San Jose State University women’s basketball team is looking to have a bounce-back season and an increase in wins for both conference and overall record.
Last year the team had a 4-14 record in the Mountain West conference.
Last season, the team consisted of mostly lower classmen, having only one junior and two seniors on the team. This year the team consists of three freshmen, six sophomores, four juniors and one senior.
“Every year a player is in a program they’re getting better,” head coach Jamie Craighead said. “They’ve played a lot of significant minutes as freshmen and they got to experience what it was like to play at this level.”
Craighead said that she is expecting big things from the newcomers on the team as well as the returning players.
“The urgency and paste of the game, which is new for them, they’re capable of doing a lot of things on the court. They’ve put in the work in off season to get prepared for this season,” Craighead said.
Though the team is made up of majority of returning players, sophomore Cydni Lewis guarantees that this season they’re a new and improved team.
“This year we have a different mindset,” Lewis said. “Last year, with only winning seven games, that hurt us and put a bad look. I feel like coming in this season, we’re more hungry.”
Lewis feels the team has grown because they’re more active defensively and offensively. Lewis also believes that last season’s experience helped the team grow and know what to expect in collegiate level. She mentioned that the team is encouraged to move the ball in a fast pace as often preached by coach Craighead.
“We play up-tempo, it’s an exciting style to watch,” Craighead said. “Our players play really hard. They play with San Jose on the front of their jerseys and they don’t have a name on the back because we’re playing for San Jose State only.”
Sophomore Megan Anderson recorded the program’s single-season record for 3-point shooting percentage, shooting at a 43 percent clip. She now has more than offense on her mind coming into her second season with the Spartans.
“It feels great to have those records, I couldn’t have done it without my teammates but nothing is promised this season,” Anderson said. “I want to do more than just shoot; I want to improve on defense. Like coach said, we know we can score so we have to get stops on the defensive end.”
Anderson said that the team is closer than ever. She mentioned that the chemistry is better because they know each other both on and off the court and it’s leading to a stronger team offensively and defensively.
Anderson summed up her team with three words: energetic, passionate and hard-working. As for Lewis, she said hunger was the best word to describe the coming up season.
“I feel like we’re hungry this year. We’re ready to go and prove people wrong. Our energy is up, we’ve been practicing since July,” Lewis said.
Tonight’s season opener will display what these ladies have been working hard for and hope to accomplish this season.
“We’re better defensively. You won’t be bored if you come to the games, we will give you lots to cheer for,” Craighead said.
