Boise State hoops falls just short of historic comeback in triple-OT thriller
Saturday night was almost one of the most memorable nights in Boise State basketball history.
Instead, the Broncos will be left to stew on the memories of a couple of key moments that prevented a victory after a historic 24-point comeback against San Diego State at Viejas Arena.
An off-balance, contested 3-pointer from junior forward Andrew Meadow bounced off the rim at the end of triple overtime as Boise State (9-5, 1-2 Mountain West) fell 110-107 to the Aztecs (9-4, 3-0).
“These guys are devastated in (the locker room),” Boise State head coach Leon Rice told KBOI in his postgame interview.
The dire mood came after the Broncos looked poised to win the game on multiple occasions — a huge feat given that they were down 42-18 in the first half and trailed 50-29 at halftime.
After a testy opening nine minutes that promised fans more of a defensive grind, San Diego State exploded on a 28-3 run over an eight-minute span. The Broncos didn’t score a single field goal during the run, as they watched a 15-14 lead get obliterated.
A three-pointer from senior guard Javan Buchanan ended the Aztecs’ run. Buchanan had just five points at the break but finished the game with 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting.
“The coaches got on us,” Buchanan told KBOI about the halftime pep talk that led to a second-half flip, with Boise State outscoring San Diego State 50-29 in the second half, a perfect bit of symmetry.
Rice said he challenged the team on its character and toughness, emphasizing that the Aztecs were the aggressor and were getting any shot they wanted.
Whatever else was said during the 15-minute halftime certainly worked.. The deficit was down to 14 points six minutes into the second half, and it was a 9-point gap at the 12-minute media timeout.
With five minutes left in the game, the Broncos were down 71-69 after Drew Fielder made a long 3-pointer. BSU had gone on a 42-19 run for the half.
With four minutes left, a layup from Meadow tied the score at 73-73 and sent a quiet hush around Viejas Arena. Meadow scored a career-high 25 points on a 9-for-19 shooting performance.
“You’ve seen so many games, nobody’s ever out of it, especially in the first half,” Buchanan said. “The game’s never over in the first half.”
The score was 79-79 with the Aztecs in possession, but a turnover from San Diego State leading scorer BJ Davis (22) gave Boise State senior guard Dylan Andrews the ball. Andrews rushed up the court and had an open midrange look; his shot rattled inside the rim and back out as the buzzer sounded.
That wouldn’t be the Broncos’ only chance to win the game.
Carrying all of the momentum, Buchanan and Meadow continued to lead the Broncos, combining for six points at the start of the first overtime. A pair of free throws from freshman guard Aginaldo Neto gave Boise State an 87-81 lead, and the Broncos were up 93-90 with the ball with 10 seconds left.
But it was a trusty old play that stung the Broncos. Redshirt senior guard RJ Keene was on the inbounds throw, and he’s made a habit of completing full-court passes to beat the press. He did so against New Mexico in the Mountain West Tournament last season, as well as against Saint Mary’s last month.
This time, though, his pass was intercepted by Davis, who went down the court to hit a game-tying 3-pointer as time expired, with Boise State choosing not to foul on purpose with a three-point lead.
The game slowed a little in the second overtime, as tired legs set in and fouls mounted. Neto was the only player to foul out, but his fifth foul came on a play in which Davis appeared to simply slip under no contact.
“Our guys got tired,” Rice said. “Losing (Neto) really hurt, I think, because he’s an offensive weapon, and I think we got a little tired and settled for some tough threes.”
Still, the Broncos led 103-98 early in the third overtime. But the Aztecs rallied and broke away from a 107-107 tie by hitting three of their final four free throws. Fielder missed a jumper with BSU down 108-107, and Boise State had about 10 seconds left at the end, but Meadow’s 3-pointer could not force a fourth overtime.
“We have a lot more games, we can’t sulk,” Buchanan said. “You can be mad, but no reason to sulk in it. We’ve got more games coming up, and we’ve just got to watch the film. ... It’s always a process, and sometimes the outcome is just not what you want.”
Boise State now has a two-game homestand, welcoming Grand Canyon (8-5, 1-1) on Wednesday at 9 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena and Utah State (12-1, 3-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
This story was originally published January 4, 2026 at 12:55 AM with the headline "Boise State hoops falls just short of historic comeback in triple-OT thriller."
