Another 3-point dagger downs Boise State hoops after 17-point comeback at Colorado State
It was déjà vu for the Boise State basketball team on Tuesday night. For the third time this season and the second time in the past two weeks, a 3-pointer in the final seconds downed the Broncos.
This time, it was on the road at Colorado State.
After Boise State (13-7, 5-4 Mountain West) clawed back from a 17-point deficit against the Rams (12-7, 6-2) to enter the final possession of the game tied at 72-72, a contested three from the Rams’ Jalen Lake with 3 seconds left hit nothing but net. A missed 3-pointer from Boise State senior guard Alvaro Cardenas at the buzzer resigned the Broncos to a 75-72 defeat.
Two weeks ago, a last-second 3-pointer from Utah State sunk the Broncos 81-79. Earlier this season, the Broncos lost 63-61 to Boston College in the Cayman Islands, thanks to a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left from the Eagles.
“It sucks that we’ve had three losses like that,” senior forward Tyson Degenhart told KBOI after the game. “We flip those three losses, do a little bit to get that one offensive rebound and that one contest, and I think our season looks a little different.”
Now the season is looking challenging if Boise State hopes to make its fourth straight NCAA Tournament. The Broncos are falling out of any at-large-berth conversation and into the territory where their only path to March Madness is a Mountain West Tournament championship.
Degenhart continued to lead by example and with his play, scoring a season- and game-high 27 points. Cardenas scored 18 points, his second-highest tally of the year. The only other double-digit scorer was Javan Buchanan off the bench, with 11 points. Degenhart and Cardenas combined to take 30 of the team’s 52 field-goal attempts.
The loss marked Boise State’s third straight on the road. And although those losses have come to the top three teams in the Mountain West standings — the Broncos were blown out 84-65 at New Mexico last week — it leaves little room for error moving forward.
And similar to those losses at Utah State and New Mexico, Colorado State was uncharacteristically hot from beyond the arc.
The Rams entered the game ranked 258th in the nation for 3-point shooting, averaging 8.1 3-pointers per game on 32.2% shooting. But on Tuesday night, Colorado State started the game shooting 6-for-8 en route to an 11-for-24 (45.8%) shooting night from three.
Utah State shot 11-for-21 from three against Boise State, while New Mexico was an efficient 7-for-15.
“Our individual defense isn’t good enough,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said. “What happens is they can just drive at us. And when you can just drive at a guy, it breaks down the defense because now you’ve got to help. And then (Colorado State) is a team that’s really good at moving the ball and getting the open man.”
The two teams traded blows throughout the first 10 minutes before the Broncos experienced the first of several scoring droughts. Colorado State quickly extended its 38-29 halftime lead to 56-39 eight minutes into the second half — with a Boise State drought exceeding 4 minutes playing a significant part.
But with the Broncos looking dead and buried, its senior leader stepped up. Degenhart scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half.
An 11-0 run for the Broncos was soon followed by an 8-0 run, bringing Boise State within touching distance of the Rams. So when a Cardenas layup made it 70-69 in favor of Colorado State, Moby Arena was pretty silent. Degenhart made it quieter with a 3-pointer to give the Broncos a 72-70 lead.
“They were terrific,” Rice said about Degenhart and Cardenas, who had three assists down the stretch. “I was really proud of the fight that we have. Because we’ve got fighters, and I’ve just got to figure out the rotation better.“
But the Rams fans weren’t silenced for long. Nique Clifford’s layup tied things at 72-all with 50 seconds left, and a Degenhart miss gave Colorado State possession with about 34 seconds left. Clifford’s miss inside paved the way for an offensive rebound and kick-out to Lake, who was on target.
Boise State opted to forgo its final timeout and run an immediate play up the court, but Cardenas’ shot bounced twice on the rim before falling off.
Rice said he did not want to call timeout because it would have allowed the Rams a better option of fouling on purpose to avoid giving up a 3-pointer.
The Broncos will now have a weeklong break before hosting Nevada at ExtraMile Arena Wednesday at 6 p.m. The normally good Wolf Pack have had an up-and-down season. They lost their first four conference games before winning three straight, and then were pummeled 90-69 by Utah State on Tuesday.
“I think it’s a good time (for a bye),” Degenhart said. “Nine conference games, we kind of get to the point where you’re doing so much prep for the other team that you really can’t (focus on yourself).
“But with no game this weekend ... we can really focus on ourselves and get better in practice,” he continued. “And I think you’re going to see a new team come Wednesday.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 9:39 PM.
