San Jose State men’s basketball returns home to host Santa Clara

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After four straight losses, San Jose State are desperate for some home cooking again. This time, against rival Santa Clara inside the Event Center on Saturday afternoon. By the way, this will be the back end of a doubleheader with the women’s basketball team. The women host CSU Bakersfield at 12:00 pm and the men will play at 3:00 pm.

Game No. 6
Santa Clara (0-4) vs. SJSU (1-4)
Saturday Nov. 23, 3:00 pm
Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

Take Five with Brae Ivey
Before diving in to this weekend’s game details, take a minute to Take Five with junior guard Brae Ivey. Ivey transferred to SJSU from Riverside City College and is already making a huge impact on the Spartans’ program. Ivey currently leads the team in points per game at 14.4 and is coming off a big week in the Bahamas where he dropped a season-high 22 points vs. CSU Bakersfield.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the Live Stats feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the women’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

One Stop Source
The Mountain West Network is your all-access passport to Spartan Athletics. For live and recorded video/audio of SJSU men’s basketball home and Mountain West road contests, the Mountain West Network is your home. Go to Mountain West Network logo at top of the Spartans Athletics home page or go to www.sjsuspartans.com/video.

Trouble in Paradise
Although SJSU went 0-3 on their trip to Bimini for the Junkanoo Jam, the Spartans saw a lot on the court to encourage the team moving forward. They lost the three games by a combined 11 points and shot 46.9 percent while out-rebounding the opposition 38.3-35.0. The Spartans held double-digit leads in the second quarter of both the CSU Bakersfield and Central Michigan games; however, turnovers proved costly as the finished with 20.3 per game. If SJSU can limit the turnovers and finish games, big things lie ahead in 2018-19.

Success on the Boards
The Spartans rank second in the Mountain West in offensive rebounds (12.6) and sixth in defensive rebounds (26.6). Against Weber State (11/15), SJSU pulled down 48 total boards, the fourth most in the Mountain West this season.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman is off to a hot start at his new home at SJSU. He currently ranks third in the conference in total rebounds per game (9.6) and 46th nationally. He was named to the Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament team after averaging 11.7 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Full Offseason for Jean Prioleau
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau is entering his second season at the helm of SJSU men’s basketball and is coming off his first full offseason with the program. Prioleau was hired on August 4, 2017, and given just three months to prepare for his debut season. Now with a full offseason under his belt to prepare the team, Prioleau and company are excited about the team’s potential.

Staff Shakeup
Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach. He also promoted director of basketball operations, Ryan Cooper, to assistant coach.

What About the Broncos?
Santa Clara enters Saturday’s contest 0-4 and are averaging just 61.8 points per game. They are coming off a pair of losses at the hands of Washington (82-68) and Minnesota (80-66) at the Vancouver Showcase in British Columbia. The Broncos are led by third-year head coach Herb Sendek.

Ivey on Fire 
Junior transfer Brae Ivey leads the Spartans with 14.4 points per game and is coming off a big week in the Bahamas, where he averaged 15 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in the Junkanoo Jam, including a season-high 22 points vs. CSU Bakersfield.

San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu: Football and men’s basketball try to look beyond the losses

Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB and @SJSUMBB

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana:

1. Football first! San Jose State lost to Nevada 21-12 on Senior Day last Saturday.

2. San Jose State gears up to take on rival Fresno State before a national ESPN television audience this Saturday.

3. Not much luck for men’s basketball. San Jose State went to Bimini, Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam, only to lose to Weber State, CSU Bakersfield and Central Michigan. San Jose State has lost four in a row. What do they need to do to beat Santa Clara this Saturday like they did last year?

4. Women’s volleyball ended the season on a positive note. Thali Gee and and Luiza Andrade were named the Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

Ana does the San Jose State podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com

San Jose State suffers fourth straight loss 76-74 to Central Michigan in third game of the Junkanoo Jam

Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans had hoped to snap a three-game losing skid, but that never happened in Sunday’s game against the Central Michigan Chippewas inside the Gateway Christian Academy in Bimini, The Bahamas.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau decided on a starting lineup, which consisted of Michael Steadman, Brae Ivey, Oumar Barry, Noah Baumann, and Craig LeCesne. The Spartans won the tipoff and Barry sinked the first bucket of the game. The Spartans and Chippewas were underway in Bimini, and the Spartans were off to a pretty good start.

At the first media timeout, SJSU led Central Michigan 10-9. But then, it was a one-point game with 7:24 left to go in the first half. The Spartans trailed the Chippewas 22-21, and at the time, LeCesne led the Spartans with 8 points. Fast forward to the final minutes of the half, where the Spartans were 5-for-9 from downtown and held onto a 37-33 lead with 48 seconds left in the half.

The Spartans were on top of the Chippewas 39-35 at the half. LeCesne led 11 points and 3 rebounds. Steadman came in second with 10 points. Moreover, SJSU shot 58.3% (14-for-24) from the floor.

SJSU, however, slipped a bit early in the second half. The Spartans trailed 48-46 at the 14:55 mark, but let’s take a look at the bright side, as Baumann was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. The Spartans continued to trail the Chippewas, but they turned things around at the 12-minute mark, as they took a 53-50 lead on a 3-pointer by Zach Chappell.

Then, the knight appeared from downtown, as Seneca Knight drained a three from the corner and the Spartans took a 10-point lead, 60-50, midway through the half.

The Spartans held onto a 63-55 lead with 7:35 left in the half. That, my friends, was the positive effect, as the Spartans were 10-for-20 from the 3-point range.

Fans were on the edge of their seats, as they were gearing up for an exciting finish to the game. The Spartans led 67-64 with 3:27 left to play in the half.

The Chippewas, however, refused to back down. CMU took a 74-73 lead with 16 seconds left to play in the half. Not only that, CMU hit a floater to extend its lead to 76-74 with 3 seconds left on the clock. The Spartans fell to the Chippewas 76-74 in the third and final game of the Junkanoo Jam.

The Spartans return home to welcome the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday, November 24 at 3:00 pm PT.

San Jose State drops a heartbreaker to CSU Bakersfield 73-72 in second game of the Junkanoo Jam

Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans were back at it on Saturday versus the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners inside the Gateway Christian Academy in Bimini, The Bahamas.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau revealed a new-look lineup featuring Michael Steadman, Isaiah Nichols, Oumar Barry, Noah Baumann, and Craig LeCesne. The lineup was nothing short of fresh, but not the surefire answer.

The Spartans won the tip, and the game was underway in Bimini. SJSU did a great job of moving the ball and recorded eight points in the paint early in the first half.

The Roadrunners, however, heated up and buried five straight from beyond the arc to snatch a 26-21 lead with 8:47 left in the first. At the final media timeout of the first, CSU Bakersfield held a 35-32 lead. Moreover, SJSU had some things to be proud of, like, say, Brae Ivey leading the Spartans with 10 points.

The Roadrunners made it a close game with a three-pointer at the buzzer to surprise the Spartans. SJSU trailed CSU Bakersfield by only one point, 38-37, at the end of the first.

Ivey got things started in the second half. Ivey buried an open three to help the Spartans take a one-point lead, 42-41, just a little under the 16-minute mark of the second. Then, Baumann turned out to be “Big Game Baumann” as he got hot with his third three of the game to extend the Spartans’ lead to 50-43 at the 12-minute mark in the second. Baumann also made a pass to Nichols, who laid it in and drew the foul. The Spartans had a seven-point lead, 58-51, with seven minutes to play.

At the final media timeout of the second, the Spartans had a 10-point lead, 63-53, with 3:46 to play. However, the Roadrunners went on a 8-0 run to reduce SJSU’s lead to 63-61 with 2:30 to play. The Spartans’ response? Ivey buried all three of his free throws to tie the game 69-69 with 30 seconds to play.

Baumann hit the equalizing three, but it went out of bounds and the Spartans trailed the Roadrunners by three, 72-69, with 10.7 left to play. CSU Bakersfield held on for the win, and SJSU dropped a heartbreaker 73-72.

The Spartans have to move on to the next and final game of the Junkanoo Jam, which is set for Sunday versus the Central Michigan Chippewas at 3:00 pm PT.

Canceled: Wofford’s visit to the Farm

Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Joey Friedman

PALO ALTO — The Wofford Terriers were set to take on the Stanford Cardinal for a Friday evening matchup from Maples Pavilion. Due to poor air quality throughout the Bay Area, the contest has been canceled. Stanford has announced that Friday’s game will not be rescheduled this season. 

California is experiencing one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. The largest fire which has caused the most destruction, resulted in the most casualties, and has generated most of the smoke that has been affecting the San Francisco Bay Area for close to a week now, is the Camp fire north of Sacramento. Medical experts have been indicating that the air quality in the Bay Area has been getting increasingly worse to the point that most local schools have closed. Stanford issued an announcement on Thursday evening that classes would be canceled on Friday and that students are recommended to stay indoors.

Wofford’s next game which will still be played against Oklahoma on Sunday in Norman, Oklahoma at 2:00 PM. 

Stanford will tipoff next in the Bahamas as a part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. They will play Wisconsin on Wednesday, November 21 at 11:30 AM PT.

For more information about air quality scheduling updates, please visit gostanford.com.

San Jose State falls short in opening round of the Junkanoo Jam, 85-77, to Weber State

Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State men’s basketball was wheels up for Bimini, The Bahamas, but there was trouble in paradise on Thursday night. Despite a big second half comeback, the Spartans fell short in a 85-77 loss to Weber State in the opening round of the Junkanoo Jam.

The Spartans’ starting lineup consisted of Michael Steadman, Brae Ivey, Zach Chappell, Oumar Barry and Seneca Knight. The lineup was legit, but the Spartans trailed the Wildcats 15-7 at a timeout just under 12 minutes left in the first half.

If there was anything to be positive about in the first, the Spartans tried their best to get back into the game. Chappell hit a three-pointer to cut the Wildcats’ lead to seven, 20-13, just seconds before the media timeout. Moreover, Christian Anigwe led the Spartans with six points at the time.

At the final media timeout of the first, Anigwe and Steadman combined for 11 rebounds and 14 of the Spartans’ 23 points. The Spartans trailed the Wildcats 38-23, which was out of reach to say the least.

The Spartans were down 45-29 at the end of the first. Anigwe had six points and seven rebounds, while Steadman had eight points and five rebounds. The Spartans pulled down 13 offensive rebounds, but found very little success from the floor.

The second half wasn’t much better for the Spartans. But Steadman reached double figures for the second time of his early career at San Jose State with 12 points and seven boards. Steadman was a bright spot on the Spartan roster.

The Spartans were a new-look squad late in the second as they shot 59.3% from the floor and went on a 10-0 run to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 76-69 with 4:31 left in regulation,

It was a six-point ballgame with just under a minute left on the clock. The Spartans trailed the Wildcats by six, 80-74, and Anigwe recorded his first double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Spartans used a big second half to make a comeback bid, but they fell short in a 85-77 loss to the Wildcats inside the Gateway Christian Academy.

The Spartans return home to host the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday, November 24 at 3:00 pm PT.

San Jose State men’s basketball heads to the Bahamas for Bimini Jam

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

As you may already know, San Jose State men’s basketball is looking to avoid a two-game losing streak in their next game against Weber State on Thursday. SJSU is set to take part in the Junkanoo Jam in Bimini, The Bahamas from Nov. 15-18. The round robin tournament will feature SJSU, Weber State, CSU Bakersfield and Central Michigan. Live video will be provided by FloSports and is available to stream online via a paid subscription.

Game #3
Weber State vs. SJSU
Thursday Nov. 15, 5:30 pm PT
Gateway Christian Academy
Bimini, The Bahamas

Game #4
SJSU vs. TBD
TBD
Gateway Christian Academy
Bimini, The Bahamas

Game #5
SJSU vs. TBD
TBD
Gateway Christian Academy
Bimini, The Bahamas

Newcomers
A total of nine newcomers made their SJSU debuts in the sin over Life Pacific. Guards Brae Ivey, Seneca Knight and Zach Chappell along with forward Michael Steadman all started for the first time at the D1 level.

On the boards
The Spartans currently sit in fourth in the Mountain West rankings with 83 total rebounds this season. Their 14.0 offensive boards ranks second in the conference.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman is off to a hot start at his new home at SJSU. He currently ranks 11th nationally in total rebounds (27), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (10.0) and eighth in total rebounds per game (13.5).

Full Offseason for Prioleau
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau is entering his second season at the helm of SJSU men’s basketball and is coming off his first full offseason with the program. He was hired on August 4, 2017, and given just three months to prepare for his debut season. Now with a full offseason under his belt to prepare the team, he and his staff are excited about the Spartans’ potential.

Staff Shakeup 
Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach. He also promoted director of basketball operations, Ryan Cooper, to assistant coach.

Meet the Opponents
Weber State is 1-1 this season and are coming off a 123-53 win over Bethesda. They are led by Randy Rahe in his 13th season.

CSU Bakersfield nearly pulled off a big upset in their season opener vs. No. 20 TCU, but ultimately fell 66-61. They bounced back vs. Antelope Valley in an 111-75 win to move to 1-1 on the season. The Roadrunners are led by eighth-year head coach Rod Barnes.

Central Michigan is 2-0 following 98-67 and 101-60 wins over Concordia (Mich.) and Chicago State, respectively. They are led by Keno Davis in his seventh year at the helm.

SJSU in Regular Season Tournaments
The Junkanoo Jam will be the first in-season tournament for the Spartans since the 2015-16 season when they took part in the GCI Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage. They finished fifth.

Additionally, this will be the first time the Spartans have ever played regular-season games outside of the United States in program history.

San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu: Both football and men’s basketball teams lost to Utah-based teams last Saturday

Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB and @SJSUMBB

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana:

1. It’s time for some football. San Jose State took an early lead and put on somewhat of a show in Logan, Utah last Saturday, but suffered a brutal 62-24 loss to the Utah State Aggies. The Aggies were ranked #14/#16 at the time, but now they’re ranked #23. Are the Aggies the real deal or are the Spartans just really bad?

2. It’s time to talk men’s basketball. San Jose State dropped a heartbreaker to Southern Utah 66-59 inside the Event Center last Saturday. I know you predicted the Spartans would win 10 games under second-year head coach Jean Prioleau, but have your thoughts changed? Also, what do the Spartans need to do in order to get a win over the Weber State Wildcats in the Bahamas on Thursday?

3. Let’s take a look at a bright spot in San Jose State Athletics. In women’s soccer, San Jose State made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament, but got shutout by the UCLA Bruins in L.A. last Friday. Not the result the girls had hoped for, but they should be proud of themselves nevertheless.

Ana does the San Jose State podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com

Home is where the heart is: Cal Bears easily handle the Hampton Pirates 80-66

Photo credit: @Pac12Network

By: Ana Kieu

The California Golden Bears defended Haas Pavilion after a 80-66 win over the Hampton Pirates on Tuesday night. In case you didn’t know, Hampton men’s basketball is based in Hampton, Virginia (go look it up if you don’t believe me!).

Anyhow, it was a good win for the Bears, who showed the Cal students, alumni and fans that home is where the heart is. The Bears’ starting lineup consisted of Darius McNeill, Paris Austin, Justice Sueing, Matt Bradley and Andre Kelly.

The Bears pounced on the Pirates from the get-go. Paris Austin opened the scoring with the first basket of the game and Justice Sueing followed up by hitting two from the line. The Bears trailed by only one point at the time, but they overcame adversity and went on a 10-0 run–thanks to scores from Austin, McNeill and Connor Vanover–midway through the first half. The Bears brought a far-fetched 48-31 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

When you're happy to be back in Haas!

Slight work in the first half to give Cal a nice lead headed into the break. Be back soon… #NoRepsOff

📷: @KLCfotos pic.twitter.com/Khh8yv13hD

— Cal Basketball (@CalMBBall) November 14, 2018

The Bears slightly cooled off in the second half. The Pirates outscored the Bears 35-32, but the game was pretty much out of reach for the visiting team.

At a media break, Hampton closed the lead 54-44, while Cal was unable to score in 3:06 (minus the fact that Kelly led the Bears with four points at the time. The Bears picked up the pace, which led to four Bears in double figures with under six minutes on the scoreboard. The Bears then went on a 7-0 run in the last 2:25 to close out the game on a high note. Also, note that Austin hit a three-pointer to extend the Bears’ lead back to double digits.

The Bears got a 80-66 win over the Pirates in their home opener. Austin led the Bears with 20 points and six assists in the victory. As a result, Austin earned the Opus Bank #12Best moment tonight.

Notes
The Bears’ nonconference schedule includes more than 18,000 miles of travel.

The bulk of Cal’s nonconference travel comes in a 20-day span between roundtrip travel to China (November 2 to 10) and Brooklyn, N.Y. (November 16 to 21). Other stops away from Haas Pavilion include Fresno, Calif. and a trip through the Caldecott Tunnel to face Saint Mary’s.

No other team in the nation will travel more during their nonconference slate than Cal.

Up Next
The Bears return home to host the Detroit Titans on Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 pm PT on PACN.

Tar Heels hand the Cardinal their first loss of the season 90-72

Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, November 12, 2018

North Carolina used a dominant first half to defeat Stanford 90-72 in its men’s basketball home opener at Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., handing the Cardinal their first loss of the season.

No. 7-UNC (3-0) led 52-26 at the half behind an early run kick-started by Kenny Williams. The senior guard, after starting the season missing his first 10 shots, made a layup and followed that with a 3-pointer 90 seconds into the game.

Stanford (2-1) got off to such a bad start that Coach Jerod Haase used his first time out nearly 2 ½ minutes into the game. The Cardinal opened the game shooting 1 of 12.

KZ Okpala led the Cardinal with 16 points, hitting 6 of 13 from the field — 1 for 2 on 3-pointers. Okpala also grabbed nine rebounds. Cormac Ryan was next with 14 points and six assists, and Oscar Da Silva had 11 points.

Cameron Johnson led UNC with 17 points. Johnson connected on 7 of 11 from the field — 3 of 4 3-pointers. Luke Maye was next with 16 points, with Garrison Brooks and Kenny Williams each adding 12 points apiece.

Tar Heels held a 45-35 rebounding edge, with Ray and Brooks each pulling down eight boards, and Johnson adding seven. Williams, Coby White and Seventh Woods each had four assists.

The Cardinal return home to host Wofford this Friday night at 7:00 pm PT on PACN.