What Happened
The Broncos upset the top seed, New Mexico, 72-69. Donovan Dent led all scorers with 23 points, 18 of which came in the second half. Tyson led the Broncos and, with his 22 points, now holds the most points scored in a Boise State career. Andrew had 16 points, and to the surprise of everyone, Emmanuel Ugbo had 17.
This game had everything you want in a March basketball game—tough defense, great offense, and most of all, drame. The Broncos were down for 3/4 of the game, but when it mattered the most, the Broncos came through. The Broncos now advance to play the winner of Colorado State vs Utah State.
A Night To Remember
The stakes couldn’t have been higher for the Broncos. A win today would put them back into the Mountain West championship game for the first time since 2022 and cement our bid for the NCAA tournament. To add to that pressure, Tyson needed 18 points (his season average) to break the school record for career points. The first half was rough for both teams, shooting sub-30 % from the field.
Early foul trouble for Omar meant we got a large helping from Emmanuel Ugbo, who answered the call. He picked the best time to have a career night with 17 points, shooting 2-3 from behind the arc and locking up New Mexico’s Nelly Junior Joseph. In the end, the Broncos did just enough as a team to come out on top, concluding with an Andrew Meadow exclamation point.
(This editor also feels it requisite to give a shout for Mr. QB1, RJ Keene. Our scoreless king, our flightless bird, he leads the universe in rebound-assists, pushing loose balls through portals that fall into less-deserving Bronco box scores. It’s a travesty of the highest order that there was no other teammate available to reward his 2016 LeBron chasedown hustle play, but rest assured, his efforts have not gone unnoticed by Bronco faithful.)
Flipping The Script
The month of January was about as brutal for the Broncos as one could have. Home loss vs. SDSU and three straight road losses against Utah State (buzzer-beating 4-point play), New Mexico (Blowout in the Pit), and Colorado State (3-point buzzer-beater).
This team looked down and out with no answers in sight. Leon promised change, and many people, myself included, had many doubts he could do it. The Broncos proceeded to shorten the lineup and proceeded to only lose 2 games through the months of February and March. This staff has the team looking like the preseason pick for Mountain West champs and Tyson like the preseason player of the year.
Tonight felt like an exorcism of all those demons from January. The defense kept making stops and finishing those stops with rebounds. The Broncos in the tournament have a rebounding differential of +19. The Broncos are cleaning up on the glass on both ends, which has kept us in both games.
There’s nothing fancy to the Broncos playing defense. It’s not a fancy zone defense or one giant player that easily swats every shot. They play straight-up man-to-man defense. They take pride in winning their matchup, and so far in the tournament, they are winning their matchups. If the Broncos continue to play this way, good things will continue to come.
What’s Next?
They will play the Utah State vs. Colorado State winner for the chance to punch their AQ ticket to the big dance. Being the first game of the night means they get a full night’s rest before the game that tips at 4 pm Mountain time. The Broncos split the matchups against Utah State, with both teams winning at home. Colorado State swept their matchup against the Broncos.
Should it be Colorado State (as it looks right now), both teams will likely be playing for their tournament lives.
