Magic Wins Bracket @ Slam N Jam . . .

San Jose, Calif.-----Marquin Chandler scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as San Jose State University defeated Rice University, 90-85, in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game.

Chandler scored 19 of his points in the second half as the Spartans (6-12, 3-6 WAC) overcame a 12-point first half deficit to post back-to-back wins in conference play for the first time since the 2002 season. San Jose State beat Tulsa two nights earlier after trailing by 14 points in the first half. The 6-foot-7 forward notched his fifth "double-double" in as many games and eighth of the season.

"He (Chandler) is as complete a player as there is in the league. He plays with a lot of confidence. He plays with a lot of maturity. He’s not afraid to miss shots. He’s not afraid to take good shots," said Rice coach Willis Wilson. "There is a value in that. His teammates gain a lot of confidence in his play. They gain a lot of confidence from his versatility.

"He’s the same player outside as he is inside. He’s going to come at you. He’s going to do it in a very skillful and thoughtful manner."
Chandler and the Spartans needed all facets of the 6-foot-7 senior forward’s offensive repertoire for the win. Since the January 15 loss to Southern Methodist, he had missed his last 10 three-point basket tries over a three-plus game span. Against the Owls (10-7, 5-4 WAC), Chandler was 3-of-3 including one at the end of the first half that trimmed San Jose State’s halftime deficit to 45-36.

"We talked a lot in the locker room at halftime. They (Rice) shot 62 percent. That’s unacceptable. We got the shots we wanted in the first half, but we had to step up our defense," said Chandler.

Despite forward Michael Harris powering his way for 24 points and a game-high 17 rebounds and guard Jason McKreith adding 19 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 29 seconds remaining for the Owls, the Spartans tightened up their defense in the final half. Rice made just 39.5 percent of their field in the last 20 minutes of the game.

Conversely, San Jose State had its most proficient shooting and scoring half of the season. The Spartans scored a season-high 54 points and shot a season-best 64.5 percent in the second half. For the second game in a row, Michael McFadden came off the bench to spark a Spartan comeback. He scored 15 of his 17 points after intermission including three key free throws in the final minute.

"It’s obvious to everybody we’re more of a team now. We are executing our game plan better," said McFadden, who had 19 in the win over Tulsa two nights earlier. "The game plan was to keep the ball out of Harris and McKreith’s hands and make the other guys make plays. We did a decent job in the first half. In the second half, we did a better job on the other guys."

Alex Elam and Matt Misko each scored 12 points for San Jose State as the Spartans scored 90 points against a Division I opponent for the first time in 95 games. Elam also handed out a personal single-game best 10 assists and was credited with three steals.

"Rice is a real good team. They’re the most experienced team in the league. We did everything known to mankind to stop him (Harris)," said San Jose State coach Phil Johnson.

The Spartans’ coach added, "This is a big sweep for this program. A lot has been written about our program and a lot has been written. Our players and coaches continue to work and continue to prepare. I give Dennis Cutts a lot of credit and the players a lot of credit."

The Spartan win allowed San Jose State to match its 2003-04 victory total of six.

San Jose State returns to action, February 5 when it hosts Hawaii in a 2:00 p.m. game at Walt McPherson Court.


Rice (85)
Moore1-5 2-3 4; Harris 10-13 4-6 24; Britton 1-2 0-0 2; Gillespie 4-13 0-0 11; McKreith 6-11 5-5 19; Harrison 4-13 1-2 9; Okrzesik 0-0 0-0 0; Almond 6-9 0-0 14; Killings 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 33-67 12-16 85.

San Jose State (90)
Elam 4-11 2-2 12; Chandler 14-23 2-2 33; Misko 5-7 2-2 12; Watson 2-5 1-2 5; Bloom 3-6 0-0 8; Guilbeaux 1-4 1-2 3; McFadden 5-12 7-8 17. Totals 34-68 15-18 90.


Halftime score – Rice 45, San Jose State 36. Three-point field goals – Rice 7-20 (Harris 0-1, Gillespie 3-8, McKreith 2-3, Harrison 0-4, Almond 2-4), San Jose State 7-17 (Elam 2-4, Chandler 3-3, Bloom 2-4, Watson 0-2, McFadden 0-4). Rebounds – Rice 39 (Harris 17), San Jose State 32 (Chandler 11). Assists – Rice 22 (Almond 7), San Jose State 24 (Elam 10). Total fouls – Rice 18, San Jose State 13. Fouled out – Misko, McKrieth. Technical fouls – none. Attendance – 1,136.