Boise State hangs on for key win on the road. Mountain West-leading Utah State awaits
The Boise State men’s basketball team led by as many as 16 points in Tuesday’s game at Fresno State.
In the end, the Broncos had to rally late late for a 72-68 win over the last-place team in what is shaping up to be another unpredictable Mountain West Conference season.
Jace Whiting got a layup to fall that put the Broncos up 16 points with just under 10 minutes to play, but Fresno State went on a 13-2 run, including a 3-pointer by Donavan Yap Jr. that cut the Broncos’ lead to 63-56 with 7:30 left in regulation.
Xavier DuSell later hit a 3-pointer that cut the Broncos’ lead to 66-63 with 3:30 to play. Isaiah Hill followed with a three to tie the game at 66, and Yap Jr. drove to the rim and finished with a layup that gave the Bulldogs (8-11, 1-5 Mountain West) a 68-66 lead with 2:10 left on the clock.
The Broncos (14-5, 5-1) needed someone to make a play that would help them gut out a road win, and they turned to two of their hottest scorers: Chibuzo Agbo and O’Mar Stanley.
After missing a 3-pointer, Agbo collected a ball that was knocked loose by Max Rice and hit a three from the corner that put Boise State up 69-68 with 1:30 left.
“I missed a couple of wide-open shots in the second half, and I felt due to make one,” Agbo told KBOI radio after the game.
Stanley collected a rebound and drew a foul with 37 seconds left. He hit both shots to give the Broncos a 71-68 lead.
“We have a great ability to finish games,” Agbo said. “We have a lot of great players on the court at all times. All five guys can make plays.”
Fresno State had one last shot to tie the game. The Bulldogs had the ball trailing by three with about 30 seconds left, but they were called for a backcourt violation, which gave the Broncos the ball and the ability to ice the game at the free throw line.
Boise State has now won nine games this season by single digits.
“It can never be easy,” Boise State basketball coach Leon Rice told KBOI radio after the game. “There are little things that happen on the road that make it tough, and we know that.”
The Broncos have won three straight road games for the first time since the 2021-22 season, which is also the last time Boise State won its first three Mountain West road games.
Tuesday’s win set up a showdown for first place in the Mountain West on Saturday at Extra Mile Arena (2 p.m., Mountain West Network) when the Broncos host No. 18 Utah State (17-2, 5-1).
“It sets up for a great Saturday afternoon,” Rice said. “They’ve got their record for a reason. They’ve won close games. I think there’s a lot of similarities between these two teams, and it’s going to be another donnybrook.”
Agbo scored 11 points in the first half Tuesday and led the Broncos into halftime with a 42-32 lead. He finished the game with 16 points and went 3-for-8 from 3-point range.
The transfer from Texas Tech has scored at least 10 points in 13 straight games. He’s also shooting 48% from the floor and 43% from 3-point range.
Agbo said Tuesday that he feels way more comfortable in his role than last season.
“I feel like one season at Boise State is enough for me to feel like a veteran,” Agbo said. “So I want to be a calming presence for the guys.”
Max Rice also finished with 16 points for the Broncos, and Stanley got hot early in the second half. He reeled off a quick eight points in less than 2 minutes, including two 3-pointers. His second gave the Broncos a 59-43 lead.
Stanley finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Point guard Roddie Anderson III added nine points, five rebounds and two assists.
Yap came off the bench to lead Fresno State with 17 points. Hill finished with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists, and Enoch Boakye 12 points and five rebounds.
This story was originally published January 23, 2024 at 11:55 PM.
