Next stop Vegas: Boise State women close out regular season with fifth straight win
Nothing like a big victory to get ready for the big show.
The Boise State women’s basketball team posted its largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent this season, posterizing UNLV 81-52 on Monday night at ExtraMile Arena. It is the Broncos’ fifth straight victory and third in a row by double digits.
“We’re confident,” Boise State senior Riley Lupfer said. “Like we usually do, we’re peaking at the right time. You could just feel it.”
With the win in their regular-season finale, the Broncos (21-9, 13-5 MW) locked up the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye at the Mountain West Tournament. They will open postseason action at 7 p.m. MT next Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas against the winner of Sunday’s first-round game between the No. 7 and No. 10 seeds. Those teams will be determined once the rest of the league wraps up play Thursday.
Boise State has won four of the past five tournament titles, and could become the first team in league history to win four in a row. The Broncos had collected two straight regular-season titles, but Fresno State will be the No. 1 seed next week.
“We’re in second. Obviously it’s not what we wanted,” Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said. “But there are nine other teams that would trade us places, and we get to go down to the tournament and see what we can do.”
Monday’s matchup against UNLV (13-15, 9-8) was the the final home game for seniors Jayde Christopher, A’Shanti Coleman, Braydey Hodgins, Marijke Vanderschaaf, Ellie Woerner and Lupfer. The group fittingly led the way, combining for 58 of the Broncos’ 81 points.
Coleman matched her career high with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Lupfer totaled 18 points, including five triples, Hodgins had 14 points and five assists, and junior Mallory McGwire had 11 points and three blocked shots. McGwire’s 45 blocks are the fifth-best single-season total in program history.
All six seniors sat together at center court after the win, soaking up one last moment playing in front of friends, family and fans.
“Leaving the floor for the last time, it is so sad,” Lupfer said. “We have so much love for each other. Obviously we still have games to play, but it’s something special coming in here.”
Lupfer moved up one spot to No. 4 on Boise State’s career points list on a 3-pointer with 6:21 on the clock in the second quarter. The Spokane, Washington, native entered the game at No. 5 with 1,492 career points and now has 1,510. She passed Karla Meier, who totaled 1,499 points from 1977 to 1982. Lupfer also is the Broncos’ career 3-point leader with 344 and counting.
Christopher paced the Broncos in assists for the 27th time in 30 games with eight helpers against the Rebels. Her single-season total increased to 240, three short of the Mountain West record of 243 set by New Mexico’s Cherise Beynon during the 2017-18 season.
“I love them, and they’re just great people,” Presnell said of his senior class. “It’s just been an honor to be around them and be part of their lives. It’s an exceptional group of people, both in the classroom and on the court. I’ve never had any problems with any of them. I’ve never had one single problem, so it’s hard to see them go.”
Christopher honored by league
Christopher earned her first career Mountain West Player of the Week honor Monday after posting a pair of double-doubles in a 2-0 week for Boise State.
In wins over San Jose State and New Mexico last week, Christopher averaged 14 points, 11 assists and 6.5 rebounds and shot 61.1 percent (11-for-18) from the field.
Men’s basketball: Broncos finish regular season at UNLV
Boise State can earn a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament on Tuesday night, and the Broncos don’t even have to pick up a basketball.
A Colorado State (19-10, 10-6 MW) loss at San Diego State (26-1, 15-1) on Tuesday would do the trick. But should the Rams beat SDSU, Boise State (19-10, 11-6) can then clinch a bye by winning at UNLV (15-14, 10-6) on Wednesday (9 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network).
Although Boise State already has a win over UNLV earlier this season, the Rebels are fresh off an upset of fifth-ranked and previously unbeaten San Diego State.
“They’re big, they’re athletic, they’re physical and they’ve got really good players,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “They are really clicking together right now. They’re a good basketball team, and it’s gonna be a tough game.”
Wednesday’s game is Boise State’s regular-season finale, while the rest of the league wraps up play Saturday. The Broncos will have to wait until the completion of those games to determine what seed they’ll have at the tournament. Ahead of Tuesday’s games, Boise State could finish anywhere between second and sixth in the conference standings.
WOMEN: BOISE ST. 81, UNLV 52
UNLV (13-15, 9-8 MW)
Rodjanae Wade 9-21 8-13 26; Latecia Smith 6-12 2-2 14; Anna Blount 1-4 2-4 4; Melanie Isbell 1-4 2-2 4; Jacinta Buckley 1-2 0-0 3; Haley Rydalch 0-2 1-4 1; Krista Jackman 0-0 0-0 0; Isis Beh 0-1 0-0 0; Bailey Thomas 0-1 0-0 0; Kambrayia Elzy 0-2 0-0 0; Kavionnia Brown 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 18-51 15-25 52.
BOISE ST. (21-9, 13-5 MW)
A’Shanti Coleman 9-16 3-3 22; Riley Lupfer 6-10 1-1 18; Braydey Hodgins 4-11 6-6 14; Mallory McGwire 5-6 0-0 11; Jade Loville 2-3 1-2 6; Rachel Bowers 1-1 1-1 3; Maggie Freeman 1-4 0-0 3; Ellie Woerner 0-4 2-2 2; Jayde Christopher 0-2 2-2 2; Laia Soler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-57 16-17 81.
UNLV.......................... 12 12 10 18 — 52
Boise St...................... 16 27 20 18 — 81
3-point goals — UNLV 1-3 (Buckley 1-1; Elzy 0-1; Wade 0-1), Boise St. 9-22 (Lupfer 5-8; Loville 1-1; McGwire 1-1; Coleman 1-3; Freeman 1-3; Woerner 0-1; Hodgins 0-5). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — UNLV 28 (Wade 10), Boise St. 34 (Coleman 10). Assists — UNLV 4 (Buckley 2), Boise St. 20 (Christopher 8). Total fouls — UNLV 19, Boise St. 20. Technical fouls — None. A — 1,505.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 9:00 PM.
