Boise State shuffles lineup in win, but points still come from the bench. What happened?
Boise State returned to winning ways on Tuesday night at ExtraMile Arena, cruising to an 87-64 victory over Utah Tech of the Western Athletic Conference.
After a tricky three-game tournament in the Cayman Islands, where the Boise State (6-2) bench outscored the starters in two games, head coach Leon Rice acknowledged he was still searching for his best lineup.
He continued experimenting on Tuesday night against the Trailblazers. Freshman guard Julian Bowie and transfer junior forward Javan Buchanan came into the starting lineup for sophomore forward Andrew Meadow and redshirt sophomore forward Dylan Anderson.
Bowie had a quiet night, scoring six points as he continued to get comfortable on the team. Buchanan scored 10 points, eight of which came in the first half. It was both players’ first starts at the Division I level — Buchanan transferred from NAIA Indiana Wesleyan.
“I feel good about tonight’s game,” Rice said. “Because there’s a freshman in his first start and (Buchanan), his first start coming from NAIA, so there’s going to be some nerves. And so it was good that we were able to play through that.”
Buchanan led the Broncos from the bench in the Cayman Islands, scoring a team-high 28 points as the Broncos beat South Dakota State 83-82 and 24 points in the 63-61 championship game loss to Boston College.
While the two new starters impressed, Meadow and Anderson both reacted well coming off the bench. The duo tied for the second-highest point total of the night (14), while Meadow also pulled in a team-high eight rebounds.
“I told these guys it’s not a demotion for anyone,” Rice said. “... I think it’s just we’re still settling in, but I like the feel of it.”
Bronco fans also were treated to a strong showing from team leader Tyson Degenhart. After scoring just 21 points across the final two games in the Caymans, Degenhart matched that total to score a game-high 21 on a perfect night: 7-for-7 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
“It felt great. I just trust in the work that I put in,” Degenhart said. “It’s hard shooting the way I did the first seven games, but I know all the work that I put in is going to pay off.”
Degenhart had shot 54.2% from the field before Tuesday night.
If there’s one constant for the Broncos, it’s senior point guard Alvaro Cardenas. The transfer from San Jose State once again ran the show, scoring nine points while dishing out 10 assists, which tied a career best for him.
It was the first 10-assist game from a Boise State player since Chandler Hutchinson in 2017 against Portland.
“I feel great about the team,” Cardenas said. “There are obviously things that we need to work on. And personally, I’m not playing at my best level, not even close.”
Tuesday night may have been a cakewalk for the Broncos, but they’ll have to shift up a gear quickly. The Washington State Cougars come to town Saturday for what is officially a neutral venue matchup at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 9:57 PM.
