By Daniel Barrera:
Senior guard Dezz Ramos had a career high 40 points as the San Jose State Spartans opened Mountain West Conference play with a 107-84 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack.
In a season full of tough losses thus far, SJSU appeared to play its most complete game, leading for over 35 minutes of regulation.
After leading 56-48 at halftime the Spartans exploded out of the gate in the second half to a double-digit lead. Ramos led off the scoring with back-to-back threes and the Spartans never looked back. By the end of the third quarter, SJSU held an 87-70 advantage.
“My game definitely felt good,” Ramos said. “It was nice to see the whole team hitting shots.”
The high-octane offense of the Spartans pushed the ball with ease, scoring 20 fast-break points.
This was helped by a Nevada team that committed 16 turnovers,which the home team capitalized on to the tune of 23 points off the miscues.
Ramos was the star of the contest, but she also had help from her teammates as senior forward Jasmine Smith and junior guard Myzhanique Ladd both earned double doubles. Hallie Gennett was also a big contributor and was one rebound shy of a double double herself.
Smith hit a personal milestone of her own on the night, becoming the 15th Spartan in school history to score 1,000 points in her career. For the game, she finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Smith reflected on her achievement stating, “It means everything…It’s a great honor.”
The night though belonged to Ramos, who fell just a single point short of the San Jose State Women’s single-game scoring record. Hulett Brooks scored 41 points against Sacramento State on Dec 10, 1993.
“I definitely feel good about my shot,” Ramos said.
That confidence might be a scary thought for opponents but a welcome mindset to the Spartans, who will look to rebound from a bounce back from a difficult non-conference schedule to open the season.
“I think everyone knows how hard of a preseason we had,” Ramos said. “I think it prepared us a lot for conference.”
San Jose State will continue its conference schedule in the new year, when it travels to Colorado State on Jan. 4.