I think it’s fair to say that the lack of first-half offensive production yesterday was one of the worst periods in Bronco basketball history.

11 points.

That was it.

Rachel Roberts of the Idaho Statesman noted that they were only one point away from tying the lowest output in a half...ever. That was a ten-point half back in 1980 against Fresno State.

Key Team Stats of the Night

Field Goal Percentage

Boise State - 31.5%

Charlotte - 43.4%

Steals

Boise State - 2

Charlotte - 9

Assists

Boise State - 7

Charlotte - 15

Stat Leaders

Points

Tyson Degenhart (BSU) - 14 points

Brice Williams (CHA) - 12 points

Rebounds

Marcus Shaver Jr. (BSU) - 10 rebounds

Montre’ Gipson (CHA) - 6 rebounds

Assists

Marcus Shaver Jr. (BSU) - 3 assists

Aly Khalifa (CHA) - 5 assists

Story of the Game

A recurring theme so far this season, the Broncos got off to a slow start offensively, failing to make a field goal until nearly five minutes of action had gone by. The consistent sound of the ball rocking the iron echoed through the HTC Center as neither team could get anything going. The 49ers made the first move, going on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to ten at the under-eight media timeout.

With 7:42 left in the half, the Broncos would score their last point in the half.

I wish I was kidding.

Charlotte enhanced their lead even further, going on a subsequent 10-0 run that put them up 17 at the break.

The Broncos only made four field goals.

While Boise State looked a bit better coming out of the break, they were attempting to claw out of a massive hole. They did cut the lead to 12 with just under 11 minutes left, but that was as close as they would get until the final seconds of the game. Charlotte big man Aly Khalifa dished countless dimes to his cutting teammates for easy buckets and drained a three from the top of the arc to effectively shut the door on any comeback.

Leon Rice waived the white flag and allowed two young guys, Sadraque Nganga and Kobe Young, to play through the final minutes of the game. They showed their athleticism and ability to fly across the floor when lanes weren’t opening.

I expect some lineup adjustments tonight that allow both Nganga and Young to play more and make their mark on the game. They are too explosive to be stuck in the back of the rotation.

FINAL

BOISE STATE BRONCOS (1-2) 42

CHARLOTTE 49ERS (3-0) 54

PART TWO!

BOISE STATE (1-2) VS LOYOLA-CHICAGO (2-1)

Location: Conway, South Carolina (HTC Center)

Date/Time: Friday, November 18th at 7:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)

Television: None

Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: KBOI 670 AM

Head-to-Head: These two teams have played twice with each team winning once at their respective home arena. Loyola-Chicago won in 2014 and Boise State won in 2017.

Keys to Watch

1. Will the Bronco offense get off the schneid and not start from behind?

• Boise State ranks 275th in effective field goal percentage.

2. Can someone other than Tyson Degenhart or Marcus Shaver Jr. step up and contribute?

• Degenhart and Shaver have combined for 81 points this season. The rest of the starting five combine for 61, including Max Rice totaling 40 of that 61.

3. Will the Ramblers fill up the stat sheet in the paint?

• The Atlantic 10 squad is second in the nation in two-point field goal percentage at 68%.

Stat Leaders (Averages)

Points

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 13.7 Pts.

Loyola-Chicago: Forward Philip Alston - 14.3 Pts.

Rebounds

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 8.7 Reb.

Loyola-Chicago: Forward Tom Welch - 8.3 Reb.

Assists

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 4.3 Ast.

Loyola-Chicago: Guard Braden Norris - 4.3 Ast.

Odds

While DraftKings doesn’t have odds for this game, the general consensus is the Ramblers being favored by 1.5 points.

Prediction

So far, I’m 0-3 this season. With that being said, I think that the Broncos are recalibrating and need some easier opponents to fine-tune their rotations. This game is not one of those, and a potential matchup with Texas A&M doesn’t bode well either.

Final Score

Boise State 54 - Loyola-Chicago 62

What are your thoughts on the Broncos’ performance against Charlotte?

Leave your comments down below.