Boise State men’s basketball sets another program record in rout of Oakland

‘Guys are really understanding of where they fit and what their roles can be,’ head coach Leon Rice said

Boise State's Damari Wheeler-Thomas. | Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics

For the third straight game to open the season, the Boise State men’s basketball team surpassed the 100-point mark on Wednesday against Oakland.

The Broncos (3-0) erupted for 59 points after halftime in a runaway 111-79 victory over Oakland (0-5) at ExtraMile Arena. It was Boise State’s third straight game scoring 100 or more points, the longest streak in program history.

“We did some good things,” Broncos head coach Leon Rice said in his postgame press conference. “Guys are really understanding of where they fit and what their roles can be.”

Boise State’s backcourt of Aginaldo Neto and Damari Wheeler-Thomas was unstoppable against the Golden Grizzlies.

Neto finished with 25 points and five assists while Wheeler-Thomas added 23 points and six assists. Neither guard had a turnover while facing Oakland’s zone defense.

“Those guys are just taking it to heart,” Rice said. “We had two or three turnovers at half and I’m going crazy on them. Because some of those turnovers were where we don’t catch the ball … and we don’t just look at the play and make the play. 

“The deal with that zone is not easy. I’ve watched it over the years, and I’ve watched it befuddle a lot of teams. … So you better play on two hands and two feet and look at the play. Otherwise, it’s going the other way. I thought our guys did a great job with that. To only have six turnovers in that high of a possession game is pretty special.” 

Forward Dovydas Butka also had a strong evening with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists. 

Nassim Mashhour paced Oakland with 28 points and four assists. Chris Fields Jr. nearly had a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. 

Boise State’s tenacious defense forced 23 turnovers while allowing Oakland to shoot 48 percent from the floor (27 of 56).

“I think we were pretty active, pretty aggressive,” Rice said. “(Fields Jr.) is a load, man. He can score and … drives a hard bargain because Dovy is a beast under there. And he’s crafty, too. He’s a good player. For us to get him into foul trouble early, that was huge.”

The Broncos will face a much stiffer test on Sunday against No. 25 Nebraska (3-0) in a neutral-site game at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. Mountain time.

The Huskers reached the Sweet 16 last season, securing the first two NCAA Tournament wins in program history.