By Ernie Gonzalez (@superego1012):
After a team-energizing victory Saturday against New Mexico, San Jose State (5-10, 2-2 MW) is ready to defend home court once again tonight — this time against rival San Diego State (7-7, 1-2 MW).
The Spartans and Aztecs last met in the opening round of the Mountain West Championship Tournament in Las Vegas back in March, a game that featured 34 points by former Spartan guard Dezz Ramos en route to a thrilling 76-58 Spartan win.
Tonight however, its a new generation of SJSU women’s basketball, one that according to polls across the country, is the second youngest roster at the Division I level.
The Spartans are still led by a senior however, as fourth-year guard Myzhanique Ladd has carried the rest of the young blood on her shoulders, especially in big games.
Backtrack to Saturday, a game where Ladd not only caught fire with the ball in her hand, but impacted the game in other areas with five rebounds, three assists and just one giveaway all while pouring in a career-high 27 points in 33 minutes.
She’s gotten help by her sophomores all season, which has enabled her to take control of the game if need be. Second-year starting guard Taylor Turney has played free as of late with Ladd’s help and is averaging a team-high in points (13.6) and assists (4.3) per game.
Another sophomore Analyss Benally has had a breakout year thus far and is on pace to bust open the SJSU record for three-pointers made in a season by a sophomore at 47. The sophomore sharpshooter has hit 33 at the halfway point this season.
The three ball has been a staple for this young Spartan team, who drain nearly nine per game, which ranks second in the Mountain West and No. 28 in Division I. SJSU has made 131 shots from beyond the arc, which ranks 22 in the nation.
Another lethal weapon is freshman Megan Anderson, who has arrived on scene fairly quickly, as she’s not afraid to let it loose from long range. The first-year Anderson from Fresno is shooting an incredible team-high 46.7 percent from deep, which ranks third in the conference.
Eye the roster from top-to-bottom and it’s filled with talent. The challenge is displaying it night in and night out on the hardwood.
That’s what SJSU is set to do tonight, at home against San Diego State.
Ball goes up at 7 p.m.