By Sandeep Chandok (@sandeepchandok):
I know the holidays are coming up, but giving your opponent nearly two dozen extra possessions is generous in a basketball game.
San Jose State committed 22 turnovers on Thursday night in an 81-69 loss at Southern Utah.
“I think they scored 20 points on 22 turnovers … which means we’re actually giving them free baskets,” said head coach Jean Prioleau postgame to SJSU Athletics.
It wasn’t just the countless giveaways that plagued Prioleau’s team, as the Thunderbirds shot 63 percent from the floor in the second half and scored 49 points.
The Spartans actually matched Southern Utah’s point total after halftime and even cut the Thunderbirds’ lead to single digits a couple times in the final seven minutes of the game.
Going shot-for-shot isn’t going to help the Spartans, however.
“We did not guard in the second half,” Prioleau said. “I tried to tell our guys, the only way you can win games is, you can’t trade baskets. You have to get stops.”
SJSU got stops in the opening frame as it held Southern Utah to 29 percent shooting. If only the Spartans had shot better than 28 percent themselves.
“We just didn’t come out ready to play with enough energy,” said junior forward Ryan Welage of the Spartans slow start to the game.
Welage finished with 21 points and seven boards while fellow junior forward Jaycee Hillsman added another 18 and five for SJSU.
Offense wasn’t really the issue for the Spartans who converted on 23 of their 50 shots from the field, although they only had six assists.
It was lack of defense and ball security. Nothing more, and nothing less.
SJSU returns to the Event Center Sunday at 5 p.m. in a matchup with nationally ranked No. 21 Saint Mary’s.