By: Marilyn Anye (@AnyeMarilyn) – Spear Reporter – San Jose State sophomore guard Maya Anderson looks for an open teammate during the Spartans’ 71-48 loss to Boise State on Saturday at Provident Credit Union Event Center. (Photo by Shahd Suliman – Spear photographer)
The San Jose State women’s basketball team (4-24, 2-15 MW) fell 71-48 to Boise State (22-6, 13-4 MW) as a slow first-quarter start put the Spartans in an early deficit.
The Broncos entered the game with back-to-back 3-pointers, setting the tone and putting the Spartans behind. Boise State started with a 23-6 lead in the opening quarter and never trailed.
SJSU’s early struggles were compounded by turnovers, which Boise State took to its advantage during the opening period.
Boise State senior forward Tatum Thompson led all scorers with 25 points, helping the Broncos maintain control throughout the game.
“We’ve got to come out and throw the first punch,” SJSU head coach Jonas Chatterton said. “We’re allowing teams to hit us, and then we want to respond.”
SJSU responded in the second quarter, matching Boise State’s energy and tightening up defensively, but still trailed 41-23 at halftime.
Sophomore forward Kaliyah Dillard added seven rebounds, a block, and multiple steals, providing defensive energy for SJSU as they searched for momentum.
Dillard’s presence on the court created extra possessions, but the Spartans struggled to convert those opportunities into points.
Offensively, SJSU struggled to find its rhythm, as hesitation and rushed decisions disrupted the flow of the game.
Sophomore guard Maya Anderson led the Spartans with 20 points, while junior guard Allie Cummins added 14 in the loss.
“We didn’t even touch 50 points,” Anderson said. “That shows everybody has to be more aggressive and a scoring threat.”
Cummins echoed that statement, highlighting the need for confidence on the offensive end.
“Even if you miss a shot, you just have to keep shooting,” Cummins said. “Confidence on offense is what’s going to help us the most.”
Chatterton later acknowledged that scoring continues to be a crucial challenge for the team.
“That’s our nemesis — scoring,” Chatterton said. “We’ve got to find other production.”
Despite flashes of competitiveness in the middle quarters, the Spartans were unable to sustain momentum for the full 40 minutes.
SJSU will face the University of Nevada at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada.
