By Ernie Gonzalez (@superego1012):
San Jose State (4-8, 1-0 MW) is off to a strong conference start after defeating Utah State (2-10, 0-1 MW) 79-66 Thursday night inside The Event Center.
SJSU’s guards came to play, as sophomore Taylor Turney and freshman Megan Anderson combined for 38 points on 14/23 shooting, 11 rebounds and only four turnovers.
“From preseason to this game, I saw a completely different team out there,” Turney said postgame. “I’m proud of all of them.”
Turney and Anderson both dropped career highs (24 and 14), something Turney said stemmed from the rest of the team.
“We moved the ball really well. That gave a lot of us open shots,” Turney said. “I don’t really care about the points, I’m just really happy about the win.”
SJSU head coach Jamie Craighead had similar thoughts, saying its easier to win when shots are falling.
“It helps when the ball’s moving and are shooters are hitting shots,” Craighead said. “It allowed Taylor then to penetrate and be more effective off the dribble.”
The Spartans shot lights out from long range, hitting 12-20 while the Aggies struggled all night, converting on just 1-11 from deep.
Bench play also played a pivotal role, as the shooting was contagious all throughout the roster.
Danae Marquez, Analyss Benally, Hallie Gennett and Mikaylah Wilson all combined for 27 points, impacting the game in its crucial moments.
The Spartans return to the hardwood in Fort Collins on Saturday afternoon for their first conference road game against Colorado State (8-3, 0-1 MW).