‘That’s my rock’: Kigab leads Boise State to Mountain West final, with assist from mom
Mashair Elgadi kept putting her hand to her heart. Her actions explained perfectly what her words could not.
There is nothing quite like watching a loved one excel at what they do best. And Abu Kigab couldn’t wait to share a special moment Friday night with his mom.
After the top-seeded Boise State men’s basketball team eliminated Wyoming 68-61 in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament, Kigab went running into the stands at Thomas & Mack Arena to hug his mom; his younger brother, Nawaf Kigab; and his girlfriend, Brittni Kemp.
“My feeling is very, very, very good,” Elgadi said. “I am very happy for him.”
Added Nawaf: “It’s been a crazy, fun experience. I got to see him play for the first time since high school, and I love it. I’m happy to be here.”
Kemp helped arrange the special trip from Canada for Elgadi and Nawaf, who got to see Kigab play college basketball in person for the first time this week. It turned out to be the perfect time, as the top-seeded Broncos (26-7) set the program record for wins in a single season with the win over the Cowboys (25-8) and will play in the Mountain West championship game Saturday for the first time in school history.
“I couldn’t see them for so long because of COVID, almost two and a half years,” Abu Kigab said. “And then just having them there for me just uplifts me so much and makes me want to even play harder than I already do, so I gotta give a big shout-out to my mom.”
The title contest against No. 3 seed San Diego State — a 63-58 winner over Colorado State in the semifinals — will tip off at 4 p.m. Mountain time Saturday at Thomas & Mack, with the game televised on CBS. Boise State last won a conference tournament title as a member of the Western Athletic Conference at the end of the 2007-08 season. The Broncos swept the Aztecs in the regular season, winning 42-37 in San Diego and 58-57 in Boise on Feb. 22.
Kigab, whose family moved from Sudan to Ontario when he was 9 years old, sank two 3-pointers early and finished with a career-high-tying four triples. The fifth-year senior totaled a game-best 22 points to go with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. It was his team-leading seventh 20-point game of the season.
And he did it not just for his team, but for his biggest fans.
“When she got here, it was just unbelievable. It was a surreal feeling. It was euphoria, that’s how I’d describe it,” he said of his mom’s presence. “She means so much to me. Growing up, just watching her struggle every day, and she always puts that smile on her face.
“I’ve never seen anyone work harder than her. She’s up a 4:30 working every single day. It’s who I get it from. That’s my mom. ... She just means the world to me. I don’t want to start talking about her too much, because I’m gonna cry, but I really love her. That’s my rock, man.”
Another Bronco was fired up, too, but for a much different reason.
After his pregame handshake was snubbed by Wyoming’s star center, Graham Ike, Boise State big man Mladen Armus keyed the Broncos’ opening run, scoring seven points as the Broncos got out to a 12-4 lead.
Armus, a redshirt senior, had 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting by halftime, when Boise State led 37-23, to go with eight rebounds. He finished with a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds on perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the floor and added a career-high four steals.
When asked whether he noticed the snub, the Serb had a simple answer.
“Yeah, I did,” Armus said.
Boise State’s Naje Smith chipped in 10 points off the bench, and Emmanuel Akot scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
“These guys, they don’t talk much about it, but they wanted to leave a legacy,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “When you talk about Abu, he leaves a trail like that everywhere he goes. He’s one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever coached, and it rubs off on all of them.”
Miscues plagued the Cowboys in the opening half, as they committed six turnovers that led to seven Boise State points. Wyoming also struggled with mental mistakes, allowing the shot clock to expire on one occasion, losing track of Armus and failing to get off a shot on their final possession of the first half.
Despite the miscues and a deficit as large as 17 points, the Cowboys made the Broncos sweat at the end.
Drake Jeffries knocked down a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to pull Wyoming within 64-61, but the Broncos put the Cowboys’ upset bid in check with two more defensive stops to seal the win.
Kigab added the finishing touches in the closing seconds, pulling down a defensive rebound and taking it coast to coast for a layup as the buzzer sounded.
Regardless of what happens in the league title game, Boise State will play in the NCAA Tournament. The selection show announcing the 68-team field begins at 4 p.m. Mountain time Sunday on CBS. It will be Boise State’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the 2014-15 season.
Just as the Broncos have never won the Mountain West Tournament, they also have never won an NCAA tourney game. They are 0-7, having suffered a one-point loss to Dayton in their most recent appearance.
BOISE STATE 68, WYOMING 61
WYOMING (25-8): Ike 8-15 2-2 18, Oden 3-8 0-2 6, Dusell 0-5 0-1 0, Jeffries 5-8 2-3 17, Maldonado 6-14 4-5 17, Wenzel 1-2 0-0 3, Reynolds 0-2 0-0 0, Thompson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 8-13 61.
BOISE STATE (26-7): Armus 6-6 4-5 16, Degenhart 0-2 0-0 0, Kigab 7-15 4-4 22, Akot 4-9 3-4 11, Shaver 1-6 5-8 7, Rice 1-5 0-0 2, N.Smith 4-6 0-0 10, Milner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-49 16-21 68.
Halftime—Boise St. 37-23. 3-Point Goals—Wyoming 7-25 (Jeffries 5-8, Wenzel 1-2, Maldonado 1-7, Reynolds 0-1, Oden 0-3, Dusell 0-4), Boise St. 6-19 (Kigab 4-8, N.Smith 2-4, Akot 0-1, Degenhart 0-2, Rice 0-2, Shaver 0-2). Fouled Out—Maldonado. Rebounds—Wyoming 31 (Maldonado 9), Boise St. 29 (Armus 13). Assists—Wyoming 12 (Maldonado 5), Boise St. 12 (Akot 6). Total Fouls—Wyoming 18, Boise St. 16.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 9:58 PM.
