Boise State head coach Leon Rice laments ‘dead atmosphere’ in home loss to Grand Canyon

Head coach Leon Rice didn’t mince words following the Boise State men’s basketball team’s lethargic 75-58 Mountain West home loss to Grand Canyon on Wednesday.

The game tipped off at 9:15 p.m. Mountain time before an announced crowd of 8,806 — the actual total was significantly lower — at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos (9-6, 1-3) fell behind 8-0 immediately and trailed 37-27 at halftime. Boise State did trim an 18-point deficit to four midway through the second half, but the Lopes (9-5, 2-1) put the game away with ease as the small crowd flocked to the exits.

“I thank the fans that came, but that might’ve been the worst crowd we’ve had,” Rice said after the game. “I’m so grateful for the fans that came because that was the emptiest this building has been. Now granted, the people that were here, I appreciate them so much. But that was a neutral court game almost for Grand Canyon.

“After what we’ve been playing in and the crowds, it was just a dead atmosphere and we played right into it. We had some good minutes in the second half where we battled, a couple good minutes in the first half, but that team did whatever they wanted.”

Boise State played in front of hostile crowds during road losses to Nevada (11-4, 3-1) and San Diego State (10-4, 4-0). The Broncos also have upcoming road trips to New Mexico (12-3, 3-1) and Utah State (13-1, 4-0), two of the toughest environments in the country.

Rice hopes to see a better crowd for Saturday’s home matchup with the Aggies. Tipoff is scheduled for a more palatable 7 p.m. Mountain time.

“You’ve got one of the hottest teams in the country — I don’t know how they’re not ranked — coming in on Saturday,” Rice said. “With that kind of effort, and that kind of environment, we’ll get beat by 100. It’ll be the worst (loss), that’s what it’ll be. They’ve got to figure that out, and we need help.

“We need Bronco Nation right now. Like I said, this is one of the best teams right now. They’re playing great, they’re playing with aggressiveness and toughness. They’re clicking right now.”

Boise State split last year’s season series with Utah State, including an 82-65 home victory in late February. The Aggies went on to make the NCAA Tournament while the Broncos were among the first four teams left out of the field of 68.