Game Recap: Boise State vs Santa Clara. Game Preview: Nevada
Broncos win!
Wait…
Ah.
Make it Santa Clara who won.
The temptation to look ahead to the holiday break was simply too much.
Field target percentage
Boise State – 34.4%
Santa Clara – 44.1%
Rebounds
Boise State – 35
Santa Clara – 41
assists
Boise State – 7th
Santa Clara – 13
points
Chibuzo Agbo (BSU) – 12 points
Carlos Stewart (SCU) – 25 points
Rebounds
Tyson Degenhart (BSU) – 9 rebounds
Brandin Podziemski (SCU) – 10 rebounds
assists
Tyson Degenhart and Jace Whiting (BSU) – 2 assists
Keshawn Justice (SCU) – 5 assists
The Broncos battle got off to a slow start with both teams looking to establish their footing. Boise State took the lead with over 17 minutes left in the first half and didn’t relinquish it for the entire first half. Leon Rice’s crew held a lead that grew to eight times. Santa Clara guard Carlos Stewart cut the deficit to two in half after scoring seven straight points.
Then, one team appeared out of the break while the other sleepwalked.
Santa Clara burst out of the gates, going on a 20-4 run in the first 8:19 of the second half. It took nearly 14 minutes for Boise State to score 10 points in the second quarter.
It was the first time this season that the Broncos lacked energy on the floor and off the bench.
And it cost them.
This wasn’t a bad loss by the metric, but Boise State was favored and expected to win. Perhaps, it will serve as a wake-up call that this team will need to show up every night when Mountain West play begins.
Location: Reno, Nevada (Lawlor Event Center)
Date/Time: Wednesday, December 28 at 8:00 PM (Mountain Time)
Traditional television: Nevada Sports Network
Transmission: Mountain West Network (Link to main stream page)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM
Head to head: Boise State trails the all-time series 31-51. Last year, the Broncos beat the Wolf Pack each of the three times they met.
1. Will Boise State be able to force Nevada to turn the ball over?
- Nevada ranks in the top-20 in offensive turnover percentage according to KenPom.
2. Can the Broncos limit the production of Wolf Pack guard Jarod Lucas?
- The Oregon State transfer is Nevada’s leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points per game.
3. Will we finally see Marcus Shaver Jr. back on the floor?
- The floor general for the Broncos has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury.
points
Boise State: Forward Tyson Degenhart – 13.2 ppg.
Nevada: Guard Jarod Lucas – 16.8 points.
Rebounds
Boise State: Forward Tyson Degenhart – 5.5 Reb.
Nevada: Forward Darrion Williams – 8.6 Reb.
assists
Boise State: Guard Marcus Shaver Jr. – 4.1 Asst.
Nevada: Guard Kenan Blackshear – 5.1 Ast.
Via our friends at DraftKings, Nevada is currently favored by two and the total is set at 132.
The first game of a Mountain West game is never easy, and the trip to Reno certainly doesn’t help. If Shaver Jr. doesn’t play, I don’t see the Broncos having the offensive balance to win this game. In a close one, Boise State leaves the “Biggest Small Town in the World” with a loss.
The final result
Boise State 63 – Nevada 70
What are your thoughts on the Broncos’ performance against Santa Clara?
Leave your comments below.
