By Sara Biela — Content Editor
Thanks to 48 percent shooting and critical 3-pointers drained in the second half, San Jose State men’s basketball (2-6) defeated Bethune-Cookman 67-65 for its first win against a Division I opponent this season.
Junior forward Michael Steadman tallied team highs of 15 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double on the campaign.
“Mike is our big presence down low,” said sophomore guard Noah Baumann. “When he gets the ball, he goes to work. He’s a great rebounder, so that’s why you see double-doubles every other game, or every game.”
The Spartans jumped out to an early 6-0 lead from a drained jump shot from junior guard Craig LeCesne and two made layups from Steadman.
However, the Wildcats (4-6) followed with a 16-6 run and had the 16-12 lead nine minutes in.
Both teams exchanged points throughout the rest of the half, leaving BCU with a three-point lead. SJSU went 0-10 from beyond the arc and shot about 29 percent from the field.
Coming into tonight’s game as the bigger team, the Spartans scored 18 points inside the paint in the first 20 minutes.
“We’re always going to play inside, so if we happen to play against a team that’s smaller, then we do want to pound it inside,” said head coach Jean Prioleau. “If we create double-teams, then we have guys out on the perimeter that can catch and shoot the ball.”
It was a different story for the Spartans in the second half. Their 12-25 field-goal and clutch 3-point shooting kept them in the game.
Down to the final seconds, BCU’s Wali Parks had the chance to win the game but missed a 3-pointer and handed SJSU its second win of the season.
The Spartans outscored the Wildcats 32-22 inside the paint and shot 16-25 from the free-throw line.
“Most of my shots were inside the paint in the first, so they were double-teaming me the whole second half,” Steadman said. “I took total advantage of that. Noah and Brian [Rodriguez-Flores] were knocking down shots, so I think I did a pretty good job out of that.”
In addition to Steadman, Oumar Barry and Baumann reached double-figures in scoring.
Barry tallied 13 with 7 rebounds, while Baumann recorded 12 points and shot 3-5 from beyond the arc. LeCesne finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds.
“I think we have our team back,” Prioleau said. “Our guys fought all the way to the end and I’m just proud of them that they were able to come out with the win.”San Jose State will stay home for its next matchup against Northern Arizona on Saturday, December 15.
Follow Sara on Twitter @sarabielaa