The San José State Spartans secured a 6-point victory over the Air Force Falcons, winning 86-80 at Clune Arena. The Spartans held a narrow 5-point lead at halftime, with the score 42-37 in their favor. The second half saw a closely contested affair, with San José State outscoring Air Force 44-43 to seal the win. The triumph marked a notable outcome, given the significant disparity in NET rankings between the two teams, with Air Force ranked 350 and San José State at 253.
The performance of one player was particularly noteworthy, standing out as a dominant force in the game. This individual's output far exceeded their typical production, setting the tone for the Spartans' victory. The box score reveals a stat line that dwarfs their season averages, underscoring the exceptional nature of this effort. As the Spartans and Falcons battled it out, this player's contributions proved decisive, ultimately helping San José State emerge with the win.
A 34-point, 7-rebound performance from Adrian Myers set the tone for San José State, as his shooting efficiency was on full display. His 11-18 field goal mark, including 8-9 from three-point range, proved to be a significant factor in the team's success. With the game on the line, Myers' ability to score from beyond the arc helped San José State maintain its lead.
The freshman standout Colby Garland's 23 points and 5 assists were crucial in complementing Myers' effort, as his 10-10 mark from the free throw line demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure. Erupting for 11 points, Sadraque NgaNga's contributions, including 4 rebounds and 1 assist, provided additional depth to San José State's offense. His 5-8 field goal mark, including 1-2 from three-point range, highlighted NgaNga's role as a reliable secondary scoring option.
His 21 points on 6-14 shooting from Lucas Hobin led the way for Air Force, but the team's inability to contain San José State's offense ultimately led to their downfall. Finishing with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, Kam Sanders put together a well-rounded performance, though it was not enough to overcome the opposition's strong showing. The team's supporting cast, including Ethan Greenberg, was largely held in check, with Greenberg managing just 10 points on 4-9 shooting.
Despite the loss, the play of Lucas Hobin and Kam Sanders was a notable bright spot, as they combined for 41 points and accounted for the bulk of Air Force's scoring. His 5 three-pointers on 12 attempts from Hobin were a key part of the team's offense, but the lack of production from other areas of the roster hindered their ability to keep pace with San José State. With 10 points from Ethan Greenberg, the team's third-leading scorer, Air Force was unable to muster the necessary firepower to secure a victory.
Beyond the standout performances, the remainder of the players on both teams largely fell in line with their seasonal averages.
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Final
The pre-game prediction of San José State winning by 8.5 points was largely correct, as they ultimately emerged victorious by 6 points. While the margin of victory was slightly narrower than anticipated, the outcome itself was in line with expectations. This suggests that the underlying factors that contributed to the prediction were generally accurate, even if the precise details of the game unfolded differently than forecast.
A closer examination of the team statistics reveals that the game was decided by the exceptional shooting performances of both teams. The elevated effective field goal percentages for both Air Force and San José State, significantly above their season averages, indicate that each team's offense was able to find a rhythm and capitalize on scoring opportunities. San José State's particularly impressive three-point shooting, at 54.2 percent, was a key factor in their ability to maintain a lead and ultimately secure the win. The similar rebounding rates for both teams suggest that this aspect of the game was relatively evenly matched, and therefore did not play a decisive role in the outcome.
The outcome of this contest has significant implications for both teams' postseason aspirations, as they each vie for a spot in the Mountain West conference tournament. San José State's victory improves their standing, albeit marginally, in the conference hierarchy, while Air Force's loss further entrenches them at the bottom of the league table. With the conference tournament representing the only viable path to the NCAA Tournament for both squads, San José State's win provides a crucial boost to their chances of securing a favorable seed, potentially avoiding the lowest seeds in the tournament. In contrast, Air Force's defeat underscores the immense challenge they face in attempting to navigate the conference tournament, given their lack of success against even the weakest opponents, including this Quad 4 loss. Ultimately, this result serves as a stark reminder that, for programs like Air Force, even the smallest steps forward can be fleeting, and the reality is that they are still a long way from relevance.