Bears? No. Battlestar Galactica? No. Beets? Yep, Boise State wants them at Wyoming
The Boise State men’s basketball team was drinking beet juice before it was cool.
Leon Rice and former strength and conditioning coach Adam Hermann introduced the Broncos to beet juice in 2016 to help combat the effects of altitude before a game at Wyoming. Hermann learned about the root’s possible benefits after reading a Norwegian study that said nitrates in the purple vegetable could improve blood vessel function.
Legitimate science or mental placebo? It doesn’t really matter. Downing beet juice before games in Laramie, which is 7,220 feet above sea level, is now a Bronco tradition. And it’s one that would have the full approval of Dwight Schrute, famous Dunder-Mifflin paper salesman and Pennsylvania beet farmer on “The Office.”
Before Boise State players load the bus for Thursday’s first-place Mountain West showdown at Arena-Auditorium (7 p.m., Mountain West Network), they’ll take a shot of beet juice — like it or not. No word on whether they’ll be wearing “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.” T-shirts.
“I just hold my breath and do my best to drink all of it,” Boise State redshirt senior Marcus Shaver Jr. said.
Based on past results, the Broncos might have found their miracle elixir.
Since joining the Mountain West in 2011-12, the Broncos are 8-3 in Laramie, which is the most wins and best winning percentage of any Mountain West opponent at Wyoming during that stretch. The Broncos have won the past eight meetings against the Cowboys and have won four straight in Laramie, including two last season.
“We’ve come up with our own system of what we do,” said Rice, whose team is in the midst of a program-record 14-game winning streak. “Through research, beet juice is shown as something that helps you. If it can help us, even if it can help us 1%, then we’ve done it.”
The San Diego State men’s basketball team joined the beet juice craze during the 2019-20 season, and its effects have been the subject of study in climbs of Mount Everest and elsewhere in the Himalayas. The Washington Post reported in 2019 that beet juice is gaining traction as more than just a dietary aid for athletes. It could even benefit heart-failure patients, individuals with diabetes and the elderly.
“It doesn’t taste very good, but it definitely helps with the altitude,” said Boise State freshman Tyson Degenhart, who was honored as the Mountain West Freshman of the week for the fifth time this season. “I suck it up. I don’t try to complain about it, because it’s a team tradition.”
Beet juice is just part of the Broncos’ winning strategy in Wyoming. The team also puts extra emphasis on hydration, fueling the body with carbohydrates, adequate rest and staying active during downtime at the hotel.
“After every meal or film session we have, they’re just pushing water on us, making sure we get extra bottles,” Shaver said. “They do a really good job of making sure everybody’s hydrated and ready to go.”
Mountain West reschedules three BSU games
The Mountain West recently announced changes to its men’s and women’s basketball schedules to account for games postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.
Two of the changes affect the Boise State men’s basketball team. The Broncos will now host Colorado State on Sunday, Feb. 13, and play at Air Force on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Boise State’s game vs. the Falcons will tip off at 8 p.m., and the game will air on Fox Sports 1. The tipoff time and broadcast information for the Colorado State game will be announced at a later date.
The BSU women had their game at Air Force moved to Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Women’s basketball: Broncos lose third straight
A pair of free throws from Abby Muse brought Boise State within one point with 3:21 remaining, but the Broncos could never close the gap in a 62-56 loss to Fresno State on Wednesday at ExtraMile Arena.
Freshman Trista Hull and sophomore Abby Muse each recorded a double-double in the loss. Hull tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, while Muse scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 15 boards for her eighth double-double of the year, which ranks among the top 50 nationally.
Dominique Leonidas added 11 points for the Broncos (7-14, 3-7 MW), who outrebounded the Bulldogs (9-11, 5-4) 48-32, but couldn’t overcome a 31.8% shooting night that included a 2-for-15 performance from 3-point range.
Over the final 3:21, Boise State went 0-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 at the free-throw line, while Fresno State made 5-of-6 attempts from the line to seal the victory.
Boise State hosts San Diego State at noon Saturday. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network, or listen on the radio on 670 AM.
BOISE STATE AT WYOMING
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Arena-Auditorium (11,612), Laramie, Wyoming
Live stream: Mountain West Network
Radio: 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 17-4, 8-0 MW; Wyoming 17-3, 6-1 MW
Series: Boise State leads the all-time series 20-14
Last meeting: The Broncos defeated the Cowboys 65-62 on Jan. 25 in Boise
Vegas line: Wyoming by 1
KenPom rating: Boise State 29, Wyoming 53
KenPom & ESPN predictions
Ken Pomeroy, who created the popular college basketball statistical website KenPom.com, ranks every Division I team using an adjusted efficiency margin, which Pomeroy defines as the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency.
According to Pomeroy’s detailed statistical analysis, Boise State has a 45% chance of beating Wyoming. His score prediction is a 65-64 Cowboys victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Wyoming has a 50.9% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 0.2.
FRESNO ST. 62, BOISE ST. 56
FRESNO ST. (9-11, 5-4 MW): Haley Cavinder 10-18 4-4 28; Hanna Cavinder 6-17 2-2 15; Charisse Fairley 2-3 0-0 5; Wytalla Motta 2-9 1-4 5; Amiee Book 1-4 0-0 3; Daylee Dunn 1-5 0-0 3; Jessica Peterson 0-0 2-2 2; Tamia Stricklin 0-3 1-2 1; Sydney Dethman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-59 10-14 62.
BOISE ST. (7-14, 3-7 MW): Abby Muse 5-10 2-3 12; Trista Hull 2-11 7-12 11; Dominique Leonidas 4-11 2-2 11; Mary Kay Naro 4-12 0-2 9; Rachel Bowers 2-4 1-1 5; Jayda Clark 2-6 0-0 4; Sydney McQuietor 1-1 0-0 2; Chinma Njoku 1-1 0-0 2; Anna Ostlie 0-10 0-0 0. Totals 21-66 12-20 56.
Fresno St..................... 10 17 17 18 — 62
Boise St...................... 10 13 15 18 — 56
3-point goals — Fresno St. 8-23 (Hal. Cavinder 4-7; .Dunn 1-4; Han. Cavinder 1-5; Book 1-3; Fairley 1-2; Stricklin 0-2), Boise St. 2-15 (Naro 1-5; Leonidas 1-1; Clark 0-1; Ostlie 0-8). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Fresno St. 32 (Hal. Cavinder 11), Boise St. 48 (Muse 15). Assists — Fresno St. 7 (Hal. Cavinder 4), Boise St. 9 (Muse 3). Total fouls — Fresno St. 15, Boise St. 15. Technical fouls — None. A — 1032.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 3:11 PM.
