Mountain West rankings: Everybody’s looking up at Boise State

The Boise State Broncos have not lost a game in nearly two months.

The Broncos, ranked No. 1 in this week’s Nevada Appeal Mountain West men’s basketball rankings, whipped Wyoming twice last week and have won 12 games in a row.

Boise State, now 12-1 overall and 8-0 in the Mountain West, has not lost since a 68-58 setback in the season opener at Houston on Nov. 27. The 12-game winning streak is the best in school history as is their 8-0 conference record.

“We were playing on the road at 7,000 feet (altitude) in back-to-back games against a team that had eight days to prepare for us,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said of the 83-60 and 90-70 victories at Wyoming last week. “We had a lot going against us.”

Boise’s Abu Kigab had 21 and 15 points against Wyoming and Arizona transfer Debonaire Doutrive, a 6-5 junior, had 21 and 17. The Broncos’ top returning player this year, Derrick Alston, had just 18 points in the two games combined.

“We were tired,” Rice said. “No doubt about it. But we had the mentality and the grit to fight through it.”

Alston was just 2-of-10 from the floor in the 83-60 win on Jan. 11 for just four points. “We had a lot of moxie,” Alston said. “A lot of mental toughness.” We’re just ballers, man.”

Boise State leads the Mountain West in scoring at 81.9 points a game and has outscored its opponents by 20 points a game.

No. 8 Wyoming lost three games last week to fall to 7-5, 1-4. Hunter Maldonado had 27 points in the two games combined against Boise State.

Wyoming held Boise State to just 5-of-19 shooting on threes but still lost 90-70 on Wednesday.

“Teams can scheme to take things away,” Rice said. “They took our threes away but we go and score 90 points anyway. That shows you how effective we were.”

No. 2 Colorado State (10-2, 7-1) whipped San Jose State twice, 90-57 and 88-61, in Phoenix. The Rams are now 22-0 in their rivalry against the Spartans.

Colorado State was 24-of-66 (36 percent) on threes in the two games. No. 11 San Jose State (2-10, 0-8) was 14-of-47 (30 percent).

Richard Washington had 35 points for San Jose State on Thursday, scoring more than half of the Spartans’ 57 points. He had more field goals (12) than the rest of his teammates (10) combined and six 3-pointers. Washington, though, was held to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting (1-of-5 on threes) two nights later in the 88-61 loss.

Kendle Moore had 33 points in the two games combined for Colorado State. Isaiah Stevens had 30 point and David Roddy had 23 points and 27 rebounds.

No. 3 Utah State (11-3, 8-0) beat No. 4 San Diego State twice, 57-45 and 64-59. The Aztecs’ top player, 6-6 senior Matt Mitchell, suffered a knee injury early in the second half in the first game and sat out the second game. He is expected to be out at least through the end of this week.

“The Aztecs are getting better,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said after getting swept by Utah State. “Our best basketball is ahead of us. We have to believe that.”

The Aztecs’ offense disappeared without Mitchell, scoring just 104 points in the two games. San Diego State scored just 27 points in the second half on Saturday after leading 32-22 at halftime.

“We didn’t do a good enough job of keeping them off the glass,” Dutcher said.

Neemias Queta (7-foot junior) led Utah State with 24 points and 26 rebounds in the two games combined. He blocked five shots on Saturday and had three steals on Thursday.

“In the first half (on Saturday) we had no pace and it looked like we had no direction,” Utah State coach Craig Smith said. “We had that deer in the headlights look.”

Utah State had the advantage of having fans in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum for the two games. The two-game series drew 1,585 and 1,638 fans and the Aggies have had at least 1,300 fans at all of their home games this year.

Utah State now leads the Mountain West in defense, allowing just 59.3 points a game.

The Nevada Wolf Pack (10-5, 5-3) remained at No. 5 after a pair of wins against No. 7 Fresno State (5-5, 3-5) at Lawlor Events Center, 73-57 and 79-65.

Sophomore point guard Grant Sherfield led the way once again for the Wolf Pack, scoring 23 and 27 points with a dozen assists in the two games.

Sherfield is now third in the Mountain West in scoring (18.7), third in steals (1.7) and second in assists (5.7).

Desmond Cambridge, who leads the Mountain West with 42 3-pointers, chipped in with 25 points in the two games for Nevada.

Fresno State’s Orlando Robinson had 15 points in both games. The Bulldogs, though were just 13-of-41 (32 percent) on threes in the series.

No. 6 UNLV (4-6, 2-2) got 20 points from Cheikh Mbacke Diong, 19 points and four steals from Bryce Hamilton and 18 points from Nick Blake in a 77-54 victory over No. 8 Wyoming.

Wyoming was just 17-of-51 (33 percent) from the floor and 3-of-18 on threes.

The Cowboys, which beat Nevada in the Mountain West tournament last year, will host the Wolf Pack for two games this week (Friday, Sunday).

The top matchup this week in the Mountain West is the two-game Colorado State at Utah State series on Tuesday, Thursday.

The Nevada Appeal’s Mountain West men’s basketball rankings:

1. BOISE STATE (12-1, 8-0): Last week: Boise State 83, Wyoming 60 (Jan. 11), Boise State 90, Wyoming 70 (Jan. 13). This week: Fresno State at Boise State (Jan. 20, 22).

2. COLORADO STATE (10-2, 7-1): Last week: Colorado State 90, San Jose State 57 (Jan. 14), Colorado State 88, San Jose State 61 (Jan. 16). This week: Colorado State at Utah State (Jan. 19, 21).

3. UTAH STATE (11-3, 8-0): Last week: Utah State 57, San Diego State 45 (Jan. 14), Utah State 64, San Diego State 59 (Jan. 16). This week: Colorado State at Utah State (Jan. 19, 21).

4. SAN DIEGO STATE (9-4, 3-3): Last week: Utah State 57, San Diego State 45 (Jan. 14), Utah State 64, San Diego State 59 (Jan. 16). This week: San Diego State at Air Force (Jan. 22, 24).

5. NEVADA (10-5, 5-3): Last week: Nevada 73, Fresno State 57 (Jan. 15), Nevada 79, Fresno State 65 (Jan. 17). This week: Nevada at Wyoming (Jan. 22, 24).

6. UNLV (4-6, 2-2): Last week: UNLV 95, Saint Katherine 34 (Jan. 12), UNLV 77, New Mexico 54 (Jan. 16). This week: New Mexico at UNLV (Jan. 18), Benedictine Mesa at UNLV (Jan. 21).

7. FRESNO STATE (5-5, 3-5): Last week: Nevada 73, Fresno State 57 (Jan. 15), Nevada 79, Fresno State 65 (Jan. 17). This week: Fresno State at Boise State (Jan. 20, 22).

8. WYOMING (7-5, 1-4): Last week: Boise State 83, Wyoming 60 (Jan. 11), Boise State 90, Wyoming 70 (Jan. 13), Air Force 72, Wyoming 69 (Jan. 16). This week: Wyoming at Air Force (Jan. 18), Nevada at Wyoming (Jan. 22, 24).

9. AIR FORCE (4-7, 2-5): Last week: Air Force 72, Wyoming 69 (Jan. 16). This week: Wyoming at Air Force (Jan. 18), San Diego State at Air Force (Jan. 22, 24).

10. NEW MEXICO (4-8, 0-8): Last week: New Mexico 72, Dixie State 63 (Jan. 13), UNLV 77, New Mexico 54 (Jan. 16). This week: New Mexico at UNLV (Jan. 18), San Jose State at New Mexico (Jan. 21, 23).

11. SAN JOSE STATE (2-10, 0-8): Last week: Last week: Colorado State 90, San Jose State 57 (Jan. 14), Colorado State 88, San Jose State 61 (Jan. 16). This week: San Jose State at New Mexico (Jan. 21, 23).