The San Jose State women’s basketball team sent two seniors off with a dominant 76-38 win over Utah State University Monday night.
“Coming in here [in
2016-17 with seniors] Dezz Ramos and Jasmine Smith and all of them, like being a senior is a big thing, we looked up to them and now that we’re in their shoes it’s bittersweet,” senior center Alexis Harris said.
The Spartans (17-11, 11-6 MWC) started off slow on the offensive end, only making 5 shots in the entire first quarter.
The Aggies (7-21, 2-15 MWC) led 18-12 after the first quarter but the game was quickly flipped by the Spartans.
SJSU started to pick it up in the second quarter with sophomore guard Ayzhiana Basallo scoring 8 points which included two 3-pointers.
The offense not only started to flow, but the Spartans took a defensive stand. SJSU closed out the first half with an imposing 28-6 run to lead the game 35-22.
“It was our energy and effort, I think we didn’t come out as fast and strong as we usually do and I think when we saw the scoreboard, we started to pick [it] up,” senior guard Fieme’a Hafoka said.
The Spartans carried their momentum into the third quarter, only allowing 6 points while scoring 20, increasing their lead to 27.
SJSU never looked back and closed out the game and their home schedule, doubling up Utah State 76-38.
Sophomore guard Raziya Potter led bench scorers with 16 points, 9 of which came in the fourth quarter.
After the game, seniors Harris and Hafoka were honored.
“[Hafoka] embodies the aloha spirit, just something about her gratitude, she appreciates everything and the opportunity is never lost on her, and she’s so grateful to be a Spartan,” head coach Jamie Craighead said.
Hafoka said she was determined to leave a legacy as she finished her last season as a Spartan.
She was team captain for two of her four seasons as a Spartan and entered the season ranked 14th in 3-point percentage in the program’s history.
“You could say it’s been bittersweet, we’ve been through a lot. If we were talking about wins and losses we didn’t really win a lot,” Hafoka said. “Overall, we pushed through it to end. The way we ended, with a really big win, just made everything come together.”
With their 17th win of the season, the Spartans set a record for the most wins since Craighead took over as coach.
“It’s really cool to send out two seniors who’ve been a part of the program and who have given a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” Craighead said. “I’m just proud we can send them out the right way.”
The Spartans will finish their season on the road against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Thursday.
As of Tuesday, SJSU is the No. 3 seed in the conference and will participate in the Mountain West tournament that begins Monday in Las Vegas.
