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Boy oh boy!
When this offense is clicking on all cylinders, it is so fun to watch.
Key Teams Stats of the Night
Field Goal Percentage
Boise State - 59.2%
Colorado State - 41.1%
Three-Point Percentage
Boise State - 45.8%
Colorado State - 18.2%
Assists
Boise State - 19
Colorado State - 10
Stat Leaders
Points
Tyson Degenhart (BSU) - 22 points
Isaiah Stevens (CSU) - 19 points
Rebounds
Chibuzo Agbo (BSU) - 6 rebounds
Patrick Cartier (CSU) - 6 rebounds
Assists
Chibuzo Agbo (BSU) - 7 assists
Isaiah Stevens (CSU) - 5 assists
Story of the Game
Boise State started the game on fire, converting three triples in the first three minutes of the game to take the early edge. Ram Isaiah Rivera responded with an individual 6-0 run to reset the game, even though that didn’t last terribly long. At the 8:52 mark, Leon Rice’s crew marched their way to a game-breaking 17-0 run that shifted the dynamic as halftime approached. Colorado State slightly chipped away at the deficit, but they still walked into the locker room down 15.
Niko Medved and his squad did not go down without a fight, coming out of the break with a vengeance. Guard play led by Jalen Lake brought the Rams back to as close as six with under 15 minutes remaining. Boise State stalled their charge and kept them at bay before slamming the door starting at the 6:45 point. An 11-2 run iced the game and gave the Broncos another conference win a week before a heavyweight fight with Mountain West leader San Diego State.
FINAL
BOISE STATE BRONCOS (17-5, 7-2) 80
COLORADO STATE RAMS (10-12, 2-7) 59
BOISE STATE (17-5, 7-2) AT AIR FORCE (12-10, 3-6)
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado (Clune Arena)
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 31st at 7:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Traditional Television: None
Streaming: Mountain West Network
Radio: KBOI 670 AM
Head-to-Head: Boise State is 17-6 against the Falcons and has won the last five meetings. Of the six Bronco losses, five of them have occurred at Clune Arena.
Keys to Watch
1. Can Leon Rice keep the attention of the Broncos squarely on Air Force?
- Trap games are labeled as such for a reason. Making the trip to Colorado Springs before a date in Viejas Arena is not optimal. The Falcons have been pesky throughout conference play, competing with San Diego State and New Mexico through all 40 minutes.
2. Will Boise State limit the Falcons’ “Princeton offense”?
- Air Force loves to use cutters and constant off-ball movement to catch opposing defenses sleeping. Colorado State used this strategy in blips against the Broncos and it worked to a degree. Boise State has the better athletes, but maintaining focus throughout the entirety of the shot clock is the key.
3. Can Boise State continue to stay hot from downtown?
- In their last three wins, the Broncos have shot over 45% from beyond the arc and the rising threat of Chibuzo Agbo from deep has only opened up more opportunities for the likes of Max Rice and Tyson Degenhart.
Stat Leaders (Averages)
Points
Boise State: Forward Tyson Degenhart - 14.6 Pts.
Air Force: Guard Jake Heidbreder - 14.0 Pts.
Rebounds
Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 6.3 Reb.
Air Force: Forward Rytis Petraitis - 5.9 Reb.
Assists
Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. - 4.4 Ast.
Air Force: Guard Ethan Taylor - 3.5 Ast.
Odds
Via our friends at DraftKings, Boise State is currently favored by 7.5 points and the total is set at 130.5.
Prediction
The stars are aligning for Boise State to play its most important conference game to date, but they can’t skip this step. While Air Force can stay in the game against top teams, they also have the ability to lose to a team like San Jose State by 30. Give me the Broncos and the dramatics that will be on tap Friday night in San Diego.
Final Score
Boise State 73 - Air Force 62
What are your thoughts on the Broncos’ performance against Colorado State?
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