By Alex Valle — Staff Writer
San Jose State (3-19, 0-10 MW) looks to snap its 13-game losing streak against the University of New Mexico (10-13, 4-7 MW) on the road at Dreamstyle Arena on Wednesday.
The Spartans suffered a historic loss against Boise State on Saturday, and are hopeful to bounce back against a team that has also struggled in conference play.
SJSU is going to need a collective effort from every player on offense to secure this win at the Pit.
The Lobos are a defensive-minded team that has averaged 7.3 steals and 3.6 blocks per game. In addition, they are putting up over 9 outside shots per game and limiting their opponent to only 7.
UNM guard Anthony Mathis leads the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game.
The senior is shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 44 percent from outside the arc. Stopping Mathis will be a tough task for SJSU’s backcourt.
In order for the Spartans to win this game, they will need to efficiently shoot more shots from the perimeter, be selective in choosing the right shot in the paint and take care of the ball to limit turnovers.
SJSU should look to aggressively crash the boards for second-chance points, and close out on all its shooters to limit the amount of outside shots.
Look for junior forwards Michael Steadman and Noah Baumann to have a big night if they’re able to get past the defensive efforts of the Lobos.
Steadman, who is shooting 49 percent from the field, is one of the more efficient scorers on the team, while Baumann is shooting an outstanding 48 percent from the perimeter.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the 2018-19 season. UNM holds the all-time series record 13-1 with SJSU’s last win dating back to 2017.
Tip off in New Mexico is set for 5 p.m.
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