BOISE – Dani Bayes’ folks hadn’t seen her play a game in two years.
But Leon and Clair Bayes traveled more than 8,000 miles from Australia to watch their youngest child play Saturday afternoon at Extra Mile Arena. They even attended the postgame press conference.
And the Boise State sophomore guard made the 18 and a half hour trek more than worth it. She put up a team-high 16 points, three rebounds and three assists in just 19 minutes in a 76-41 win over Utah State.
The Broncos (13-6 overall, 4-2 Mountain West) have now won their last four games.
“It’s really special. I’m just really happy they could make it here,” Bayes said. “My mom’s always said, ‘No pressure. No pressure. But it’s far away so I’m glad I could deliver.”
Bayes wasted little time, too.
A little more than 30 seconds after checking in for the first time at the 3-minute and 1-second mark of the first quarter, she hit a step-back 3-pointer. The first of her four treys gave Boise State an 8-7 lead. It was also the Broncos’ first points in more than six minutes. They had previously missed their last 11 shots.
“She’s done that a number of times,” Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said. “But tonight she had an audience and maybe she’s a little more in tune and dialed in.”
Bayes stayed that way for the second quarter.
She helped ignite a 26-0 run with three more 3s, including one that ended up capping it. Bayes also helped suffocate the Aggies (3-14, 0-6) on defense. They didn’t register their first points of the period until there was only 1:42 remaining in the first half. It all allowed the Broncos to head into the locker room with the game all but won at 41-15.
“We just flipped a switch,” said senior forward Abby Muse, who finished with 15 points in only 15 minutes of action. “We really wanted to extend our lead and put our foot on the gas so to speak. We just got after it and made those scrappy plays that we haven’t been making in games past. Winning those 50/50 balls and such.”
Bayes added to her special night with another five points, including another 3, all in the third quarter. She ended up shooting 50% from beyond-the-arc. It’s the third time this season Bayes had made at least four 3s in a game. She’s currently the team’s fourth-leading scorer while only starting in two games this season.
Bayes started in all but one game last season. But she did begin this year battling a high-ankle sprain on her right foot.
“Natalie (Pasco) kind of took off,” said Presnell about Bayes continuing to come off the bench this year. “But I have a lot of faith in her and a lot of confidence in her. I think she’s becoming more confident. So we’re getting good results there right now.”
Tatum Thompson also had an impressive night.
The Boise State sophomore tallied 12 points and seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end, in 14 minutes of play. Most of that production came in the second half when the Broncos led by as many as 46 points with eight herself.
It was her best performance since going for 21 points in 18 minutes back on Dec. 12, 2023. But no double-digit scoring outings and only a little more than 11 minutes of playing time per game had followed since.
“It’s been hard to find that right position for her as well,” Presnell said. “She’d like to play a little more guard, but she’s kind of a trail post.
“She’s tremendously athletic and just needs some more confidence. We’ll see how she does against UNLV. But it has been up and down. But I was pleased with her tonight just for rebounding because she hasn’t mixed it up. She hasn’t been as physical as she could be. And I thought she had a little more physicality today.”
The Broncos will need more of that Wednesday. They’ll welcome in first-place and 25th-ranked UNLV (15-2, 5-1) at 6:30 p.m. back inside Extra Mile Arena.
