If Boise State senior center Abby Muse was ever going to get a triple-double, most including herself assumed it would have to involve blocked shots.
After all, Muse is Boise State’s career record-holder in blocked shots and once had eight in a game and another time had seven.
“For real,” Muse told Bronco Nation News with a laugh. “I definitely did.”
That’s not how it played out Sunday night in Boise State’s 85-49 blowout win of Utah State in the opening round of the Mountain West Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Muse became the third player in Boise State women’s basketball history to record a triple-double, but did so with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
She’s also just the second player in the history of the 20-plus year Mountain West Women’s Tournament to accomplish the feat.
“It feels unreal honestly,” Muse said. “Obviously that’s never the goal. The goal is to win and for the team to do well, so to make a little history on top of that is cool.”
How improbable was reaching 10 assists for Muse? She entered the game averaging just 1.1 assists per game and had just two total assists in the past nine games.
“It’s kind of funny, but my teammates were hitting their shots and getting open and doing their work,” Muse said. “That made it fun, to play not the point guard position but the one making all those passes.”
The 6-foot-3 Muse feasted at the high post thanks to a zone defense from No. 11 seed Utah State that left her wide open most of the night. She scored some – and passed more to shooters than she ever has in her life.
“It was kind of a perfect storm of factors that culminated in a triple double,” she said.
It looked like Muse would come up just short of making history when she was removed from the game with 5:37 left and Boise State leading 70-38.
But coach Gordy Presnell was informed that Muse needed just two assists to reach her first career triple-double, so he summoned her to check back in with 4:37 to go. He also informed the team of the goal – get her the ball and then make two more shots.
“Everyone was aware of it,” Muse said. “He said, ‘OK Abby is going to be in the high post and she’ll pass it and we’re going to score.’ And that’s what we did.”
Muse found Natalie Pasco for a baseball bucket with 3:10 go for assist No. 9. Then on Boise State’s next possession she caught the ball and found an open Pascoe out beyond the 3-point line on wing.
Pasco let it fly and hit maybe the most important shot in history for a 36-point blowout. Coaches and teammates went nuts on the sidelines as if she had just hit a game-winner, and Muse added another rebound before being subbed out a short time later.
“That moment was surreal,” Muse said. “(Natalie) hit a great shot like she always does and it was just awesome to look over and see everyone going crazy.”
Muse, who has had plenty of historic nights and achievements as Boise State’s single-season and career blocks record holder – not to mention her prolific high school career – said doing such a feat to help the Broncos win a conference tournament game puts it near the top of the best games and moments of her career.
“It’s pretty high up there,” Muse said. “I honestly never envisioned doing something like that. It’s pretty cool to be able to say I’ve done it.”
Muse, who hit six of nine shots from the field, needed just 22 minutes of game action to get it done.
Elodie Lalotte added 12 points and Pasco and Trista Hull each had 10 for the Broncos, who held Utah State to just 22.4 percent from the field and had a crazy 67-33 rebounding edge.
The Broncos, who had lost three straight coming in, picked up win No. 20 on the season.
“It was a great night for us,” said coach Gordy Presnell. “I’m proud of our players. We needed to have something successful happen to us. A week and a half ago we were in second place with 19 wins and we came in here as the No. 6 seed with 19 wins.
“I’m excited for Abby and our players. It was a great night for us. It was our 20th win and I’m excited for the team.”
Typically an achievement like a triple-double might lead to the player receiving the game ball as a keepsake. The only problem for Muse? The win was Presnell’s 750th career victory, a mark just 30 coaches have reached in the history of women’s basketball.
“I think he’s got dibs on that one,” Muse said with a chuckle. “That’s pretty awesome.”
Boise State (20-12) advances to play No. 3 seed Wyoming at 9:30 p.m. MT on Monday night. The Broncos split the season series with Wyoming.
