By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Senior Staff Writer | Junior guard Colby Garland looks to make a play while being guarded by Wolf Pack redshirt sophomore guard Amire Robinson during SJSU’s 87-71 win. (Photo by Alex Stoev — The Spear)
San Jose State men’s basketball (7-19, 2-13 MW) snapped its eight-game losing streak with an 87-71 win over Nevada (17-9, 9-6 MW) on Tuesday night at home.
The Spartans shot the ball at a blistering rate from beyond the arc, knocking down 15 of 29 3-pointers after opening the game 5-for-5 from deep. Senior forward Sadraque NgaNga buried a deep 3-pointer as the shot clock expired midway through the first half, part of a surge that helped SJSU build a 47-32 halftime lead.
Junior guard Colby Garland led the way with 29 points and nine assists while playing all 40 minutes. He connected on four 3-pointers, including a dagger over freshman guard Peyton White that sealed the Spartans’ first win since Jan. 13 against Air Force.
“It’s something that we knew we can do,” Garland said. “We just gotta keep believing, and we just gotta keep trying to build off this. It feels good, but we can’t just be complacent. We’re just getting one win, so we gotta come out and do it again.”
Redshirt sophomore forward Adrian Myers recorded a double-double with a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds.
He also knocked down a team-high five 3-pointers and opened the second half with four made shots from deep.
“I give credit to my teammates getting me open because everybody’s focused on Colby (Garland) or Melvin (Bell) driving and it leaves me open,” Myers said.
SJSU head coach Tim Miles credited early shot-making for setting the tone.
“The gym was so cold that maybe that worked for us,” Miles said. “I think it just gives them a shot of confidence. You come out, you see the ball go through the hole, and I think that’s a big deal.”
The Wolf Pack struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 3 of 20, but kept the game within reach by dominating the paint and getting to the free-throw line. Nevada outscored SJSU 32-14 in the paint and attempted 32 free throws compared to SJSU’s 19.
Nevada cut the deficit to six with 13 minutes remaining after applying full-court pressure, but the Spartans responded with a decisive run. A fadeaway jumper from Myers at the end of the shot clock sparked a stretch that pushed the lead back to 16 with 5:01 to play.
“My keys to the game were team defense, rebound and communication. That’s it,” Miles said. “I thought the guys did a really good job of all three of those things.”
The Spartans were still without four starters but saw reinforcements return to the rotation. Freshman forward Douglas Langford played 18 minutes after being a DNP in the previous two games.
Junior forward Marcus Overstreet also returned to the starting lineup after being a DNP in the previous game, though he played five minutes as Miles continued to rotate Overstreet, Langford and freshman forward Japhet Moupadele.
The victory marked Miles’ 50th Mountain West win.
“The greatest compliment a coach can have is that the team looks like they don’t need a coach,” Miles said. “When things are rolling and guys are good, I want the spotlight to be on them. I want them to own it, and that’s when you get the best outcome.”
SJSU will begin a two-game road trip seeking its first conference road win of the season when it faces Boise State at 1 p.m. Saturday at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho.
