In what was supposed to be a walk-over, the Matadors put up quite a fight against Leon Rice’s crew.

Alas, the Broncos managed to send the crowd home happy with a win.

Key Teams Stats of the Night

Field Goal Percentage

Boise State - 36.5%

CSUN - 30.6%

Rebounds

Boise State - 40

CSUN - 33

Assists

Boise State - 8

CSUN - 4

Stat Leaders

Points

Marcus Shaver Jr. (BSU) - 19 points

De’Sean Allen-Eikens (CSUN) - 11 points

Rebounds

Naje Smith (BSU) - 9 rebounds

Dionte Bostick and Onyi Eyisi (CSUN) - 6 rebounds

Assists

Marcus Shaver Jr. (BSU) - 4 assists

Four CSUN players - 1 assist

Story of the Game

It wasn’t pretty to begin with.

Both teams had a difficult time getting the offensive wheels churning. A slow bar fight evolved into a CSUN advantage that grew to as high as six with a little over eight minutes to go in the half. Naje Smith, the energizer bunny that acts as the basketball team’s fullback, turned into an offensive juggernaut. Five straight points and some creative post moves trimmed the deficit to one. Max Rice joined in on the fun, making two three-pointers that put the Broncos ahead. To their credit, the Matadors stayed in the fight, nearly taking a lead into the break before two Shaver free throws gave Boise State a one-point lead.

The second half didn’t feature any explosive runs and the game remained in the balance. Responses by Jace Whiting and Tyson Degenhart prevented any turning of the tide. Marcus Shaver Jr. was able to clinch the game at the charity stripe in the final minutes. In a rock fight, it doesn’t matter how much you win by.

Just get the W.

FINAL

BOISE STATE BRONCOS (5-2) 55

CSU NORTHRIDGE MATADORS (1-5) 46

BOISE STATE (5-2) VS TEXAS A&M (5-2)

Location: Fort Worth, Texas (Dickies Arena)

Date/Time: Saturday, December 3rd at 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)

Television: ESPNU

Streaming: ESPN app

Radio: KBOI 670 AM

Head-to-Head: This is the first-ever meeting between the Broncos and Aggies.

Keys to Watch

1. Can Boise State limit their turnovers?

• Texas A&M is top-11 in the nation in defensive turnover percentage, forcing turnovers 25.9% of the time.

2. Will Boise State be able to match the Aggies’ athleticism?

• Playing an SEC squad that can jump out of the gym is no easy task.

3. Can Tyson Degenhart force Texas A&M to respect his inside game?

“Deggie” loves his mini-hook shots and extraneous footwork, but battling inside against guys inches taller than him may cause trepidation.

Stat Leaders (Averages)

Points

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 15.0 Pts.

Texas A&M: Guard Wade Taylor IV - 15.0 Pts.

Rebounds

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 8.4 Reb.

Texas A&M: Forward Henry Coleman III - 5.4 Reb.

Assists

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 4.1 Ast.

Texas A&M: Guard Wade Taylor IV - 3.4 Ast.

Odds

Via DraftKings, Texas A&M is currently favored by five and the total is set at 132.5

Prediction

This is going to be a bit of a doozy and I don’t have any hard set feelings either way. With an expected contingent of Aggie fans, the Broncos will come close to a major win, but fall just short.

Final Score

Boise State 68 - Texas A&M 73

What are your thoughts on the Broncos’ performance against CSU Northridge?

Leave your comments down below.