Boise State women’s basketball utilized a strong offensive performance to cruise past the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Saturday afternoon, defeating them by a score of 81-66 at ExtraMile Arena in their final non-conference game of the season.
The Broncos’ scoring surge, which allowed them to never trail in the game, was headed by senior forward Tatum Thompson, who scored 23 points and picked up six rebounds and four assists.
Boise State opened the game with a 12-4 advantage, built from an explosive 7-0 run in which Thompson scored five of the seven Bronco points. Entering the second quarter leading 20-17, a timely fastbreak layup by Thompson with 4:43 left before halftime gave the Broncos their biggest lead of the half at 33-23.
Thompson, who was named Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, highlighted the chemistry between this year’s senior group as a catalyst for her early-season success.
“We have four seniors who’ve been here all four years, so we obviously have that cliche chemistry,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely shown its way. We know where we’re going to be in the pick-and-roll, and I think we just understand how to play with each other.”
Guards Natalie Pasco and Dani Bayes, both members of the close-knit senior group, also put up stellar performances in the victory. Pasco dropped 21 points, including five threes, while Bayes, a native of Australia, scored 17.
Entering the third quarter leading 39-24, Boise State scored the first eight points of the second half to mark an 11-0 run dating back to the second quarter. The Broncos led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter and held a 56-45 lead at the end of the period.
The Thunderbirds chipped away, closing their deficit to just seven points in the fourth quarter before Boise State scored on each of their final four possessions to seal the victory.
“There are a lot of important parts to our team, so just knowing your strengths and each other’s strengths and working off that,” Pasco said when asked what allows her to embrace her sharp-shooting role. “We have some good post players and point guards, so we each know what we need to contribute each game.”
Earlier in the week, the Broncos fell to the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City 91-58.
Senior Mya Hansen opened the scoring in the Dec. 10 contest with two three-pointers in the first quarter. Shortly after, the Broncos went on a nearly three-minute-long scoring drought.
The team responded promptly with an 8-0 scoring run, which was highlighted by two Natalie Pasco threes to lock the game in a 19-19 tie at the end of the quarter.
The Utes took complete control of the matchup in the second frame, outscoring Boise State 28-10 to take a 47-29 lead going into halftime.
Additional three-pointers from Hansen and Pasco to open the second half showed signs of Bronco life, but a 13-0 Utah run gave the Utes momentum that they took full advantage of.
That momentum led to nine fourth-quarter points from Utah’s Chyra Evans, which helped the Utes drill further into the scoresheet and seal a blowout victory.
After a much-needed mental reset, the Broncos returned home for their Saturday contest against Southern Utah and displayed a strong bounce-back performance after a tough defeat.
Following the win over the Thunderbirds, Head Coach Gordy Presnell acknowledged his team’s strong third-quarter performances this season, praised the team’s leadership group and commended the team’s overall improvement.
“We’ve been a pretty good third-quarter team the whole season,” Presnell said. “Our leadership and our older kids really came through. We got better today.”
With their non-conference schedule now concluded, the Broncos prepare to play at New Mexico on Dec. 17 to open Mountain West play.
As conference play begins, the Broncos aim to carry this momentum into the games that matter most.
