ORLANDO – It wasn’t stars Max Rice or Tyson Degenhart or Chibuzo Agbo who carried the Boise State men’s basketball team to a much-needed 65-61 win over VCU on Friday evening in the second game of the ESPN Events Invitational.
It wasn’t prized transfers Cam Martin or O’mar Stanley, either. And that’s why coach Leon Rice is so encouraged about the future.
Boise State got 12 points from freshman Andrew Meadow, eight points from struggling guard Roddie Anderson and seven points from Jace Whiting to lead the Broncos to their first win in three games on a four-game East Coast trip.
The three combined for 27 points in Friday’s win after previously combining for just 31 points total in the first four games.
“Just really proud of our guys,” coach Leon Rice told Bronco Nation News. “You see some point guards grow up tonight. You saw some guys that didn’t play a good first half come out in the second half and reset themselves.
“What a great effort by our guys.”
Anderson had just 11 points in the first four games of the season and lost his starting spot in the opening game in Orlando on Thursday against Virginia Tech. He was just 4 of 23 from the field entering Friday and had seen his playing time diminish in each of the previous three games.
Whiting had just 12 points in four games coming in, but combined with Anderson for 15 points in 40 minutes in easily their best games of the season.
“Both of these point guards are young and they went up against Veteran guards against Clemson and Virginia Tech – high level guards, but it made them better players already,” Rice said. “I thought the point guards grew up right in front of our eyes tonight.”
And Meadow wasn’t bad either. The freshman, who scored 31 points in one of the games on the summer Canadian trip, had just eight points in four games and had just 11 minutes of action in the last three games before erupting for his best game of his young career.
Meadow was 5 of 10 from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, to finish with his career-high of 12 points. His opportunity came with Max Rice sitting a good chunk of the game due to foul trouble.
“I just trusted my hard work and I knew my opportunity would come at some point,” Meadow told BNN. “I tried not to get discouraged and kept working hard and tried to learn from watching the game on the sideline. I knew once I did get my opportunity I’d show out and show everyone who I am.
“It feels amazing. This has been my dream to play on the highest stage of basketball and I’m just excited to keep getting better.”
Anderson hit a 3-pointer to put Boise State up 50-44 with 10:05 to play. He hit another 3-pointer, this one from well beyond the arc, and aded a layup to put the Broncos up 57-50 with 6:32 to go.
A 3-point play from O’mar Stanley gave the Broncos a 60-53 lead with 5:21 to play. VCU scored six straight to pull within 60-59 with 4:07 to play, but a goal tend on Stanley was overturned after review – making the score 60-57.
Cam Martin hit a pair of huge free throws to make it 62-57, and Tyson Degenhart followed with a pair with 1:01 left to put the Broncos in front 64-61.
VCU pulled within 64-61 and had the ball and a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but it missed and the Broncos sealed the game at the foul line.
“What a great effort by our guys,” Rice said. “These tournaments make you better.”
Tyson Degenhart finished with 10 points and Chibuzo Agbo added eight for the Broncos (3-2), who face Butler at 4 p.m. on Sunday in the final game of the tournament.
Boise State couldn’t have started off worse. The Broncos made just one of their first eight shots and had five turnovers to fall behind 14-4 in the early going.
The Broncos had just one field goal in the first nine minutes before Meadow scored on a driving layup with 10:39 left in the half. He then drained a 3-pointer on Boise State’s next possession to pull the Broncos within 14-11 at the midway point of the first half.
After a Degenhart basket on the interior, Meadow scored again and Cam Martin added a layup to cap a 13-3 run and even the score at 17-17.
Boise State fell behind 25-19 but used a Degenhart bucket and two free throws from Martin to pull within 23-25. After VCU went up 27-23 with 1:55 to go in the half, Meadow hit another 3-pointer and Chibuzo Agbo scored on a driving layup to give the Broncos their first lead of the game at 28-27 with 1:04 left in the half.
VCU went to the foul line with 1.1 seconds left and hit a pair of free throws to take a 29-28 lead into the break. It was the third straight game the Broncos trailed heading into the break.
But the Broncos got in done in the second-half, giving them a much-needed win ahead of a much-needed day off on Saturday.
“This team is filled with a bunch of fighters,” Anderson said. “We’re ready to go to war against anybody. We’re ready to do the dirty work. It was a good win.”
