Boise State Basketball Recap: The Broncos Host Nevada

The Broncos hosted the tenth ranked Wolf Pack on Tuesday night in front of a packed Taco Bell Arena. It was easily one of the most exciting games of the year, as the teams went back and forth for the majority of the second half. Ultimately, a timely shot from a poor shooter led to a heartbreaking loss for the Broncos.

The first half was a clustered mess for both teams. Fouls killed the flow of the game and both teams looked like they struggled to find their momentum. Ultimately, the Broncos were on the wrong side of this early on. Boise State was in the penalty early and the Wolf Pack did the majority of their damage at the line late in the first half. Nevada utilized their foul advantage and entered the half with a 40-31 lead and it appeared as if they were on the verge of pulling away.

Things took a drastic turn in the second half when the whistles started going the Broncos way. Boise State was able to take advantage of the Nevada’s leading scorer Caleb Martin being in foul trouble. Caleb Martin only played 18 minutes and was held to 11 points, this gave the Broncos hope.

The second half was a back and forth contest, every time it looked like the Broncos were going to seize momentum, the Wolf Pack had an answer. The Broncos were able to keep the game competitive with a balanced attack, as they had four players in double figures, led by junior guard Alex Hobbs with 19. Hobbs also hit a late lay up to give Boise State a 71-69 lead. However, the Broncos failed to put the game away as Justinian Jessup missed two late jump shots. This opened the door for an unexpected hero, as Cody Martin (who had not connected beyond the arc in Mountain West play) nailed a contested three pointer with under four seconds left.

It was a tough loss for the Broncos, but it was a testament to how much the team has grown since conference play has begun. The Broncos will face another tough test on Saturday as they host Fresno State.