San Jose State 72, New Mexico State 70 (OT)
San Jose, Calif.
-(SJSU Media Relations)For the first time in many years, San Jose State University students rushed the floor after a home game at The Event Center. They celebrated guard Adrian Oliver scoring a game-high 36 points, center Matt Ballard making one-of-two free throws with 0.7 seconds left at the end of the second half and a record night for guard Justin Graham as San Jose State defeated New Mexico State, 72-70 in overtime.
The Spartans (14-12, 4-9 WAC) won their third game in a row as Oliver reached the 30-point plateau for the sixth time this season making 12-of-25 from the field including 5-of-10 from three-point range.
“Oliver is a big-time player. I’m glad I don’t have to see him any more. He is a senior, right?,” replied New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies about the nation’s number-three scorer. “He was fantastic tonight. He just made tough shots. He’s a class act and I wish him the best.”
Forward Wil Carter posted his third double-double in as many games with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
“It was a heck of a game. Both teams made big plays and we were able to make one more play than they did to seal the victory,” said San Jose State coach George Nessman about the Spartans’ fourth overtime game of the season.
The 6-foot-8 Ballard who scored 5 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots, earned the opportunity to win the game in regulation when he grabbed a missed jumper by Oliver and was fouled going back to the basket by New Mexico State forward Tyrone Watson. A 65.8 percent free throw shooter, the San Jose State center missed the first, but made the second to send the game into overtime.
“When you miss the first one, the second one is even harder. The first one was in the cylinder, so he felt that he had pretty good rhythm and he knocked the second straight down. He made a big shot,” said Nessman about Ballard’s only free throw tries of the game.
The students who raced on to the court after the win carried Graham to the basket in front of the Spartans’ bench. The fifth-year graduate student became San Jose State’s career assist leader in the win. His fifth assist on an Oliver lay-up near the end of the first half gave him 478 to move ahead of Michael Dixon who formerly set the record in 1985. Graham finished the night with eight assists to go along with seven points.
“It’s pretty cool. It’s something I can tell my kids someday, but I can’t celebrate. We have a game on Saturday. There are things far more important than setting a record,” responded Graham about adding the school assist record to his mark for career steals.
Forward Troy Gillenwater led New Mexico State with 18 points and eight rebounds. Gillenwater’s three-point basket with 52 seconds left in regulation play gave the Aggies (14-14, 8-5 WAC) a 66-65 lead. Gillenwater had a chance to win it in overtime with the game’s final shot, but his three-point try bounced off the rim.
“The basket that Gillenwater made was unbelievable. He had to be 25-26 feet from the basket with a 6-foot-9 player (Carter) in his grill and he still drained it,” said Nessman about the Gillenwater three that gave New Mexico State its last lead in the game.
“We didn’t make great decisions down the stretch. It was one of those games where there was great effort, but the smarts did not go with it in the last few minutes and in the overtime,” said Menzies.
Keith Shamburger, who missed his first seven shots of the game, scored the what proved to be the game-winner with 1:55 to go on a short jumper in the lane. Shamburger finished with six points.
San Jose State next hosts Louisiana Tech, Saturday, February 26, in a 6:00 p.m. game at The Event Center.