‘That’s huge.’ Boise State basketball sets program record with 20th straight home win
Since ExtraMile Arena opened in 1982, Boise State has had some impressive wins and some long winning streaks, but the Broncos had never won 20 consecutive games inside the facility formerly known as the Pavilion.
Until now.
The Boise State men’s basketball team downed Cal State Fullerton 88-65 on Sunday afternoon — its fifth straight win this season — to get its program-record 20th victory in a row at home dating to November of 2022.
“You can’t have a good program if you don’t have a good home court,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “And it’s just getting better and better. We need to give a shout-out to our fans. We don’t get these things done without a great atmosphere.”
Boise State’s previous best home winning streak was 19 in a row, culminating with a 67-66 win, oddly enough, against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 17, 1999. The Broncos’ current home streak is tied for the second-longest active streak in the nation behind UCLA, which has won 28 in a row at Pauley Pavilion.
“That’s huge, especially if you’re trying to make the NCAA Tournament,” Boise State sixth-year senior Max Rice said. “Just to have somewhere to come back to and feel like you have a great chance to win. And that’s kind of been our thing. Even if we have some tough road losses, to be able to come back to Boise and just feel really comfortable is huge.”
The Broncos (8-3) took control against the Titans (6-5) from the opening tip. Senior guard Chibuzo Agbo scored the first points of the game on a putback on BSU’s opening possession, and the Broncos rolled out to a 20-5 advantage with 13:50 remaining in the first half using an 18-2 run.
Agbo spearheaded the quick start with 19 first-half points, including 12 points in the opening 5:15 of the game.
“(Cal State Fullerton) came in here to win this game, and our guys sent a message that so did we,” Leon Rice said.
Boise State closed out the first half on a 17-0 run, with the Broncos knocking down three 3-pointers in the final 2:28 of the half. Sophomore guard Roddie Anderson III polished off the run with a drive to the hoop as the buzzer sounded, giving the Broncos a 54-25 lead at the break. Boise State’s 54 first-half points were a season high.
Cal State Fullerton (6-5) hit four 3-pointers to start the second half and got within 60-41 with 14:11 on the clock. But junior forward Tyson Degenhart fed fellow junior O’Mar Stanley for a dunk, freshman Andrew Meadow sank a triple, and seventh-year senior Cam Martin followed with a dunk of his own and a 3-pointer to push the Broncos’ advantage back to 20-plus points for the remainder of the game.
Max Rice led four Broncos in double figures with 24 points while adding four assists, three rebounds and two steals. He also went 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Agbo totaled 19 points, Degenhart had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Stanley notched his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.
“(Stanley) is another really coachable guy that’s just scratching the surface,” Leon Rice said. “It’s exciting to see his development already.”
Boise State’s last game before Christmas break is a neutral-site matchup Thursday night against Washington State (8-2). Tipoff is 9 p.m. Mountain time at Spokane Arena. The game will be streamed live on the Pac-12 Network, or listen on the radio on 670 AM.
The Cougars, picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 in a preseason poll, are coming off an eight-point home loss to Santa Clara. They were 17-17 last season, including a 71-61 loss to the Broncos in Boise.
This story was originally published December 17, 2023 at 6:49 PM.
