SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a matchup of teams seeking traction in the Mountain West Conference, the San Jose State Spartans used a decisive edge in ball security and free throw accuracy to hold off a persistent Air Force Falcons squad 70-62 on Tuesday night at the Event Center.

A crowd of 1,271 saw the Spartans improve to 6-11 overall, while the Falcons fell to 3-14.

The game’s most critical sequence unfolded late in the second half with San Jose State clinging to a narrow lead. Leading 62-59 with under four minutes to play, the Spartans’ Adrian Myers and Pasha Goodarzi delivered consecutive daggers. First, Goodarzi sank a 3-point stepback jumper at the 4:05 mark. Following an Air Force turnover, Myers connected on another 3-pointer, this one assisted by Goodarzi, to push the lead to eight points with 3:12 remaining. That six-point burst in 53 seconds provided the Spartans the necessary cushion to withstand Air Force’s final attempts to close the gap.

San Jose State was led by a balanced offensive effort. Ben Roseborough scored 19 points, Adrian Myers added 15 and Pasha Goodarzi finished with 18 points and three assists while playing the entire 40 minutes. The Spartans capitalized on Air Force’s mistakes, scoring 21 points off 15 Falcon turnovers while committing only eight of their own.

Air Force, which trailed 27-21 at halftime, was paced by Lucas Hobin’s 16 points. Kam Sanders contributed 11 points and five assists, and Ethan Greenberg scored 13. The Falcons shot a respectable 44.7% from the field and 80% from the free throw line but were ultimately undone by their giveaways and a disparity in free throw attempts. San Jose State attempted 24 free throws, making 18, compared to Air Force’s 15 attempts.

The Falcons opened the game with a burst, scoring the first five points on a 3-pointer from Ethan Greenberg and a jumper from Eli Robinson. However, San Jose State responded with a 13-2 run, fueled by the inside presence of Douglas Langford, who recorded three blocks in the first half, and the steady play of Goodarzi. The Spartans maintained a lead for the remainder of the contest, though Air Force kept the pressure on throughout the second half.

Air Force’s Caleb Walker, who scored nine points, won the opening tip, but the Falcons’ early momentum was quickly stifled by turnovers and Langford’s rim protection. San Jose State’s Melvin Bell provided a key defensive spark with two steals and added 10 points.

Despite the loss, Air Force showed improvement from recent outings, scoring 41 second-half points and battling until the final seconds. Both teams finished with 26 points in the paint and nearly identical rebounding numbers.

According to pregame analytics, San Jose State was projected as a heavy favorite with an 88% probability to win. The Spartans covered the spread as 9.5-point favorites. The total points scored, 132, fell under the over/under line of 133.5.

Air Force returns home to face Nevada on Saturday. San Jose State continues its homestand against UNLV, also on Saturday.