By Richy Zajic — Content Editor
The rivalry matchup between San Jose State and Fresno State was close in just about every way possible, until it wasn’t.
Here are three takeaways from the Spartans’ (5-11, 1-3 MW) 79-64 loss to the Bulldogs (5-10, 1-3 MW).
Defense equals 3-game win streaks
While the Spartans kept their own turnover number fairly low at 11, they only caused nine Bulldog turnovers.
SJSU was allowing FSU’s key players to get the shots they wanted for what seemed like the entire game.
Especially senior guard New Williams.
Williams finished the game with a career-high 32 points and four assists. With a player scoring at will like Williams was, it is obviously difficult to secure a win, especially on the road in a rivalry game.
This is not even mentioning the fact that freshman forward Orlando Robinson 23 points and 14 boards to help push the Bulldogs’ lead into double-digits.
Sometimes the game plan of allowing only one opposing player to score at will works, but when multiple players go off like this, it’s bad news for a Spartan squad looking for a 3-game streak.
Sharing is caring
While the Spartans were in this game completely in the first half and some of the second, almost the entirety of their offense came from unassisted buckets.
SJSU finished with only eight total assists.
In order to get easier looks at the basket, this number needs to at least be in the double-digits and cannot be a lower number than the amount of turnovers (11).
With the current SJSU team, there is not always one player standing out and dominating the game, so it is especially important to move the ball around and get everyone involved.
Weathering the storm
Just by looking at the final score, one may not have thought this game was very close. This was simply not the case, and it was only the second half that evaded the Spartans’ grasp.
At the half, the game was knotted at 28. This game was a battle in the first half that truly seemed as though it could go either way.
Runs are the name of the game in basketball, and the Spartans were unable to control multiple runs that the Bulldogs put together in the second half, which ultimately led to the loss.
An 8-0 run here, an 11-1 run there and just like that the game can be practically over in the blink of an eye.
Once the shots were falling for FSU, the score started to pile on and SJSU didn’t have much of an answer.
The Spartans’ next game will be on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. versus Nevada (10-5, 3-0 MW) in the Event Center.
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