BOISE – Down seven points at the half and looking at a potentially devastating Quad 3 loss, the Boise State men’s basketball team did what it’s done all season Friday night.
It didn’t panic.
The Broncos rallied from their biggest halftime deficit of the season and slowed Bryce Hamilton and UNLV down just enough in the second half to pull out a needed 69-63 home win over the Rebels at ExtraMile Arena.
“We had our hands full,” Rice said. “Those guys just gutted it out. These guys are just so tough and they find ways and they just deliver when you need it most. … It was an impressive job by these guys and I’m so proud of them. Our backs were against the wall, but we did the things we needed to do down the stretch. That’s the trademark of this team right now.”
Boise State improves to 19-5 overall and 10-1 in Mountain West play ahead of a huge game against Colorado State on Sunday at 2 p.m. back at ExtraMile Arena.
Hamilton had 32 points for UNLV, including 18 in the first half. But the Broncos got 18 points from Abu Kigab, 14 from Tyson Degenhart and 12 points and seven rebounds from Mladen Armus as they stormed back to avoid what would have been a bad loss for their NCAA Tournament resume.
Boise State led just 62-61 when Kigab hit a huge 3-pointer from the corner with 1:04 to play to give the Broncos a little bit of a cushion. After UNLV cut it to 65-63, Kigab then hit two free throws with 24 seconds left to extend the lead to four.
“Just perseverance and continuing to push through adversity,” Kigab said. “They were a really tough team and we knew it was going to be a close game and guys just kept fighting. We’ve played so many games and in those situations so many times that we’re just prepared and that has separated us and will continue to separate us.”
Boise State was aided by a 29-7 advantage in free throw attempts. The Broncos made 23 of the 29 free throws (79.3 percent), including 17 of 20 in the second half. Boise State is shooting 78.4 percent (80 of 102) from the foul line in the past five games.
The Broncos also had a 21-10 rebounding edge in the second half after getting outrebounded in the first half.
Marcus Shaver Jr. added 13 points for the Broncos, who played without Emmanuel Akot for a second straight game due to a knee injury. It’s unclear if Akot will play in Sunday’s showdown with Colorado State.
B.J. Rains of Bronco Nation News was live at ExtraMile Arena for the Lithia Ford of Boise Postgame Show with postgame interviews, highlights and analysis after Boise State’s 69-63 win over UNLV. Watch the show below:
