BACK TO THE GRIND: After taking fall quarter finals over the past week, Seattle University will travel Friday to San Jose in preparation for Saturday’s game against former WAC member San Jose State. The Redhawks will play four games over the span of nine nights before Christmas.
SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE: The Spartans enter Saturday’s game with a 2-8 record after defeating Saint Katherine College Tuesday night, 74-63. The only other victory for San Jose State so far this season came against Bethesda University, 67-44, as the Spartans are 0-8 against NCAA Division I opponents. San Jose State is averaging 59.5 points per game and giving up 67.0 points per contest. As a team, the Spartans are shooting 40.5 percent from the field, including 30.8 percent from behind the three-point line, and 62.2 percent from the free throw line. Rashad Muhammed leads the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game as he is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. Jordan Baker is averaging 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, and Frank Rogers is contributing 10.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the tenth meeting all-time between Seattle U and San Jose State, with the Spartans holding a 6-3 series advantage. These teams first met during the 1947-48 season, with San Jose State winning both games in Seattle, 52-33 and 59-39, on Dec. 19-20, 1947. The two teams played back-to-back again in Seattle on Dec. 2-3, 1955, with San Jose State winning the first game, 65-59, before Seattle U broke through for a 62-46 victory. It was almost 55 years before the next meeting, the first one between the two teams in San Jose. Taylor Olson hit a three-pointer as time wound down to give the Redhawks a 90-88 victory over the Spartans Feb. 22, 2010. San Jose State came to KeyArena in two straight seasons and left with victories: 86-70 on Dec. 18, 2010 and 84-74 on Dec. 30, 2011. The teams last met twice as conference foes during the 2012-13 campaign, with each team winning on its home floor. San Jose State won the first meeting at the Event Center, 76-71, on Jan. 5, 2013, behind 26 points from James Kinney and 21 points by Louis Garrett. On Jan. 31, 2013, at KeyArena, the Redhawks snapped their three-game losing streak to the Spartans with a 56-48 victory, led by 19 points from Prince Obasi.
NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Isiah Umipig is third in Division I in three-point field goals made per game (4.25), plus he is fifth in the country in total three-point field goals made (34), 33rd in Division I in three-point field goal percentage (.472), and 60th in the country in scoring (17.9 ppg).