Boise State ends losing streak with Mountain West victory over Colorado State

Broncos take down Rams, 79-73

Boise State's Dylan Andrews. | Boise State Athletics

The Boise State men’s basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak in Mountain West play on Friday with a 79-73 home victory over Colorado State. 

The Broncos (10-8, 2-5) stormed out to an early 7-0 advantage at ExtraMile Arena and led 39-30 at halftime.

The Rams (11-7, 2-5) rallied back in the second half to take their first lead at 55-54, but Boise State weathered the storm to end its skid. 

Dylan Andrews paced the Broncos with 21 points, going 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. 

Rashaan Mbemba and Brandon Rechsteiner led the Rams with 17 points apiece. 

Colorado State had won its last four matchups with the Broncos, including a decisive victory in last year’s MWC tournament championship game. 

Here are three takeaways from Boise State’s breakthrough win at ExtraMile Arena. 

Javan Buchanan, Kyle Jorgensen return 

After sitting out Tuesday’s loss at UNLV with a back injury, Boise State senior forward Javan Buchanan returned to the lineup against Colorado State. 

Buchanan, who entered Friday averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists, got the start alongside Andrews, RJ Keene II, Andrew Meadow and Drew Fielder. 

Buchanan played 25 minutes and finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four steals. 

The Rams also got a boost with the return of leading scorer Kyle Jorgensen, who missed the previous five games with a bone bruise in his leg. 

Jorgensen, Colorado State’s leading scorer, played 16 minutes off the bench and had just three points. 

Boise State shows physicality 

After getting pushed around at times during their four-game losing streak, the Broncos were the aggressor at both ends of the court against Colorado State. 

Boise State attacked the paint with ferocity and used its size and unselfish passing to get quality looks inside and outside. 

At the other end of the court, the Broncos played strong on-ball defense and bumped the Rams off their spots in the interior. 

The return of Buchanan certainly helped, but every Bronco who saw the floor played with more intensity on Friday. It was exactly what head coach Leon Rice was hoping to see. 

Bounce-back shooting effort 

Everything is easier when the ball goes in the basket, and the Broncos had one of their best shooting efforts of the season on Friday. 

Boise State shot 23 of 49 (47 percent) from the floor, 12 of 30 (40 percent) from long range and 21 of 27 (78 percent) at the foul line. 

The Rams also shot it well, going 6 of 9 on three-pointers in the opening half to stay in the game. Colorado State finished 14 of 25 (56 percent) from three.