A back-and-forth tussle broke out in the first half with neither team capturing the upper hand.

Then, the Broncos hit the slot machines.

Jackpot after jackpot.

The offensive side of the ball continues to get better and better, not to mention the confidence that Chibuzo Agbo is continuing to build as the season progresses.

Key Teams Stats of the Night

Field Goal Percentage

Boise State - 56.4%

UNLV - 43.5%

Three-Point Percentage

Boise State - 53.8%

UNLV - 31.6%

Assists

Boise State - 17

UNLV - 12

Stat Leaders

Points

Tyson Degenhart and Chibuzo Agbo (BSU) - 17 points

Keshon Gilbert (UNLV) - 14 points

Rebounds

Tyson Degenhart (BSU) - 12 rebounds

Luis Rodriguez and Jordan McCabe (UNLV) - 7 rebounds

Assists

Tyson Degenhart and Marcus Shaver Jr. (BSU) - 6 assists

Keshon Gilbert (UNLV) - 4 assists

Story of the Game

The game was jumpstarted from the get-go by a Max Rice three that was only four seconds into the game. Tyson Degenhart followed suit before Rice added another to give the Broncos an early advantage at 9-4. A brief three-minute period of hasty shots led to a scoring lull on both sides, but Rebel Jordan McCabe, acting as a sixth man, gave UNLV life with his bulldog fight on both ends of the floor. Kevin Kruger’s squad trimmed the margin and, thanks to a Justin Webster layup, UNLV had finally regained the lead. Both teams traded punches before the clock struck triple zeroes on the first half of play.

The Rebels held a slim margin of two, 33-31.

Whatever Leon Rice said to his men, Chibuzo Agbo took it to heart and played out of his mind to begin the second half.

Back-to-back four-point play opportunities committed at the same spot on the floor propelled the Broncos to an expedited 14-3 run in the opening four minutes. After a Rodriguez three-pointer, the Rebels narrowed the deficit down to six.

That was the closest UNLV would get for the rest of the game.

Jace Whiting, the freshman guard out of Burley, Idaho, has really come into his own as of late. Two three-pointers to extend the Bronco lead to 15 showcased such progress.

After multiple momentum-halting shots by Agbo, Marcus Shaver Jr., on a bum ankle, scored 11 of Boise State’s last 13 points to cement another quality win for the Broncos.

FINAL

BOISE STATE BRONCOS (13-4, 3-1) 84

UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS (12-4, 1-3) 66

BOISE STATE (13-4, 3-1) AT WYOMING (5-11, 0-4)

Location: Laramie, Wyoming (Arena-Auditorium)

Date/Time: Saturday, January 14th at 9:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)

Traditional Television: Fox Sports 1 (FS1)

Streaming: Fox Sports app

Radio: KBOI 670 AM

Head-to-Head: Boise State leads the series 21-15, but only managed to split last year’s two meetings. Both teams won on their respective home floors, including a 72-65 Cowboy win that snapped Boise State’s undefeated start to Mountain West play.

Keys to Watch

1. Will Wyoming have enough bodies to keep up with Boise State?

• The Cowboys have been decimated by injuries this year, and this game is no different as four players (Kenny Foster, Hunter Thompson, Brendan Wenzel and Graham Ike) are listed as out for Saturday’s game. Also, two other Cowboys are listed as questionable (Noah Reynolds and Jake Kyman).

2. Can Boise State overcome the altitude of 7,220 ft?

• This game is never easy in Laramie simply because of its geographic makeup and that visiting players will most likely need oxygen to compensate. Arena-Auditorium is recognized as the highest NCAA Division 1 college basketball venue in the nation.

3. Can Boise State continue to pile it on from downtown?

• Averaging over 50% from beyond the arc in back-to-back games is a feat in its own without considering that they were against two of the better teams in the Mountain West (Utah State and UNLV). This isn’t last year’s Boise State. These guys want to light up the scoreboard.

Stat Leaders (Averages)

Points

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 14.5 Pts.

Wyoming: Guard Noah Reynolds - 14.3 Pts.

Rebounds

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 6.5 Reb.

Wyoming: Forward Hunter Thompson - 5.1 Reb.

Assists

Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 4.0 Ast.

Wyoming: Guard Ethan Anderson - 3.3 Ast.

Odds

Via our friends at DraftKings, Boise State is currently favored by 4.5 points and the total is set at 132.5.

Prediction

Considering all the injuries that Wyoming is dealing with, I do expect Boise State to win and win rather comfortably. It should not be overlooked that Marcus Shaver Jr. will not be 100% and I would be shocked if he does suit up for this game. Also, Wyoming has lost their last six, but in their bouts with New Mexico and San Diego State, they only lost by a combined six points.

The common denominator?

Both games were in Laradise.

Final Score

Boise State 75 - Wyoming 64

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

Leave your comments down below.