By Richy Zajic — Senior Content Editor
It must have been something about the unusual 11 a.m. tip-off time, because the Spartans came out of the gate on fire and were able to close out the Lobos at home.
San Jose State (13-6, 7-1 MW) had one of its most efficient shooting first quarters of the season, and rode that momentum all day to take down New Mexico (11-10, 2-6 MW) 89-85.
Here are three takeaways from the Spartans’ seventh conference win of the year.
Let it Rain
From the start of the game, it was obvious that the Spartans were feeling it from beyond the arch. SJSU knocked down five triples in the first quarter alone, and this set the tone for the entire game.
The Spartans added seven more threes in the second quarter, allowing them to jump out to a 54-42 lead going into the half.
“It really wasn’t part of the game plan, our game plan was mostly defensive,” said junior forward Tyra Whitehead. “The shots were just falling.”
SJSU finished the game 15-of-25 from deep, a whopping 60 percent.
Sharing The Wealth
With the hot shooting, came a whole lot of points. Everyone was getting involved within the offense. The ball was being moved effectively, the offense was flowing and this meant that multiple Spartans were tacking on points.
Four Spartans finished the game in double figures. Head coach Jamie Craighead spoke on the importance of everyone getting involved postgame.
“It’s a priority for us,” said Craighead. “You need scoring off your bench … that group of eight, they’re playing pretty well together.”
The Dynamic Duo
One of the most effective and impactful duos in the conference, sophomore guard Ayzhiana Basallo and junior forward Tyra Whitehead.
These two were about their business Wednesday and their numbers can back that up. Basallo finished the game with 26 points and 5 assists, while only turning the ball over twice. Not to mention, she shot 5-of-7 from beyond the arch, an astounding 71 percent.
Whitehead went to work down low all game long, and was cleaning the glass as usual.
She finished with 18 points and 16 boards, tallying her eighth double-double of the season.
“I’m just playing basketball, that’s about it,” said Whitehead. “Do whatever my team needs me to do, if that means diving on loose balls or getting steals, or getting on the boards, getting rebounds, then that’s what I need to do.”
The Spartans next game will be Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. versus Air Force at Cadet Field House in Colorado Springs, CO.