The Boise State Broncos and San Diego State Aztecs turned back the clock last Saturday night in San Diego.
“It was an old school college basketball game,” said San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher after the 42-37 loss to the Broncos at the Aztecs’ Viejas Arena. “Defense was at a premium, rebounding was a necessity.”
The Broncos jumped into the top spot of this week’s Nevada Appeal Mountain West men’s basketball rankings with the five-point victory over the No. 2 Aztecs (10-4, 2-1). Boise State (15-4, 6-0), which has won 12 games in a row, also squeezed out close, low-scoring wins over No. 9 Utah State (62-59) and No. 8 Air Force (62-56) last week.
“Both teams just banged it out,” said Boise State coach Leon Rice of his Broncos and the Aztecs. “It’s crazy how good both teams are defensively.”
Boise State was just 14-of-45 (31 per cent) from the floor while San Diego State was a mere 16-of-57 (28 per cent). The teams were a combined 9-of-35 (26 percent) on 3-pointers with 28 turnovers (16 by Boise State).
San Diego State scored just 14 points in the second half and didn’t have anybody with more than 10 points (Lamont Butler and Nathan Mensah) for the game.
“I looked up at the scoreboard during a TV timeout with about 11 minutes to go and we had one point in the second half,” Dutcher said. “I just told (the Aztec players), ‘I have to find a way to put you in a better position. But sometimes you just have to find a way to create a basket.’”
Boise State led by as much as 11 (35-24) with 11 minutes to go but needed a 3-pointer by Marcus Shaver with 30 seconds to go to break a 37-37 tie. San Diego State led 37-35 after a 3-pointer by Butler with 2:48 to play but never scored again.
“I kept telling Shave, ‘It’s going to be all right. We got this,’” Rice said. “He had to work so hard just to get that shot.”
San Diego State missed its first 11 shots from the floor in the second half. Boise State, after building its 35-24 lead with 10:55 to play, then missed its next eight shots, turned the ball over nine times and didn’t score for the next 9:51 until a pair of free throws by Tyson Degenhart tied the game at 37-37 with 64 seconds to play.
“Sometimes the hardest thing to do is play through frustration,” Dutcher said. “There’s no way a college basketball team can start the way we did in the second half and not be frustrated. But, to our guys’ credit, they played through that frustration. They found a way to fight back into a hard game. But Boise State is the same way.”
The Aztecs’ 37 points are the fewest Boise State has allowed since Willamette scored 36 against the Broncos on Dec. 2, 2015 and the fewest the Broncos have allowed in a Mountain West game since San Jose State scored 36 against them on Jan. 21, 2015.
“If you came to see the Globetrotters, well, it wasn’t that,” said Dutcher, whose Aztecs saw a 16-game home winning streak come to an end.
No. 3 Colorado State, which hosts Nevada on Tuesday, beat Air Force (73-53) and No 10 New Mexico (80-74) last week to improve to 15-1, 5-1.
No. 4 Wyoming (15-2, 4-0) won three games last week over New Mexico (93-91), Nevada (77-67) and San Jose State (84-69). Graham Ike had 29 points and Hunter Maldonado had 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the wild win over New Mexico.
The two teams combined for 108 points (New Mexico, 57-51) in the second half. Wyoming shot 73 percent (16-of-22) while New Mexico shot 66 percent (21-of-32) in the second half.
“You are not going to win a lot of games if you allow teams to shoot 66 percent in the second half like we did tonight,” Wyoming coach Jeff Linder said. “Luckily, we shot 73 percent.”
Wyoming has now won six games in a row (their only two losses this year have been to Stanford and Arizona) while New Mexico has lost six in a row.
“Our guys keep finding ways to win,” Linder said.
The biggest way against New Mexico was at the free throw line. Wyoming was 27-of-35 from the free throw line while New Mexico was just 9-of-11.
“I thought we played way more under control,” said New Mexico coach Richard Pitino, whose Lobos have lost five games during their six-game losing streak by nine points or less. “With our numbers we have to slow it down a little and be more patient.”
No. 5 Nevada lost to Wyoming (77-67) and beat Fresno State (77-73) at home last week.
“I thought what we got tonight was the passion, the energy and the enthusiasm,” Nevada coach Steve Alford said after the win over Fresno State. “I thought we played with that joyfulness that we just have to have.”
The Wolf Pack also got 17 points, seven assists and five rebounds from point guard Grant Sherfield.
“When the ball moves from side to side, we’re hard to guard,” Sherfield said. “We just have to continue on that path.”
The Wolf Pack (9-7, 3-2) plays at Colorado State on Tuesday and will host Utah State on Saturday.
The Nevada Appeal’s Mountain West men’s basketball rankings for the week of Jan. 24 . . .
1. BOISE STATE (15-4, 6-0). Last week: Boise State 62, Air Force 56 . . . Boise State 62, Utah State 59 . . . Boise State 42, San Diego State 37. This week: Wyoming at Boise State (Tuesday), Boise State at Fresno State (Friday).
2. SAN DIEGO STATE (10-4, 2-1). Last week: Boise State 42, San Diego State 37. This week: vs. UNLV (Monday), at Utah State (Wednesday).
3. COLORADO STATE (15-1, 5-1). Last week: Colorado State 80, New Mexico 74 . . . Colorado State 73, Air Force 53. This week: vs. Nevada (Tuesday), vs. UNLV (Friday).
4. WYOMING (15-2, 4-0). Last week: Wyoming 77, Nevada 67 . . . Wyoming 84, San Jose State 69 . . . Wyoming 93, New Mexico 91. This week: at Boise State (Tuesday), at Air Force (Friday).
5. NEVADA (9-7, 3-2). Last week: Wyoming 77, Nevada 67 . . . Nevada 77, Fresno State 73. This week: at Colorado State (Tuesday), vs. Utah State (Saturday).
6. FRESNO STATE (13-5, 3-2). Last week: Fresno State 61, Utah State 54 . . . Nevada 77, Fresno State 73. This week: at New Mexico (Tuesday), vs. Boise State (Friday).
7. UNLV (11-8, 3-3). Last week: UNLV 81, San Jose State 56 . . . Air Force 69, UNLV 62 . . . UNLV 70, San Jose State 62. This week: at San Diego State (Monday), at Colorado State (Friday).
8. AIR FORCE (9-8, 2-4). Last week: Boise State 62, Air Force 56 . . . Air Force 69, UNLV 62 . . . Colorado State 73, Air Force 53. This week: at San Jose State (Tuesday), vs. Wyoming (Friday).
9. UTAH STATE (10-9, 1-5). Last week: Fresno State 61, Utah State 54 . . . Boise State 62, Utah State 59. This week: vs. San Diego State (Wednesday), at Nevada (Saturday).
10. NEW MEXICO (7-12, 0-6). Last week: Colorado State 80, New Mexico 74 . . . Wyoming 93, New Mexico 91. This week: vs. Fresno State (Tuesday), vs. San Jose State (Friday).
11. SAN JOSE STATE (7-10, 0-5). Last week: UNLV 81, San Jose State 56 . . . Wyoming 84, San Jose State 69 . . . UNLV 70, San Jose State 62. This week: vs. Air Force (Tuesday), at New Mexico (Friday).
