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Broncos charge into WAC play
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The Boise State Men’s basketball team didn’t have much of a chance to rest and relax over Christmas break, but that’s okay with them. The Broncos are currently one of the hottest teams in the Western Athletic Conference after accumulating a 6-2 record over winter vacation.
Getting the ball rolling
After facing a setback in a loss to Loyola Marymount on Dec. 8, the Broncos were able to regain their swagger and gather some momentum with a 87-77 win over Utah Valley State on the road Dec. 13. Before Christmas, BSU took the long trip to Albany, New York where they rode senior Reggie Larry’s 22 points and 12 rebounds to a 74-68 win over the Albany Great Danes.
Knocking down Goliath
The Broncos faced one of their biggest challenges this season when they hosted then No. 20 Brigham Young University. After losing to a ranked Washington State team earlier in the season, the Broncos knew they would be in for a dog fight. It took 19 points from Larry and 18 points from senior Matt Nelson, but the Broncos pulled out one of the biggest victories of the season with a 73-70 win. The BSU win was also the first victory for a WAC team over a top-25 ranked team this season and the first time in nearly three years that BSU has knocked off a ranked opponent.
Riding the tide and reaping the benefits
After the huge victory over BYU, BSU grabbed two more victories, one over San Jose and the other against the University of Idaho. Those two wins pushed the Broncos’ to their fifth consecutive win. The victories didn’t come without their rewards. Nelson was awarded the WAC men’s basketball player of the week twice over the break. His first award came during the week of Dec. 24-30, which was his first honor of his career. The second WAC award came the next week. Nelson is averaging nearly 16 points and eight rebounds per game for the Broncos.
A bit of a setback
The Broncos faced another big test Jan. 5, against New Mexico State, which would put the winner atop the standings for first place. BSU fell behind in the game and tried to rally late, but fell short 73-76.
The team responded with an 81-66 win over last place Louisiana Tech two nights later, but then once again, lost to one of the top teams, Utah State, by four points.
Road Warriors
On Jan. 19, BSU rebounded from the loss to USU with an 82-74 win over University of Nevada. So far this season, the team has had a near-perfect record on the road, going 7-2. The team’s only two losses came against Montana State earlier this season and then against Utah State.
Fantastic five
Throughout this season BSU has started the same five players each game, which has had its benefits. A lot of BSU’s opponents have focused their attention on Larry, who leads the team with roughly 20 points per game and 8.9 rebounds. This bulls-eye has opened the floor for opportunities for other players.
“I know that they’re coming after me, but I’m not the only person they should be coming out after,” Larry said. “There’s just too many people and too many weapons on this team to target on one person. Someone is going to get something.”
Larry is right because each starter is having a career season. Senior Tyler Tiedeman is just one example, who is averaging 12 points per game, with a majority of his baskets coming from the three point line. He is also averaging 4 assists per game.
“I owe everything to these guys, every team focuses on them, so it makes my job a whole lot easier,” Tiedeman said. “It’s kind of a double edge sword. You have to pick your poison in who you want to guard. You either take the outside shot away or take the inside away.”
Along with Tiedeman, sophomore Anthony Thomas is chipping in 8.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
The starters this season for BSU have been a constant with Nelson, Larry, Thomas, Tiedeman and senior Matt Bauscher.
The Broncos will look to collect another WAC win Thursday against the University of Hawaii.
MARY ALBL
Assistant Sports Editor
