What happened?
Broncos fall to Colorado State 83-73. For the 3rd game in a row, Andrew Meadow led the Broncos with 22 points. Nique Clifford led all scorers with 36 points while shooting 72% from the field. Alvaro added 18 points and 8 assists. Tyson had a quiet 15 points and 9 rebounds.
Outside of those players, nobody had more then 7 points. For most of the second half, Andrew traded buckets with Nique. I was hoping it was going to be time for Tyson to make his mark. Unfortunately, that never happened and the Broncos wilted away.
Absolute Collapse
In another must-win home game, the Broncos don’t win and look like the road Broncos while doing so. They shot sub-30 % from behind the arc and settled for those shots. The first half looked promising, with both teams playing tough, and with the score tied at half, it looked like anyone’s game.
The Broncos came out in the second half like they usually do, opening with a 10-2 run, that pushed the lead to 8. The final 11 minutes, the Broncos only scored 13 points. They were out scored 32-13 in that time frame. Total collapse on both sides of the court.
Out With A Whimper
When the season started, there were many expectations for this senior group. Although there were bumps early on in the season, it looked like the team finally turned a corner. Coming into this game, we had won 7 of 8, including massive home wins. Last night, the team looked like it did in November and December.
On a night when the energy should be high, the Broncos were just flat all game. There were sparks from Alvaro and Andrew, but nothing consistent. As the wheels fell off the wagon late in the second half, it felt like the 5-point deficit was 50. Every bucket from Nique felt like an uppercut to the jaw, and we took it with no resistance or fight. Just like that, our season is snuffed out with a whimper.
What’s Next?
It’s Mountain West Tournament time. Due to the loss, the Broncos fall to the 5 seed and get the pleasure of playing San Diego State again on Thursday afternoon. As it stands, the Broncos are the first 4 out, and unless they go on a run, better be looking at NIT tickets. The Broncos are 0-2 against SDSU with a close loss at home and a blowout loss on the road. If they win that game, they will have a date with number 1 seed New Mexico. It’s an uphill climb for an NCAA bid, but this is March; anything is possible.
This team has periods where it shines year in and year out, but it seems to never win the games that they must win.
I think it’s time for Rice to go.
I agree it seems like they’ve been in the same spot for a few years.