Boise State, San Diego State ready to resume intense basketball rivalry
Idaho is not on Boise State’s basketball schedule this season — the Broncos have won six straight against the Vandals anyway — but a big rivalry still exists.
There have been close games against UNLV and New Mexico, but none have been more of a battle or meant more than the ones against San Diego State.
“Even before I got here, they were talking about the rivalry, wanting to beat San Diego State, and it’s been that way every time I’ve played against them,” junior forward Nick Duncan said.
The Broncos and Aztecs face off at 8 p.m. Saturday at Taco Bell Arena in an ESPN2 matchup for Mountain West supremacy. It likely will be the next intriguing chapter in a thrilling series, which the Aztecs lead 7-3, but has been decided by one total point (San Diego State has outscored Boise State 618-617).
Feb. 1, 2012: SDSU 58, BSU 56 (in San Diego)
Boise State, which would win only three MW games, gave the kings of the conference a taste of what to expect. Thomas Bropleh’s 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer after the Broncos saw a 12-point lead evaporate against the 17th-ranked home team.
Feb. 29, 2012: SDSU 66, BSU 53 (Boise)
The Broncos were 2-of-16 on 3-pointers and trailed by 16 at the half. It’s the second largest margin of victory in the series.
March 8, 2012: SDSU 65, BSU 62 (Mountain West Tournament)
The Aztecs’ Jamaal Franklin hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer against a double team to end the Broncos’ season in their conference tournament debut.
Feb. 6, 2013: SDSU 63, BSU 62 (San Diego)
After San Diego State blew a lead that was as much as 17 in the first half, the Aztecs’ Chase Tapley sank a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left. The Broncos led by three with 13.5 seconds left before a layup made it one, then Derrick Marks made 1-of-2 free throws before Tapley’s heartbreaker.
March 9, 2013: BSU 69, SDSU 65 (Boise)
The Broncos never trailed and led by as much as 15 to gain their first win over the Aztecs. They led by 3 with 26 seconds left, and Marks sealed it by blocking a layup attempt.
March 14, 2013: SDSU 73, BSU 67 (MW)
The Broncos nearly overcame a 13-point deficit, cutting the lead to two with 2:35 left, but they didn’t score again until less than a minute remained. It was a tough opening matchup for the Broncos, seeded fifth in the tournament, but their March 9 win over the Aztecs helped earn an NCAA bid.
Jan. 8, 2014: SDSU 69, BSU 66 (San Diego)
Marks (21 points) missed from just beyond the free-throw line with 4 seconds left, and SDSU hit two free throws with 0.2 seconds left. The Broncos nearly got the win, despite the Aztecs leading 59-45 with 6 minutes left.
Feb. 5, 2014: SDSU 67, BSU 65 (Boise)
Boise State led by as much as 14, but Dwayne Polee II hit a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left. Marks’ desperation 3 at the buzzer missed the rim. Polee was 3-of-16 on 3s in Mountain West games coming in for the No. 5 Aztecs. “We still think about that one,” Duncan said.
Feb. 8, 2015: BSU 61, SDSU 46 (Boise)
Boise State never trailed to beat San Diego State for the second time, jumping out to a 27-10 lead. The Aztecs were 2-of-19 on 3-pointers.
Feb. 28, 2015: BSU 56, SDSU 46 (San Diego)
One of the biggest wins in program history, the Broncos outscored the Aztecs 24-7 in the last 11 minutes, ending their 29-game home win streak. Boise State had a 42-30 rebounding advantage in a game where both teams shot under 35 percent.
Dave Southorn: 208-377-6420, @IDS_Southorn
San Diego State (11-6, 4-0) at Boise State (13-4, 4-0)
- When: 8 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Taco Bell Arena
- TV: ESPN2
- Radio: 670 AM
- Tickets: $7-$18 for juniors, $8-$19 for seniors, $9-$20 for adults at Boise State ticket office or BroncoSports.com/ tickets; 9,000 distributed as of Thursday afternoon
This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Boise State, San Diego State ready to resume intense basketball rivalry."