Skip to main content

Shepard scores 13, San Diego State beats Boise State 56-56

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

BOISE, Idaho (AP) Winston Shepard scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds, and San Diego State moved into sole possession of first place in the Mountain West by winning 56-53 at Boise State on Saturday.

The Aztecs (12-6, 5-0 Mountain West) won their fifth straight game and snapped Boise State's 10-game winning streak, which had been the third-longest active streak in the country.

San Diego State held Boise State (13-5, 4-1) to a season-low in scoring.

''We made it hard for them to get easy looks,'' San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. ''They missed some 3s they normally make, but our effort and length made them hurry it a little bit. We made them take a lot of tough twos and didn't let them get to the rim like they are accustomed to. It was a wonderful effort.''

Trey Kell added 12 points for the Aztecs, who won their seventh conference road game in a row and ended Boise State's 17-game home winning streak.

James Webb III had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Boise State, which shot 31.5 percent from the floor and only 1 of 17 from 3-point range.

''They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, as always, and it's tough sledding,'' Boise State coach Leon Rice said. ''They don't give you many open looks, and when you do get them, you've got to capitalize. We weren't able to do that.''

San Diego State used an 11-2 run to build a 54-44 lead, holding Boise State scoreless for nearly six minutes in the key stretch of the second half. The Aztecs, though, turned the ball over on six of their next eight possessions and missed the front end of two 1-and-1 opportunities to allow Boise State to pull within 56-53. Webb's last-second 3-point attempt was off the mark, and the Aztecs hung on.

''To our credit, we found a way to get a victory in this building,'' Fisher said. ''That hasn't happened for a visiting team in a long time.''

Nick Duncan scored 12 points and Chandler Hutchison had 11 for Boise State, which made 18 of 19 free throws.

Zylan Cheatham had 10 rebounds for San Diego State, which held a 42-30 advantage on the boards.

---

TIP INS

San Diego State: True freshman Jeremy Hemsley, who leads San Diego State in scoring at 13.6 points per game, scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting. He would be the first freshman to lead the Aztecs in scoring since Kawhi Leonard in 2009-10. ... SDSU won despite committing 15 turnovers.

Boise State: Senior point guard Mikey Thompson scored five points, snapping a streak of four consecutive conference games in double figures. ... Boise State has shot more free throws than its opponent in all 10 home games this season. ... Duncan hit a 3-pointer for Boise State with 2:11 to play, keeping the Broncos' streak of 457 games with a 3-pointer alive. That streak dates back to January of 2002.

UP NEXT

Boise State hosts San Jose State on Wednesday.

San Diego State hosts Fresno State on Tuesday.