Boise State men’s basketball connects on season-best 14 3-pointers in win over UNLV

A two-point halftime deficit was no problem for the Boise State men’s basketball team.

The Broncos knocked down a season-high 14 3-pointers and shot 71.4% from the field in the second half to roll past UNLV 84-66 in a Mountain West matchup Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“These good teams that we’re playing, you’re not going to knock them out in the first half,” Boise State coach Leon Rice told KBOI 670 AM in a postgame radio interview. “… It’s about establishing what you’re doing, figuring out what they’re doing and then adjusting to it, and I thought our guys did a great job of adjusting.”

Ever-consistent sophomore Tyson Degenhart paced the Broncos (13-4, 3-1 MW) with his second straight double-double, notching 17 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 8-for-9 from the field and adding six assists.

The Broncos trailed 33-31 at the break but scored 53 points in the second half to pull away from the Rebels.

“We just didn’t bring what we needed to in that first half,” Degenhart said. “We didn’t have that same intensity on the defensive end that we did the first half against Utah State. So (the coaches) got into us (at halftime) and we really responded from it and it showed on the court.”

Junior Chibuzo Agbo and fifth-year senior Marcus Shaver Jr. helped spearhead Boise State’s second-half rally. After scoring a combined three points in the first half, Agbo connected on four triples in the second half for 17 points and Shaver finished with 15 points and six assists despite playing on a sprained ankle. Max Rice (13 points) and Jace Whiting (10 points) gave the Broncos five players in double figures.

Agbo had a rare chance at back-to-back 3-point plays in the second half. He completed the first with 19:23 on the clock but missed his free throw on the second try. The seven-point swing in a little more than 30 seconds turned a two-point halftime deficit into a 38-35 lead the Broncos never relinquished.

Boise State went 14-for-26 from 3-point range (53.8%) against the Rebels (12-4, 1-3), surpassing its previous season high of 12 3-pointers in games against Eastern Oregon and New Orleans. The Broncos sank 8-of-13 (61.5%) triples in the second half.

“We’re getting each other good shots,” Leon Rice said. “Other than Max’s first one, stealing the tip and just shooting it. I’ve never seen anything like that. Before we were done shaking hands and doing intros he had already made a three. That was a good way to start. But we’re getting each other shots off paint touches and kick-outs and doing a good job with that.”

The Broncos continue their two-game Mountain West road trip with a matchup against Wyoming on Saturday. Tipoff is 9 p.m. Mountain time at Arena Auditorium, and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, or listen on the radio on KBOI 93.1 FM or 670 AM.

Notes: Degenhart is the only Bronco since at least 2010-11 to have 17 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a game. … Naje Smith is the first Boise State player in the Leon Rice era to block six shots in a game.

Women’s basketball: Broncos fall to Rams

The Boise State women’s basketball team was down seven entering the final quarter but couldn’t complete the rally in a 71-50 loss to Colorado State on Wednesday at ExtraMile Arena.

Freshman Dani Bayes led the Broncos (7-9, 2-1 MW) with a team-high 16 points, including shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Fellow freshman Mya Hansen added 11 points and four assists, and junior Abby Muse contributed nine points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Muse now moves to second all-time in program history with 117 career blocks.

“We have to play with more intensity,” Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said in a new release. “Colorado State played with great intensity, and I don’t think we handled that really well. These are the fun games. We have some tough games coming up and the environments aren’t going to get any easier. We just have to find a way to get better.”

The Broncos return to action on Saturday against San Diego State. The game will tip off at 1 p.m. Mountain time and will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

BOISE ST. 84, UNLV 66

Degenhart 8-9 0-2 17, N.Smith 2-5 0-0 4, Agbo 6-10 1-2 17, M.Rice 4-10 1-2 13, Shaver 4-9 5-6 15, Whiting 4-6 0-0 10, Milner 2-2 1-2 5, Kuzmanovic 1-2 0-0 3, Young 0-2 0-0 0, Sylla 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-55 8-14 84.

Muoka 2-2 0-1 4, Gilbert 6-12 1-1 14, Harkless 5-18 2-5 12, Rodriguez 3-11 1-2 9, Webster 5-9 1-1 13, McCabe 4-8 0-0 9, Iwuakor 1-1 1-4 3, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 27-62 6-14 66.

Halftime—UNLV 33-31.3-Point Goals—Boise St. 14-26 (Agbo 4-6, M.Rice 4-6, Shaver 2-4, Whiting 2-4, Degenhart 1-2, Kuzmanovic 1-2, Young 0-2), UNLV 6-19 (Webster 2-3, Rodriguez 2-7, Gilbert 1-2, McCabe 1-3, Harkless 0-4).Fouled Out—Milner.Rebounds—Boise St. 33 (Degenhart 12), UNLV 31 (Rodriguez, McCabe 7).Assists—Boise St. 17 (Degenhart, Shaver 6), UNLV 12 (Gilbert 4).Total Fouls—Boise St. 19, UNLV 15.