Boise State basketball gets the ball moving to unlock ‘unconventional’ Fresno State defense
Receiving the basketball awkwardly in his own half, Boise State junior forward Javan Buchanan elicited oohs and aahs from the home crowd at ExtraMile Arena as he dribbled the ball behind his back in full stride to elude his defender from Fresno State.
Broncos fans barely had time to appreciate Buchanan’s move before the ball was being pinged around the Fresno State perimeter. A few more quick passes, a drive into the paint that was kicked back outside, and a lobbed pass to freshman guard Pearson Carmichael ended in an unguarded 3-pointer that hit nothing but net.
The rapid play lasted no more than 10 seconds and was a sign of things to come Saturday afternoon as Boise State (15-7, 7-4 Mountain West) cruised to an 82-60 victory over Fresno State (5-17, 1-10). The Broncos looked as comfortable as they have all season in moving the ball quickly and creating open shots for teammates.
“It was something we talked about because they played a zone that’s a little unconventional,” senior guard Alvaro Cardenas said. “We knew at times we were going to have open shots, and we wanted to pass up the good shot for the great shot. And that’s kind of our mindset: Get the ball in the paint and try to kick it out.”
The Broncos finished with 18 assists, tied for the most by Boise State in Mountain West play this year. Boise State’s 82 points are also the team’s second-most scored in conference play this season, trailing only the 96 points against Wyoming in mid-January.
As usual, Cardenas was at the forefront of the Broncos’ offensive successes. He racked up a game-high seven assists and scored 13 points on a 5-for-9 shooting night, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc.
Midway through the second half, Cardenas received a pass on the perimeter, put a Fresno State defender on the floor with a body feint, and sunk a 3-pointer. A minute later, he drove into the paint before playing a pass behind his back to freshman guard Julian Bowie in the corner, who hit yet another 3-pointer.
Boise State finished 30 for 62 (48.4%) from the field and 11 for 29 (37.9%) from three.
“I thought we ran such a good offense. The way they moved the ball and the way they attacked inside-out,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said. “The shots we missed, a lot of them were just rattling around, they were great shots.”
Saturday afternoon’s scoring started relatively slowly, with Boise State leading 14-12 after almost eight minutes of play. But then the Broncos flipped a switch, going on a 17-1 run over a 4 1/2-minute stretch to take a 31-13 lead before the Bulldogs could even process what was happening.
Sophomore guard Andrew Meadow scored the first two baskets to ignite the 17-1 run. He scored a game-high 20 points as five Broncos scored in double digits.
Meadow is one of only three Boise State players to have started 20 games this season, behind Cardenas and senior forward Tyson Degenhart, who have both started 22 games.
“I know what I can do out there, and I’m not looking into what anyone says,” Meadow said. “Just staying even-keeled throughout the whole season, I think that’s what’s going to make me succeed.”
Boise State has won two straight games since falling 75-72 at Colorado State, which Rice described as the team’s “lowest point.” But the Broncos are still on a three-game road losing streak dating back to December and will be looking to get that monkey off their back Tuesday when they travel to UNLV. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. Mountain time.
This story was originally published February 1, 2025 at 5:29 PM.
