San Jose State (5-6, 0-0 MW) didn’t get the result they wanted Saturday night, but the Spartans walked off the Provident Credit Union Event Center floor having pushed a bigger, deeper, power-conference opponent to the brink.
Stanford’s 86–82 win may go down as just another non-conference victory for the Cardinal, but for San Jose State, it was a measuring-stick performance that showed just how narrow the margin can be when effort, belief, and execution align.
Stanford never trailed, yet the game also
never truly escaped the Spartans’ grasp.
Even while the Cardinal shot a blistering 60.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc, San Jose State continued to hang around, leaning on pressure defense, a tough inside game, and just the simple refusal to not fold when early runs could have easily buried the Spartans.
Stanford led the theme early and often.
Stanford opened each half by asserting its size and physicality, jumping out to quick leads behind the shot-making of Jeremy Dent-Smith and Chisom Okpara.
The Cardinal drilled six first-half threes and shot 63 percent before the break, yet San Jose State’s response was steady rather than frantic.
Spartan forward Yaphet Moundi battled inside to draw fouls and finish through contact, while Adrian Myers provided a spark off the bench with hustle plays on both ends.
Despite committing 11 fouls in the first half and briefly losing Colby Garland to early foul trouble, the Spartans closed the opening period with momentum. Garland’s late three trimmed the deficit to four before a turnover spoiled a final possession, sending San Jose State into halftime down 44–36.
Far from discouraged.
Stanford’s efficiency continued after the break, and twice the Cardinal appeared poised to stretch the lead into double digits for good.
Each time, San Jose State responded.
Garland also shook off a scare after going down with what looked like a severe injury. Garland immediately returned to orchestrate the offense, and repeatedly carved his way into the lane.
Moundi also continued to punish Stanford’s interior; finishing with a game-high 26 points and 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line. The court-general Garland also scored 20 with Myers putting in 14.
A chaotic final two minutes.
San Jose State rattled off a stunning 12–2 run, fueled by back-to-back steals, pressure defense, and relentless attacking.
Moundi’s three-point play and Garland’s poise brought the Spartans within two in the closing seconds, turning a game Stanford had controlled for nearly 40 minutes into a full-blown thriller.
Afterward, head coach Tim Miles credited Stanford’s physicality but praised his team’s resolve.
“They brought the fight to us early,” Miles said. “But I’ll credit our kids for fighting back and putting themselves in a position to win the game on the last possession”
The final play with seconds remaining didn’t materialize as drawn up, Miles admitted.
“The action was designed to get Colby downhill,” said Miles, “It was a look we had found success with earlier.”
The Spartans last possession resulted in a turnover and no shot on goal for the Spartans, as the Cardinal closed the game with two free-throws.
“Our kids are fighters,” Miles said. “We did a lot of really good things to get ourselves right back in that position to win”
All said, it’s a dynamic Spartan team with leadership, aggressiveness and still big upside potential going into the start of conference play against New Mexico next week.
