As the season comes to an end and the Mountain West Tournament looms on the horizon, the Boise State men’s basketball team has quickly become one of the main focuses of Boise State athletics.
With a whopping 169,017 fan attendance over the course of the 2023-24 season, the team set the single season record for fan attendance. The incredible turnout that the ExtraMile saw over the course of the season were given incredible basketball moments and show stopping performances.
This season, the Broncos not only faced some of the hardest competition the Mountain West Conference (MWC) has seen in years, but also was host to a slew of ranked opponents and garnered some impressive matchups.
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
The win against Colorado State University was one of the most exhilarating games at ExtraMile of the season.
Coming into the matchup, the Rams were ranked No.17 and had one of the more impressive starts of the season in the MWC. With a dynamic and fierce roster, the Rams were early favorites for being crowned MWC champions.
With a well rounded offense, the Rams were going to be a lethal team and a crucial must-win for the Broncos to not only secure a Quad-1 win, but also climb the MWC standings early in the season.
In the matchup, the Broncos defense was firing on all cylinders.
The game was one of the most cohesive and well executed defensive games the Broncos had all season, which would deem incredi bly necessary to secure a huge win.
In the early season matchup, Bronco Nation got an early glimpse into what would soon become a crowd favorite in O’Mar Stanley and Andrew Meadow.
The transfer from St. John’s dazzled the crowd against the Rams and imprinted his name as one of the leaders on the Bronco squad. Not only did Stanley lead the Broncos in points (17), as well as rebounds (11), Stanley notched his third double-double of the season.
This wasn’t just a breakout game for Stanley, but also for Meadow who knocked down three shots from behind the arc.
Though the pair of new Broncos had the opportunity to put on in front of a packed arena, the best part of this matchup was the post-win court storm. A tradition unlike any other.
After the game was secured 65-58 and 0.0 was on the game clock, fans flooded the court and celebrated with their beloved team.
Since the win against No. 18 ranked San Diego State University during the 2022-23 season, ExtraMile hasn’t seen a court storm nor a ranked opponent win. With the electric energy in the arena, there was no doubt that this win would result in a court storm.
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
There is no denying that San Diego State University (SDSU) and Boise State have bad blood especially when it comes to basketball.
With Boise State’s win over No. 18 ranked San Diego State University in the 2022-23 season, making the Broncos the last team to beat the Aztecs until their loss in the Final 4, the Aztecs and Broncos share a clear resentment for one another.
In what could be dubbed as unanimously the most anticipated home match of the season, the Broncos and the Aztecs did not disappoint and gave the fans exactly what they came to see — a rematch.
The 67-66 nail biter win for the Broncos was easily one of the biggest down to the wire, ‘hold your breath and pray’ wins of the season.
Another “must win” situation for the Broncos came down to the last seconds and cemented another Quad-1 win into the category.
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
Despite falling to Utah State University 92-84, the Broncos put on an absolute show for Bronco nation.
The matchup had all the makings of a phenomenal matchup. With fiery competition, bickering fans and down to the wire plays, there was no denying this game would go down as one of the best of the season
It was a game that went all the way down to the last seconds and carried on into overtime. With a missed clutch free throw by Stanley the Broncos were forced into an overtime duel against the Aggies.
The Broncos by no means had a perfect game. They struggled on defense and allowed Utah State to shoot 48.3% field goal percentage on the night yet were still able to hold the Aggies to retain the lead going into the final minute of the matchup.
As Bronco fans were crowding the baseline of the court ready to storm, their hopes were absolutely crushed. Utah State’s Ian Martinez took full advantage of Stanley’s missed free throw, took it down the floor, banked a layup to tie the game 76-76 and forced an overtime thriller and ExtraMile.
In overtime, the Broncos were sorely outperformed and shot just 2-10 and completely disregarded playing with haste and urgency as the time dwindled from the clock. Though the matchup ended in a Bronco loss, there is no denying that this game had every ingredient needed to create the perfect basketball game.
With the Mountain West Conference tournament around the corner, these games will be pivotal to the success of the Bronco squad. Replicating the fierce competition, offensive power and defensive prowess will be what the Broncos will need to defeat the top teams in the Mountain West Conference.
