Jasmine Smith is valuable reserve for San Jose State basketball
Jasmine Smith (Bellarmine-Jefferson High, 2012) freshman forward, San Jose State women’s basketball: Despite coming off the bench in all 10 of the Spartans’ games this season, Smith is making the most of her opportunities.
In fact, she is the team’s fourth-leading scorer as a reserve.
Smith, an all-state player at Bell-Jeff, is averaging 12.4 points a game off the bench. In addition, she averages nine rebounds a contest. With five double-doubles in the last eight games, Smith ranks 26th in the nation in that category and leads the Mountain West Conference.
The sophomore has helped San Jose State to a 5-5 record, all in nonconference games.
In the Spartans’ last game Wednesday afternoon, a 95-81 road win against Georgia State, Smith tallied six points, six rebounds, two steals and one block.
Next on the schedule for San Jose State is a home game Saturday against University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Raul Martinez (Burroughs High, 2012, sophomore offensive lineman, Pasadena City College): The former All-Pacific League pick was one of seven Lancers to earn All-Southern California Football Assn. National Northern Conference honors this past season.
Martinez, a 6-4, 285-pound guard, earned the accolade in his second and final season competing for PCC.
Sophomore defensive lineman Dalyou Pierson, who had 10.5 sacks, was the lone Lancer to earn all-conference first-team honors. Six PCC players were named to the second team
The seven players selected marked the most players chosen in two years.
The Lancers finished 1-9 and 1-5 in the SCFA National Northern Conference (tied for sixth place).
Haley O’Brien (Burroughs High, 2012, sophomore defense, UC Irvine): In her second season with the Anteaters, the former Indians player became a starter in the defense for UC Irvine.
A year after earning All-Freshman honors in the Big West Conference, O’Brien started in all 18 of UC Irvine’s matches this past season. She tallied four shots and no goals. She was a workhorse in the back for the team, logging more than 1,000 minutes on the season.
The Anteaters saw their season come to an end Dec. 7 in the 107th minute of a 2-1 double-overtime loss to UC Riverside in the Big West Tournament.
UC Irvine finished the season 11-7, 6-2 in the Big West. The Anteaters have won 11 or more matches in five of the past seven seasons and made the Big West Tournament six of those years.
Margeaux Gupilan (Bellarmine-Jefferson High, 2010, senior guard, University of Buffalo women’s basketball): The former All-CIF Southern Section player for the Guards is seeing significant playing time in her final season with the Bulls.
Gupilan has started in all eight of Buffalo’s games, as the team has posted a 5-3 record in nonconference contests.
The guard is fourth on the team is scoring, averaging 5.8 points a game. In addition, Gupilan averages 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 4.5 assists a contest.
Gupilan had a solid showing in the Bulls’ last game, a 76-71 loss Tuesday on the road against St. Bonaventure. In the loss, the senior had eight points — including converting two of five three-point attempts — to go along with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
In the first half, the Bulls leaned on the inside-outside combination of Gupilan and Kristen Sharkey, who each had eight points in the half. Gupilan helped pace the offense after early foul trouble for Mackenzie Loesing, scoring all eight of her points over a critical two minute stretch midway through the half.
Buffalo returns to action Saturday with nonconference game at Niagra.