutes, so I can’t really complain,” Goodarzi said. “Just gotta go out there and get it done. A lot of it is mental. We’re tired, but it’s doable.”
GCU ranks first in the MW in scoring defense, allowing 68.3 points per game, while the Spartans rank 10th at 76.7 points allowed per contest.
Even with GCU ranking third in the Mountain West in 3-point defense, SJSU may still need to generate clean looks from beyond the arc. Goodarzi and Washington have shown they can stretch the floor, but against a disciplined perimeter defense, shot selection and ball movement will be critical.
Consistency will be key for the Spartans. In their recent two-game road trip, which began with a 65-57 loss to Colorado State. They shot just 29 percent from the field in the second half after connecting on 43.8 percent in the first.
“We know we’re gonna give some things up in the paint, but we gotta make them pay on the other end,” Miles said. “Hopefully because we’re at home, we’ll continue to shoot it well the entire game instead of just the first half.”
