Boise State, BYU need overtime to settle first men’s basketball meeting since 2008
Justinian Jessup had scored all of two points when Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice laid into his senior guard during a timeout with 2 minutes, 37 seconds left in overtime.
Whatever Rice said, it worked to perfection.
Jessup made a step-back 3-pointer after the timeout to give Boise State the lead for good in a 72-68 overtime win against BYU on Wednesday night at ExtraMile Arena. The Broncos went 1-9 in games decided by a single possession or in overtime during the 2018-19 season, earning the distinction of the unluckiest team in the country by KenPom.com.
But the Broncos’ luck finally changed Wednesday.
“That exorcised some demons, and that wasn’t an easy one to do,” Rice said. “We had to come back, and it was a great back-and-forth game there in the second half. They threw some good punches. We threw some counter punches and on and on and on. Our guys toughed it out there in the end.”
Before Jessup sank the 3-pointer with 2:26 to play, he had made just 1-of-10 from the field. He finished with nine points, seven of which came in overtime.
“It felt awesome, man. Thank God. We’ve been working all offseason for those type of games,” Jessup said. “In the huddle, it felt together, we felt connected. It felt like we were determined to get that win. So to see it come out that way and finish with some stops and some big offensive possessions is awesome.”
Jessup followed up his triple with a steal and dunk with 36 seconds left for a 69-64 lead, and he made two free throws with 7.5 seconds on the clock for a little extra breathing room on the Cougars’ final possession.
“He’s a tough kid,” Rice said. “I really, really challenged him in the huddle about what he needs to start bringing to this team. He didn’t wilt. ... There was no doubt in my mind he was making that (3-pointer) when he let that go.”
It was redshirt junior Derrick Alston and senior RJ Williams who carried the Broncos throughout much of regulation.
Alston entered Wednesday’s game averaging 25.0 points per game, which is the top mark in the Mountain West and No. 6 in the country. With his 26-point outing against the Cougars, he becomes the first Bronco in program history to score 20 points or more in each of the team’s first four games of the season. Alston surpasses Roberto Bergersen (1998-99) and Greg Bunn (1971-72), who each scored 20 or more in Boise State’s first three games.
“He gets the ball moving for us and sees the floor and can make plays for everyone,” Rice said. “When he does that, that’s when we’re really good, and that’s when it opens up for him.”
The 6-foot-9 Alston also grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double. Despite foul trouble, Williams was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor for 18 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes of action. Williams fouled out with 1:49 left in regulation.
Boise State led 27-20 at halftime and by as many as nine points at the start of the second half. BYU pulled ahead 39-38 with 13:34 left in the game after back-to-back 3-pointers from Highland High graduate Connor Harding. Neither team took more than a three-point lead the rest of regulation in a game that featured 15 lead changes and 10 ties.
“They’re a really good team, so we knew that they were going to make a run at some point,” Alston said. “We just stayed 10 toes down and found a way to win.”
Senior guard Jake Toolson paced BYU (3-2) with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Harding added 10 points and four rebounds off the bench, and Rocky Mountain alum Kolby Lee got the start for the Cougars and finished with seven points and seven boards.
Boise State (2-2) will travel to Stockton, California, to play Pacific (5-2) in a nonconference game that starts at 5 p.m. MT on Saturday. The game will be available on the radio at 670 AM.
BOISE ST. 72, BYU 68 (OT)
BYU (3-2)
Nixon 3-5 0-0 6, Lee 3-9 1-2 7, Haws 5-16 0-0 10, Barcello 2-6 0-0 4, Toolson 7-20 3-4 19, Nield 0-0 0-0 0, Seljaas 3-10 1-1 9, Knell 1-2 0-0 3, Troy 0-0 0-0 0, Harding 4-6 0-0 10. Totals 28-74 5-7 68.
BOISE ST. (2-2)
Williams 6-6 6-11 18, Hobbs 3-10 0-0 6, Jessup 3-13 2-2 9, Alston 8-19 9-10 26, Dickinson 0-3 2-4 2, Jorch 2-3 0-0 4, Rice 3-7 0-0 7, Dennis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-61 19-27 72.
Halftime — Boise St. 27-20. End Of Regulation — Tied 58. 3-Point Goals — BYU 7-24 (Harding 2-2, Toolson 2-4, Seljaas 2-5, Knell 1-2, Nixon 0-1, Barcello 0-2, Haws 0-8), Boise St. 3-19 (Rice 1-4, Jessup 1-6, Alston 1-6, Dickinson 0-1, Hobbs 0-2). Fouled Out —Williams, Nixon. Rebounds — BYU 41 (Barcello, Lee 7), Boise St. 42 (Alston 11). Assists — BYU 15 (Toolson 4), Boise St. 7 (Jessup 3). Total Fouls — BYU 19, Boise St. 11. A — 6,143 (12,480).
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 10:48 PM.
