By Austin Turner – Content Editor
Despite outplaying UNLV for three quarters, San Jose State (1-15, 0-5 MWC) lost its 12th consecutive game on Saturday when it fell to the Lady Rebels (5-11, 3-2 MWC) 53-43.
The first half was a complete defensive battle. The Spartans struggled to knock down shots at only 25 percent shooting from the floor. They played terrific defense, holding the Lady Rebels to only 16 percent shooting. The Spartans took a 18-14 lead to halftime.
The game flipped in the third. The Lady Rebels came out to play in the second half, and they shot 56 percent in the period. The Spartans were held to just 15 percent and were outscored 25-8, which includes a 10-point run by UNLV.
“Obviously the ballgame was changed in the third quarter by the fouls,” said SJSU head coach Jamie Craighead. “They went on a run. Most teams have to hit shots to go on a run, and all they had to do was drive it in there and get a second-chance opportunity for a rebound, and we’d foul.”
UNLV had 28 free throw attempts in the game, converting on 15 of them.
Foul trouble plagued the Spartans throughout the game. Mikaylah Wilson and Cydni Lewis, two star sophomore forwards, both had early fouls which limited their impact. They finished with five fouls each.
“When their post players were on our guards, it gave them such a height advantage it caused them to be fouled and get on the free-throw line,” Wilson said. “And we weren’t getting the same calls the other way.”
The Spartans, despite a solid defensive effort, just couldn’t make shots down the stretch. They were 5-27 from three throughout the game, which left a lot of valuable points off the board.
“We have a lot of shooters, we just weren’t sticking them,” said junior guard Analyss Benally. “Most of my shots were really rushed so I need to focus on that.”
SJSU outscored UNLV again in the fourth quarter 17-14, but it was for naught, as that third quarter was far too much to overcome.
The Spartans are still in search of their first conference win. They’ll get a shot at that on Wednesday when the Wyoming Cowgirls come to San Jose for a game at the Event Center at 7 p.m.
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