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BSU women’s basketball
prepares to take a home stand
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The Lady Broncos turn the corner of midseason with what should be a hopeful four-game home stand, but it may not be that easy.
The Broncos (6-10, 1-6 Western Athletic Conference) will play host to the top four teams in the conference starting tonight versus number one La Tech. The Lady Techsters are undefeated in conference play. On Saturday the Broncos host SMU. They are tied in third with next Thursday’s opponent Rice, and Tulsa will come to the Taco Bell Arena to finish off the home stand.
In Head Coach Jen Warden’s third year at Boise State, WAC coaches pick BSU to place 7th overall. The Broncos are currently 8th, and these next four games may be the breaking point for a team that looked as if they would really improve their record over last season.
With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Broncos are just three wins shy of last season’s total of nine.
Head coach Jen Warden is known for bringing her triangle offense to Boise State, setting pace with quick scoring. The team averages 62.6 points a game and shoots at an impressive 40 percent, ranking 6th and 5th in the WAC, respectively. Beyond the arc, BSU tops the WAC with a 36 percent field goal average. Warden attributes this to the wide range of outside shooters on her team, from guard to forward, having more than one player nationally ranked. The 38 rebounds, 12 assists, and 8 steals game averages rank 9th, 8th, and 7th in the WAC.
Where the triangle offense pushes the envelope for the team, Warden would rather the team be known for their defense. Statistically, this team’s defensive capabilities are evident. The Broncos hold opposing teams to an average 59.8 points per game, a third place WAC ranking. They keep opponents held at a 38 percent shooting average (7th WAC), and a WAC best 25 percent from the three-point range. Rebounding defense has them tied at a 3rd place ranking in the WAC, holding opponents to only 38 per game. Boise State has held 6 of 13 opponents below their season average.
BSU went into league action finishing their first winning non-league record in five years. The record of 5-4 has not been achieved since the 1999-2000 season.
The team shows extreme balance offensively and defensively and looks to end the season with very respectable stats. A recent loss was seen when Michelle Hessing suffered a foot injury, pulling her from play for the remainder of the season. The team had to make adjustments to fill the shoes of such a remarkable player. Hessing is expected to return in full health next season.
Despite losing Hessing and the travel challenges ahead, Warden remains confident that her team will achieve exactly what they knew they were going to achieve. "As the season moves forward, we are going to see that we are exactly the team that we have imagined ourselves to be," Warden said.
WAC women’s hoops
La Tech 7-0
Tulsa 5-2
SMU 4-3
SJSU 4-3
Rice 4-3
Hawaii 4-3
UTEP 3-4
Fresno St. 3-5
Boise St. 1-6
Nevada 1-7
Je t’aime Davis
Sports Writer
