Final Score: 80-70, Husky win (4-0)
Four Factors:
The Huskies had an off shooting night, posting just a 44.6 eFG%, but fortunately for them the Spartans shot even more poorly. The main reason for the Huskies off shooting night was their performance from beyond the arc, where they shot a collective 4/18. For the fourth straight game the Huskies took care of the ball better than their opponents did, and the Huskies have yet to play a game where they've been sloppy with the ball. As is their bread and butter, the Dawgs were the superior team on the offensive glass. San Jose State dominated at the free throw line, getting there 67.3% of the time behind Adrian Oliver and his 14/17.
Summary:
Former teammates Quincy Pondexter and Adrian Oliver squared off and traded blows throughout the game. Oliver finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Pondexter had 30 points and 15 rebounds for his third straight double double. Pondexter was the more efficient player, and was aided by Isaiah Thomas' 16 points, Tyreese Breshers 12 points and 7 rebounds in his return from his finger injury, and Abdul Gaddy's 7 assists. Oliver had no such luxury of a supporting cast that could take up the slack and had to do too much as a result. The Spartans were able to keep it close for the majority of the game, but just didn't have the depth and talent necessary to make a push and make the game competitive.
Player of the Game:
Yet again, Quincy Pondexter earns this honor. He's putting together a monster year, and seems to have finally taken that step forward that we've been waiting for for the past 3 years. It's not just that he's been getting his numbers, it's that he's been extremely efficient doing it. There'll be a more in depth look at his play coming soon.
Stat of the Game:
Abdul Gaddy's 7 assists were a season high for any Husky. Especially impressive was that he got there without committing a single turnover.
Other Observations:
Scott Suggs got just 6 minutes of playing time. Not sure if it was a matchup thing or what, but based on his play in the first three games, I can't agree with this.
Clarence Trent is very much a work in progress, but the kid knows how to attack the offensive glass. Of his 5 rebounds, 4 were on the offensive end, and for the year he has a superhuman OR% of 23.5.
Justin Holiday didn't score much, but he continues to be the team's best glue player, putting up 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Elston Turner is starting to shoot the ball better, going 2/5 from deep last night.
Isaiah Thomas had easily his worst game of the year. He still put up 16 points with an ORating of 102.