By Austin Turner and Ernie Gonzalez — Editors
Behind a San Jose State 3-point record and a consistent double-double machine, the Spartans snapped their 17-game losing streak en route to an 89-82 win over the University of New Mexico Tuesday night at the Event Center.
The win is the first in Mountain West play for the Spartans of the season. SJSU (4-23, 1-14 MW) avenges a 32-point loss to UNM (11-16, 5-10 MW) in Albuquerque just 13 days before Tuesday’s meeting.
Prior to a 6-minute and 13 second scoring drought from the Spartans, sophomore guard Noah Baumann drained a program-record eighth three to put SJSU up 11. He’d finish with 26 points, going 8-12 from deep.
“I feel like it was just another day,” Baumann said. “Same preparation. Today I was just extra hot … If anything it feels good to get that first W.”
Junior forward Michael Steadman played as a small-ball center for much of the night and shined in the new role. He had 21 points on 10-20 shooting along with 11 boards to pull off his ninth double-double of the season.
“I’m pretty confident with my game down low,” Steadman said. “I was just taking my time down there.”
The two teams put on an offensive clinic in the first half. SJSU had one of its best shooting halves of the season as it shot 61 percent from the floor while going 6-12 from three. UNM wasn’t far behind, going 20-40 from the field. The Spartans held a one-point edge going into the break.
Despite being a team normally known to stumble out of the gate in the second half, the Spartans came out strong. They rushed out to a nice rhythm, going on a quick 6-0 run early on in the half.
The Lobos weren’t going out easily, however.
Midway through the second half, the game shifted from a offensive barn burner to a physical, defensive slugfest.
UNM switched to a zone defense, and it suffocated SJSU’s offense. In a stretch lasting over 6-minutes, the Spartans missed nine-consecutive shots.
Luckily for them, the Lobos couldn’t take advantage. UNM was able to score three in the same amount of time.
“I wasn’t nervous,” said SJSU head coach Jean Prioleau. “They couldn’t capitalize on us missing… I let the clock run. We got the momentum.”
When the Spartans scoring-drought finally ended, it was much too late for UNM to mount a comeback. A freshman-to-freshman lob from Zach Chappell to Christian Anigwe sealed the end of the two-month long losing streak for SJSU with just 11 seconds remaining.
Even with the loss, several Lobos played spectacular games offensively.
Sophomore guard Keith McGee had a season-high 25 points on 10-19 shooting with five threes.
Junior forward Carlton Bragg scored 17 and put up a new season-high 16 rebounds.
On the SJSU side, junior center Ashtin Chastain had one of his best games of the season. He had a modest statline of 8 points and five rebounds, but defensively he used his size to defend the paint successfully against an undersized UNM frontcourt.
Chastain viewed the win as a catalyst for SJSU’s ambitions at the Mountain West Tournament, which kicks off March 13.
“This school is yet to win at the tournament,” he said. “That’s a goal. The record doesn’t show it but we’re a good team, and we’re dangerous. If we play like that every night, who knows what could happen.”
The Spartans will try to grab conference win number 2 on Saturday, when they travel down south to San Diego State for a rematch with the Aztecs. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Follow Austin and Ernie on Twitter @AustinTurner_@superego1012
