More on last night 's game

We're still feeling the vibe emanating from last night's victory over Idaho so let's revel in it some more.

Here's a take on the game from an Idaho student journalist:

Late Spartan surge ends Idaho’s bid to sweep road trip
Travis Mason-Bushman
Vandal Nation
January 5, 2010

SAN JOSE, Calif. — With four minutes and change to play in San Jose State’s WAC opener against Idaho last night, Spartan forward C.J. Webster looked at the opposing shot clock across the court — it was about to expire. In desperation, he flicked up a no-look shot backwards over his head from the free-throw line.

Back of the rim. Net. Score. The 1,287 fans in the Events Center sounded like 10,000.

It was just that kind of night for the home team...

Go here for the remainder. Do make sure to check out the YouTube link to Coach Don Verlin's post-game press conference.

+++++

What We Liked

* The Spartans scored 44 of their 78 points in the paint -- that's amazing because the Vandals aren't exactly helpless inside defensively. But, as Coach Verlin offered in his post-game press conference, you have to pick your poison and he chose a strategy that didn't quite work for this 40 minutes at least.

* On the other hand, Idaho was credited with 32 points in the paint -- a total that surprises us considering the Vandal top scorers were guards and wings. Remember this statistic from our pre-game report: "In its 2009-2010 victories to date, Idaho has averaged 33+ points in paint to just 24 points in the paint in losses." Curious.

* The official rebounding numbers number turned out to be fairly close (SJSU 13 + 18 = 31, ID 10 + 18 = 28) but San Jose State out-scored the Vandals 22-14 in second-chance points.

* Shooting 52.5% from the floor was a tremendous feat for the Spartans but Idaho also shot a to-be-proud-of (for them) 50.9%.

* First coming back from a second-half deficit and then holding on to a lead down the stretch was an impressive San Jose State achievement. This was a missing element from last season.

Elementary my dear Watson...er Webster

We certainly can't attend the upperclassmen dinner now. Well, maybe with Mike Tyson in tow providing security.

A certain Rebounder pointed out to us -- we thank him -- that C.J. Webster has not changed his name nor morphed into a Golden State Warrior backcourter (as Idaho and soon the rest of the WAC wishes).

We don't know what we were thinking last night or if we were thinking when doing the game report. But we sure love the state of Texas and have a particular fondness for Missouri City, Texas...

Let us know when it is safe to emerge from our bunker.

San Jose State triumphs 78-75

It was a battle of middleweights, quite the appropriate Whelliston-ian reference for two mid-majority schools. One would throw a punch, so to speak, followed with a rejoinder by the other. But neither could achieve a knockout so it was a match to be decided on points (pun intended).

San Jose State eventually triumphed over visiting Idaho 78-75.

C.J. Watson re-introduced himself to the WAC, Idaho specifically, with a 21/11 double-double. Adrian Oliver topped San Jose with 22 points. Chris Oakes contributed 18.

Midway through the second half, a five point run brought SJSU to within one at 56-55.

San Jose State then pulled ahead by seven and it was 71-65 in favor of the Spartans with 3:41 remaining. Kashif Watson scored for the Vandals sandwiched around a SJSU travel and a turnover on a steal.

Mac Peterson, off all night with his shooting, then nailed a trey to make the score 74-67. It was his sole make of the evening.

But Idaho wasn't done just yet.

Mac Hopson put in a deuce to bring the margin back to five, 74 to 69, at the 1:08 mark.

Adrian Oliver followed with a matching fallaway jumper.

Luiz Toledo was fouled and made one of two free throw attempts, making it 76-70.

Oliver misfired with a one-and-one at the foul line and Luciano de Souza calmly came down and buried a three-pointer, making it a one possession game at 76-73.

Robert Owens was fouled on the following possession and cooly knocked down both shots.

But amazingly, Watson then was fouled attempting a three-pointer. He made the front and back end shots, missing the middle attempt and that's how the contest ended.

The Vandals led 38-37 at the half. Webster topped SJSU with 13 points on 6-7 shooting. Chris Oakes missed some time as a precaution due to a pair of fouls. Idaho had just four free throw attempts after the first 20 minutes, making all. The biggest Idaho lead was three -- it was four for the Spartans. Luciano de Souza shot a sizzling 5-8.

After being out-boarded in the first half, San Jose State rebounded (again pun intended) to win that battle 29-24.

Idaho was led by Mac Hopson with 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Steffan Johnson helped out with 15 points -- on five three-pointers.
___________________________________

By the way, Louisiana Tech is serious this season, having beat down Utah State 82-60 tonight in Ruston.

Idaho comes to town Monday night

Idaho currently (Friday) sits at 5-4 as we aren't counting wins against Eastern Oregon and Lewis & Clark. The Vandals play Hawaii in the islands on Saturday so the SJSU master plan surely is to have the Vandals be jetlagged while still dreaming about the inviting sand, warm surf and yes, those bikinis in January.

It's Monday night when Coach Don Verlin brings his troops to Walt McPherson Court to face San Jose State.

The 2009-2010 season started with a blast for the Vandals -- a seven-point "Super Bowl" smacking of Utah in Salt Lake City. Then a road loss to a better-than-usual Texas Southern squad tempered the elation. It was soon followed by a two-point road loss to Cal State Northridge. Questions began arising: just how good is Idaho?

All then seemed well after a 20 point spanking of Portland, which was ranked #25 at the time.

A road loss to Washington State wasn't unexpected and a rematch with Portland -- in the Rose City -- was then on tap. The Vandals figuratively didn't show up as the Pilots won by 30 points.

In the pre-season polls, Idaho was picked to finish fourth in the conference by both the coaches and media.

The Vandals didn't lose any players of significance so the expectations are that last season's 9-7 league record will be bettered.

Both the media and the coaches named Mac Hopson to the preseason all-WAC first team while the media voted fellow backcourter Steffan Johnson, a Pacific transfer who sat out last season, as the WAC Newcomer of the Year.

So more talent, greater experience and not that many new players to introduce to the system are all positive factors.

So why the erraticism?

We don't know the answer. More than likely, Coach Verlin and his coaching staff are in the same boat. As with all the WAC teams, it's takes a unit, playing well together, to be successful as the league isn't composed of squads who have a star or two who are talented enough to take over and dominate contests when teammates are enduring off-nights, or vice versa.

Here's Travis Mason-Bushman at his topnotch Vandal Nation site after the loss to Portland:

"For the third straight game, the Vandals looked more interested in sleeping in than playing basketball last night. The Portland Pilots, hungry for revenge at home after a 20-point Idaho beatdown knocked them out of the Top 25 last week, gladly took advantage...

...Idaho has looked disjointed, sluggish and indifferent ever since its home win over then-No. 25 Portland two weeks ago. There’s nothing good to talk about from this game, as virtually every stat was a season low for the Vandals: 38 percent shooting, 19 turnovers, even a spectacularly bad 12-for-29 performance from the free-throw line..."

But conference play is a brand new season, a slate swept clean and an opportunity to right any deficiencies.

By the way, why the nickname Vandals? From the Idaho athletic site: "One of the unique nicknames in sports, “Vandals” has been the nickname for University of Idaho athletic teams for more than 80 years. Area sportswriters coined the nickname as they tried to describe the tenacity with which coach Hec Edmundson’s basketball teams played defense. It first was used in 1918 strictly for the men’s basketball team and officially adopted for all teams in 1921. The sports editor of the school newspaper, Lloyd “Jazz” McCarty, along with the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Edward Maslin Hulme, made the final push for the nickname to be adopted, both as a tribute to the intensity of the athletic teams and to the Norsemen of old.


Schedule to Date

Nov 13 @ Utah 94 - 87 (W)

Nov 15 @ Texas Southern 65 - 72 (L)

Nov 21 @ North Dakota State 81 - 69 (W)

Nov 24 Sacramento State 75 - 61 (W)

Nov 28 Eastern Washington 76 - 54 (W)

Dec 03 @ Cal State Northridge 93 - 95 (L)

Dec 06 Portland 68 - 48 (W)

Dec 09 @ Washington State 64 - 76 (L)

Dec 12 Eastern Oregon 82 - 77 (W)

Dec 22 @ Portland 52 - 82 (L)

Dec 29 Lewis & Clark 71 - 52 (W)


Idaho's Starting Quintet

Marvin Jefferson 6-foot-9: 8.1 points and 6.7 rebounds a game, a team-leading 22 blocked shots, a scorer more on putbacks and dunk opportunities, needs to remain out of foul trouble

Luiz Toledo 6-foot-7: 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, shooting 66% from the floor, bothered earlier by injuries

Kashif Watson 6-foot-4: 11.4 points and 3.5 rebounds a game, shooting 50% on the season, has not attempted a trey, his 55 free throw attempts are the most on the team as he is a slicer and dicer who gets opponents out of position, resulting in whistles

Steffan Johnson 6-foot-1: 11.7 points per game, a team-leading 15 steals, shooting 42% overall, 44% from three-point range, watch for him on the offensive boards as his rebounding total is split 31 defensive and 30 offensive

Mac Hopson 6-foot-2: averaging 13 points and four rebounds a game, with a team-leading 45 assists -- he makes the offense go. Hopson is shooting 45% overall, 28% from long distance. His turnover rate is inexplicably up this season but we haven't seen him play so don't have a clue as to the cause or causes.

Each starter averages 25-28 minutes per game.

A usual starter, Brandon Wiley, has been injured this season and that has definitely been a negative since he is sort of a 'glue'guy' who performs well in his roles and never reaches beyond his capabilities. Wiley has been out since November 15 and his current status is unknown..

The Cavalry

Luciano de Souza 6-foot-7: great hair and a long distance shooter almost exclusively, 31 of his 38 shot attempts have been treys

Jeff Ledbetter 6-foot-3: ditto, even the hair, 28 of his 38 shots have been threes

Kyle Barone 6-10: 4.6 rebounds a game and he is also shooting 63% from the floor, add some beef and he could be something

Shawn Henderson: 6-3 - backcourt depth


The Vandal Roster by position

Mac Hopson G 6-2 185 Sr.
Jeff Ledbetter G 6-3 195 Jr.
Shawn Henderson G 6-3 178 Jr.
Steffan Johnson G 6-1 180 Sr.
Landon Tatum G 5-11 196 Jr.
Justin Stewart G 6-1 185 Fr.
Kashif Watson G 6-4 186 Sr.

Corey Stern, Corey F 6-7 200 Fr.
Brandon Wiley F 6-6 218 Sr.
Luciano de Souza F 6-7 210 Sr.
Luiz Toledo F 6-8 225 So.
Travis Blackstock F 6-5 206 Sr.

Kyle Barone C 6-10 220 Fr.
Joe Kammerer C 6-9 241 Fr.
Marvin Jefferson C 6-9 250 Sr.


What to Look For

* It may or may not mean anything but Idaho went 3-5 on the road in WAC play last season.

* Last year, Idaho lacked depth and size, finishing last in rebounding. This season, the Vandals have improved to the middle of the pack. Translated: rebounding totals should be close on Monday.

* Verlin's squad is shooting close to 41% from three-point range this season while holding opponents to 36%.

* Piggybacking on the above, Idaho is shooting 47% overall from the floor while holding opposing teams to 41%.

* The Vandals are nabbing 6.3 steals a game -- will that number be met or not or exceeded on Monday? The Spartans are a -31 in steals with opponents.

* Here's a curious statistic to track on Monday: In its 2009-2010 victories to date, Idaho has averaged 33+ points in paint to just 24 points in the paint in losses.

A not-to-miss Rebounder get-together

Back by popular demand, the "Meet the Players Dinners" are back.

A number of requests have come in asking for the return of the "Meet The Players Dinners" so it is happening once again. Come join the Spartan juniors, seniors and coaches on Tuesday, January 5 at the Bold Knight Bistro.

This will be one of the most fun events that the Rebounders have each year so please do be there. This will be your chance to get to know the basketball student-athletes because you will be sitting at the dinner table alongside Adrian Oliver, Justin Graham, Jerelle Wilson, C.J. Webster, Chris Oakes, Mac Peterson and Robert Owens.

RSVP by January 1, 2010 @ 408-694-7631

Host: Spartan Rebounders
Location: Bold Knight Bistro 840 North First Street (near Hedding)
When: Tuesday, January 5, 6:00PM

Social Hour begins at 6:00 p.m. with dinner following at 7:00 p.m.

The menu for the evening is a tender boneless breast of chicken, marinated with fresh garden herbs, served on a bed of pasta with fresh tomatoes and a touch of white sauce. Served with a tossed House salad with choice of Italian or Continental dressing.

Cost for the event is $20 for current Rebounder Members and $25 for Non-Members.

Again, please RSVP by January 1, 2010. Player sponsorships are always welcome.

We offer a hearty thank-you for your continued support.

San Jose State sweeps UC Irvine 78-68

On December 18, San Jose State took to the court of the Bren Center and won 69-56 over UC Irvine. Tonight, it was a rematch on Walt McPherson Court and the Spartans again came out on top, 78-68, versus the Anteaters.

Adrian Oliver led the way with 29 points. Justin Graham notched eight assists. Chris Oakes returned to action, posting six points and four boards in 19 minutes.

SJSU shot well all night, going 52% overall, 79% from the foul line and 60% from three-point range. In contrast, the Anteaters struggled with 42%, 39% and 28% respectively. That middle figure is not a typo.

UCI got the first possession and what then took place proved to be a telltale sign: the initial Anteater shot was an air ball. Before seven minutes were up, starting center Zack Atkinson incurred two fouls and had to sit. He ended up with one point in 10 minutes of play.

At the half, it was 41-35 in favor of SJSU.

The opening of the second 20 minutes had the Spartans playing strong. Oliver nailed a trey, C.J. Webster completed an old fashioned three-point play and Oliver followed with a dribble-drive lefthanded layup.

Irvine closed the lead to eight a few times but could never get any closer.

Eric Wise led the Anteaters with 31 points and seven boards. Wayne Hunter chipped in with 19, primarily on the basis of 5-12 long distance shooting.

Remarably, UCI scored four more baskets than San Jose State but it took 23 more shot attempts in order to do so. SJSU scored 16 more points at the foul line.

There were multiple factors at play in tonight's victory: often enough great spacing, confident looks, the ability of Oliver and Graham to go left and still score and the confidence that comes with experience.

NOTES

Mac Peterson and Adrian Oliver broke their consecutive made free throw streaks as the former went 4-5 and the latter 7-8.

Oliver damn near broke the ankles of his defender on one play -- let's just say his opponent was turned around completely on what looked like an outside shot, then morphed into a brief but tricky dribble-drive, followed by a reverse fadeaway jumper that netted three points. It's lucky the defender still had his shoes on after that sequence.

Idaho comes to town on January 4 to open WAC play.

The Anteaters here Monday night

We have no evidence to confirm our proclamation but we'll still offer that nobody has ever used "madder than a pack of angry Anteaters" to describe any perturbed group.

So maybe new ground will be broken Monday night when UC Irvine takes to the floor at Walt McPherson Court in a rematch with San Jose State.

Why?

Consider this after-the-game comment from Irvine's top talent, Eric Wise: "We gave the game away...just a lack of execution, turnovers and no rebounding. They beat us, but we didn't help ourselves."

On December 18, UCI held a lead for the initial 28 minutes of the game but 12 second half turnovers, 31% team shooting and a 16-4 San Jose State scoring run led to a 69-56 Bren Center loss to the Spartans.

On that night, Adrian Oliver 31 points plus Justin Graham's 16 did the job, along with 50% shooting from the floor as a team. SJSU held the Anteaters to 37% overall shooting for the game.

We won't go so far as to call it a grudge match but, other than an expected big defeat at Texas, the 13-point loss to San Jose State is the worst for Irvine thus far. So there probably is a sticking-in-the-craw feeling motivating the Anteaters.

Yet on the other hand, their typical diet is ants and termites -- not Spartans.

It's the last game before both teams begin their respective conference schedules.

The Irvine Season to Date

11/15/09 at Texas L, 89-42
11/18/09 at Loyola Marymount W, 84-78

O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic
11/23/09 vs. UTSA Richmond, KY L, 66-56
11/24/09 vs. Eastern Kentucky Richmond, KY L, 67-57
11/25/09 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Richmond, KY W, 75-54

12/02/09 vs. Hawai'i W, 80-70
12/12/09 vs. Vanguard W, 81-73
12/15/09 at Seattle University L, 82-81
12/18/09 vs. San Jose State L, 69-56
12/21/09 vs. Pepperdine W, 74-61


The Anteater Starting Five

6-foot-9 Zach Atkinson - 9.2 ppg. and 4.8 rpg., shooting 58% on the season -- scored 12 points with three blocked shots last time against SJSU, was effective in the first half

6-foot-8 Pavol Lavonsky - 6.9 ppg., and 4.2 rpg.

6-foot-5 Eric Wise - leads the team in rebounding at 5.5 rpg., is second in scoring at 13.0, his 37 assists leads the team, was a pre-season All Big West selection -- scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and passed for four assists earlier against SJSU

6-foot-3 Darren Moore - 9.3 ppg., 3.2 rpg., his 37 free throw attempts are second on the team, has a team-leading 18 steals, shooting 43% from long range

5-10 Michael Hunter - the leading scorer at 14.6 ppg. and second in assists with 30, tops in three-point attempts with 74, Hunter led the squad in steals last season but is second so far in 2009-2010 -- scored 13 points against SJSU earlier, with three treys

The Calvary

6-foot-9 Peter Simek (has grabbed seven boards in each of the last two games, including the previous UCI-SJSU contest)

6-foot-0 Patrick Rembert

6-foot-2 Mike Wilder

6-foot-4 Emil Kim

6-foot-8 Adam Folker

6-foot-2 Derrick Strings


The Irvine Roster (by position)

Zack Atkinson 6-9 220 Center SR
Peter Simek 6-9 245 Center JR (Bratislava, Slovakia)

Adam Folker 6-8 220 Forward SO (Markham, Ontario)
Pavol Losonsky 6-8 235 Forward JR (Pezinok, Slovakia)
Rashaad Ubah 6-6 210 Forward SO
Eric Wise 6-5 235 Forward SO (his father Francois, is a former Long Beach Stater who is the 49ers' career leader in rebounds)
Derick Flowers 6-0 175 Guard FR
Michael Hunter 5-10 160 Guard SR
Emil Kim 6-4 200 Guard JR
Jonas Lalehzadeh 6-5 203 Guard
Darren Moore 6-3 185 Guard JR
Patrick Rembert 6-0 185 Guard JR
Brandon Scott 6-2 180 Guard FR (Archbishop Mitty HS)
Derrick Strings 6-2 180 Guard SO
Mike Wilder 6-2 205 Guard FR

What to Expect

* Besides 37% overall shooting in the loss to SJSU, Irvine shot but eight free throws and went 5-25 from long distance for the game

* Expect Coach Pat Douglass to hedge his perimeter defenders inside, daring SJSU -- other than Adrian Oliver -- to shoot from the perimeter -- Pac Peterson and Robert Owens will need to demonstrate their longrange shooting prowess

* Adrian Oliver is coming off a double-double of 23/12 against Santa Clara, 26 versus Northern Colorado, the aforementioned 31 earlier against UC Irvine and 30 matching up with Cal State Bakersfield, so he's back in form.

If the internet radio gods and goddesses permit and the planets are in alignment, KSJS (90.5 FM, San Jose) will originate the San Jose State University basketball broadcast, with Mike Chisholm calling the play-by-play. Air time is 6:30 p.m. for the UC Irvine game. As a backup, try kuci.org

Spartans win 74-68

Two miles or so separate San Jose State and Santa Clara University but the sports history between the basketball teams seems a distant memory as the Spartans now see Western Athletic Conference opponents as their primary rivals and the Broncos feel the same about West Coast Conference foes. Neither games at Walt McPherson Court nor at the Leavey Center between the schools pack in fans to the rafters.

But it's always fun to claim a win and establish so-called local annual superiority and San Jose State did just that Wednesday evening. Wearing their road blue uniforms, they left the Broncos blue by a score of 74-68.

At the half, Santa Clara led 30-25.

The Broncos then opened the difference to ten, 39-29, on a Ray Cowels trey, followed by a steal leading to a Niyi Harrison dunk.

Santa Clara enjoyed a 44-39 lead at the 11:23 mark but Mac Petersen apparently took insult of the situation. He hit four free throws and a layup, sandwiched in and around a Justin Graham layup, two foul shots by Adrian Oliver and a Robert Owens trey to boost San Jose State to a 54-47 lead.

Santa Clara battled back but three-pointers by Owens and then Peterson kept the Spartans ahead.

Back-to-back Bronco steals and points soon closed the gap to two -- 66-64, before Oliver hit a jumper with 40 seconds remaining.

Michael Santos of Santa Clara was fouled but hit just one of two foul shots and Oliver subsequently nailed both his free throws to make the score 70-65. Robert Smith made a layup for the Broncos but Oliver threaded another pair at the foul line, followed by a second twosome making it 74-68.

Oliver finished with a double-double of 24 points and 12 boards, Peterson concluded with 17 and Owens added 12.

+++++

Chris Oakes again wasn't available so Kyle Thomas started in his place and Peterson also was sent out as a member of the SJSU quintet for the initial jump ball. Oakes is sitting while a paperwork snafu is being appealed to the NCAA, an organization which makes molasses seems Usain Bolt-like and it being holiday time isn't making the situation any more expedient.

Santa Clara. Leavey Center. 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

Yes, the late Jack Webb wrote our subject line. But we will take over from here.

Crosstown rivalries are always cool because the fans of both the teams we are referring to interact and intersect throughout Silicon Valley on a daily basis. Bragging rights at the water cooler or the latte maker are up for grab tomorrow night.

The Broncos are currently 6-5, coming off a 54-53 homecourt victory over Pacific:

"Bronco sophomore Marc Trasolini nailed two free throws with 12 ticks left and the Santa Clara defense stopped a last-second attempt to capture victory over Pacific at the Leavey Center. The Broncos avenged their 84-57 loss from Nov. 22 in Stockton.

"I am really proud of our effort tonight. We worked hard not to turn the ball over and did a better job of handling it. It's great to have the team out of school and rested. The guys are coaching themselves out on the floor right now. It's great to see them continue to grow," said Bronco head coach Kerry Keating. "I would like to see Marc Trasolini shoot 10 three pointers a night. He is that good of a shooter. He just needs to work on his confidence and continue to shoot."

SCU shot 38.6 percent, including 40 percent beyond the arc. SCU had 30 rebounds, three blocks and four steals with 12 turnovers. Pacific shot 44.9 percent, including 30 percent beyond the arc. Pacific had 31 rebounds, four blocks and seven steals with 14 turnovers.

Trasolini led the Broncos with 17 points and five rebounds. Ben Dowdell finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Niyi Harrison also added seven points for the Broncos."

An important note: The most talented Bronco, 6-foot-2 guard Kevin Foster, fractured the fifth metatarsal of his left foot on December 19 and required surgery. He is probably out for the season but time will tell about that.

Bronco Schedule To Date

11/13/09 at Cal State Bakersfield W, 84-81
11/19/09 at San Diego State L, 86-53
11/22/09 at Pacific L, 84-57
11/25/09 vs. Northern Arizona L, 88-72
11/28/09 vs. Fresno State W, 74-67
12/01/09 at UC Santa Barbara W, 79-68
12/05/09 vs. UNLV L, 66-63
12/14/09 at Houston Baptist W, 68-65
12/16/09 at Rice L, 70-57
12/21/09 vs. Pacific W, 54-53

The Starting Quintet

* 6-foot-9 sophomore Marc Trasolini - 14.7 ppg., 6.7 rpg.

* 6-foot-7 freshman Niyi Harrison 7.6 ppg., 4.9 rpg. or 6-foot-8 freshman Chris Cunningham (both in-the-paint players)

* 6-foot-6 junior Troy Payne - 7 rebounds a game, 30 assists, 21 steals (all team-leading numbers), a JC transfer

* 6-foot-4 freshman Ray Cowls - 6.4 ppg., has taken the second most three-pointers on the team, shooting 27% on his treys

* 6-foot freshman Robert Smith - 10.8 ppg., 3.2 rpg., shooting 33% overall from the floor

The Calvary

* 6-foot-5 junior Michael Santos - more of a distance shooter than anything else

* 6-foot-7 junior Ben Dowdell - an all-around frontcourter, will get you some points and rebounds

* 6-foot-1 Troy Alexander - his numbers are down this season but he averaged 15 ppg. last year, starting seven games

The Bronco Roster by position

Troy Alexander Guard SO 6-1/180
Phillip Bach Guard SO 6-4/195
Kevin Foster Guard SO 6-2/220
Nate Mensah Guard JR 6-3/195
Kyle Perricone Guard FR 6-3/195
Michael Santos Guard JR 6-5/205
Robert Smith Guard FR 6-0/185

Ray Cowels Forward FR 6-4/205
Chris Cunningham Forward FR 6-8/230
Ben Dowdell Forward JR 6-7/225 (Australian Institute of Sport) there's that AIS again - St. Mary's has 3-4 players from there
Niyi Harrison Forward FR 6-7/220 (Bellarmine College Prep)
Troy Payne Forward JR 6-6/220
Marc Trasolini Forward SO 6-9/235

What To Expect

* As a team, Santa Clara is shooting 40% to 44% for opponents

* On treys, the Broncos are at 30% to 38% for opposing teams

* But Kerry Keating's squad has shot 61 more free throws on the season, committing 47 less fouls

* From the Santa Clara athletics site: "The Broncos have been a tale of two teams this year. In the six wins, the Broncos averaged 15.8 turnovers per game, but in the five losses they are averaging 20.0 turnovers per game. In addition, the Broncos averaged 75.8 points per game in the six wins with the opponents scoring just 66.8. In the five losses Santa Clara averaged 60.4 ppg and the opponents have averaged 78.8 ppg"

Radio Coverage: KSJS (90.5 FM, San Jose) originates San Jose State University basketball broadcasts. Mike Chisholm calls the play-by-play. Air time is 6:30 p.m. (PST) for the Santa Clara contest. But if you cannot access the Spartan 'net broadcast, try KDOW (www.1220kdow.com) for a live netstreaming of the game

Northern Colorado proves too much

It's rare but sometimes the opening play in a game is a telltale sign. Host Northern Colorado began the match against San Jose State with a quick trey and such was a omen of things to come.

The contest remained close through the half but then the Bears exploded in the second half, finishing with a 93-69 victory

At the half, it was 38-33 in favor of Northern Colorado. C.J. Webster has 11 points and Adrian Oliver 10 after the first 20 minutes. Both teams shot 44% but the Bears shot 7-19 from three-point range.

UNC did jump out to that very early 3-0 lead but the Spartans then went on a 9-0 run. Northern Colorado went on an 8-0 run of its own to take back the lead at 17-15. SJSU tied it at 24 but the Bears grabbed the lead back and held on to it through the first half.

Things fell apart in the second half.

Northern Colorado jumped ahead 48-37 at the 15:48 mark. A Webster basket made it 55-45 and Oliver reduced the deficit to eight at 55-47 but the Bears went 7-9 on the second half shots, 3-4 on treys and it was 61-47 at the 11:30 mark. The Spartan deficit went to 20 with 5:40 remaining.

UNC went 18-37 on three-point shots for the night, making more baskets from long distance than they did inside the line (15). Backcourters Will Figures and Devon Beitzel each scored 24, going 6-11 and 6-8 respectively from long distance.

San Jose State shot 43% overall, 23-25 at the foul line and 4-10 on treys. Northern Colorado shot 53% overall, 9-12 from the charity stripe and the aforementioned 18-37 from long range.