Boise State men’s basketball at UNLV: How to watch, prediction and odds
There are still three regular-season games left on Boise State’s schedule, but coach Leon Rice is certain of at least one thing: “This is a historic team.”
How can Rice make such a declaration before the outcome of the season has even been decided?
“Especially with the way they’ve done it and just the kind of guys they are, they’re going to be remembered for these games,” Rice said. “There’s been so many of these games that you’re gonna look back on and go, ‘Oh, that was remarkable.’
“So that makes it historic, and for me it’s gonna be (historic) for sure just because of the journey we’ve been on together and how much we’ve all enjoyed it and how we’ve done such a great job of staying in the moment, maybe better than any team I’ve ever had in those ways. ... They’re gonna leave a legacy here, and they’re not done.”
The first-place Broncos (22-6, 13-2 MW) look to move one game closer to locking up their first Mountain West regular-season title since 2014-15 when they face UNLV (17-11, 9-6) at 8 p.m. Mountain time Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. It is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with Boise State winning 69-63 on Feb. 11 in Boise.
A win over the Rebels would be the Broncos’ 14th conference victory of the season, which would tie the program record. This year’s Broncos have already established the longest winning streak in program history, at 14 straight games, and they’ve held 15 opponents under 60 points, which is the most in a single season under Rice.
And the Broncos have won in dramatic fashion on multiple occasions with the help of Marcus Shaver Jr. The redshirt senior guard has made a 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds of four different games that either tied the score or gave Boise State the lead.
Shaver sank the game-winner at Utah State on Jan. 20, a go-ahead shot at San Diego State on Jan. 22, forced OT against Fresno State with a clutch 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left on Jan. 28, and most recently nailed a step-back triple from the top of the arc with 8.3 seconds on the clock to force overtime against Colorado State (Feb. 13).
Fifth-year senior Abu Kigab emerged as the hero on Feb. 22 by making two free throws with 1.7 seconds to play to edge San Diego State 58-57.
The Broncos have had six different players lead them in scoring this season. They’ve combined that balanced attack with one of the best defenses in the country. Boise State has limited opponents to 59.6 points per game, which ranks 10th best in the nation.
“I don’t know if we’ve ever had a team that we’ve had everybody contribute at such a high level in the moments we need it most,” Rice said.
BOISE STATE AT UNLV
When: 8 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Thomas & Mack Center (18,776), Las Vegas
TV: CBS Sports Network (Chick Hernandez, Avery Johnson). That’s DirecTV channel 221, DISH channel 158 and Sparklight channel 139.
Radio: 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 22-6, 13-2 MW; UNLV 17-11, 9-6 MW
Series: Boise State 14-10
Last meeting: Boise State defeated UNLV 69-63 on Feb. 11 in Boise.
Vegas line: Boise State by 1
KenPom rating: Boise State 27, UNLV 78
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 52% chance of beating UNLV. His score prediction is a 66-65 Boise State victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: UNLV has a 56.2% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 1.5.
Women’s basketball: Broncos lose in OT
Boise State’s upset bid fell apart in the final seconds of overtime when Nia Alexander’s jumper in the key with 0.5 seconds remaining lifted Nevada to a 76-75 victory Thursday at ExtraMile Arena.
The Broncos (8-19, 4-12 MW) had the third-place Wolf Pack on the ropes in regulation, leading 63-57 with 2:18 to go in the fourth quarter. But Da’Ja Hamilton scored six straight points for Nevada (18-9, 10-5) to force overtime.
Anna Ostlie attempted a game-winning 3-pointer for Boise State to beat the fourth-quarter buzzer, but her shot missed the mark. The Broncos then led 75-74 with 15.8 seconds left in overtime after sophomore forward Elodie Lalotte banked in a jumper on the left block.
Lalotte led Boise State with a career-high 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds — one shy of her career high — for her seventh double-double of the season. Fifth-year senior Dominique Leonidas tallied 13 points and four assists, and sophomore forward Abby Muse added 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Broncos conclude their regular-season schedule when they host San Jose State at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network, or listen on the radio on 670 AM.
WOMEN: NEVADA 76, BOISE ST. 75 (OT)
NEVADA (18-9, 10-5 MW): Da’Ja Hamilton 6-11 9-9 22; Nia Alexander 8-12 4-4 20; Audrey Roden 6-9 2-2 17; Lexie Givens 1-6 5-6 7; Kylie Jimenez 1-4 2-2 5; Kenna Holt 1-2 0-0 2; Alyssa Jimenez 1-7 0-2 2; Amaya West 0-2 1-2 1; Natalie Lathrop 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-54 23-27 76.
BOISE ST. (8-19, 4-12 MW): Elodie Lalotte 7-16 4-6 18; Rachel Bowers 5-7 5-6 15; Dominique Leonidas 5-12 3-4 13; Abby Muse 2-3 6-8 10; Mary Kay Naro 4-11 0-0 9; Anna Ostlie 2-10 2-2 6; Trista Hull 1-1 0-0 2; Jayda Clark 0-3 2-2 2; Sydney McQuietor 0-0 0-0 0; Linsey Lovrovich 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-63 22-28 75.
Nevada........................ 19 18 12 14 13 — 76
Boise St...................... 17 10 17 19 12 — 75
3-point goals — Nevada 5-13 (Roden 3-5; K. Jimenez 1-1; Hamilton 1-2; A. Jimenez 0-2; Givens 0-1; Alexander 0-2), Boise St. 1-10 Naro 1-3; Bowers 0-2; Ostlie 0-5). Fouled out — Nevada-Roden; Hamilton, Boise St.-Muse. Rebounds — Nevada 29 (Holt 5; Alexander 5), Boise St. 38 (Lalotte 13). Assists — Nevada 5 (K. Jimenez 2), Boise St. 12 (Leonidas 4). Total fouls — Nevada 23, Boise St. 20. Technical fouls — None. A — 805.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 1:11 PM.
