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Game recap, analysis: Utah State stuns Boise State in Mountain West Conference thriller

Aggies rally from 13-point second-half deficit to defeat Broncos, 81-79
Bob Lundeberg|
Boise State Broncos forward Tyson Degenhart.
Boise State Broncos forward Tyson Degenhart. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Ian Martinez converted a four-point play with 7.3 seconds remaining that lifted No. 25 Utah State to an 81-79 victory over Boise State in Saturday’s Mountain West Conference men’s basketball game. 

The Aggies (16-1, 6-0 MWC) trailed by as many as 13 points early in the second half before rallying back at raucous Smith Spectrum. 

The Broncos (12-5, 4-2) made a season-high 14 3-pointers and finished 14 of 26 overall from beyond the arc in the loss. 

Tyson Degenhart led the way for Boise State with 22 points, hitting 5 of 7 attempts from long range. Alvaro Cardenas made three triples and finished with 15 points. 

Martinez paced Utah State, which shot 61.2 percent from the floor, with 18 points. The Aggies finished just 10 of 22 from the foul line but made 16 of their 20 second-half field goals.

Read our game recap with in-game analysis and big play highlights from start to finish. 

Second half recap

Final: Utah State 81, Boise State 79. Aggies improve to 6-0 in MWC play. 

USU dagger: Absolutely wild. Ian Martinez rattles in a 3-pointer and is side-swiped by Degenhart for a four-point play. He converts, and Cardenas misses a 3-pointer on the other end at the buzzer. Just an incredible game in Logan. 

Cardenas big 3: Redemption for Cardenas, who buries a straight-on 3-pointer to give Boise State a 79-77 lead with 9.3 seconds remaining. Timeout Aggies. What. A. Game. 

USU leads: Cardenas misses a pair of free throws, and Drake Allen converts a tough finish to put Utah State up 77-76. Allen was fouled on the finish and misses the and-one free throw. 

Aggies triple: Ian Martinez cans a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to 76-75. Timeout Broncos with 1:03 left. This has been a fantastic game of basketball. 

Timeout Aggies: Tyson Degenhart puts Boise State up 76-72 with a layup off a steal. Utah State takes a timeout with 1:28 remaining. 

USU free throw struggles: Aggies are 9 of 20 from the line. Boise State leads 74-72 with 2:26 to go. 

Final TV timeout: Utah State 72, Boise State 70, 3:23 remaining. The last few minutes have been exceptional with both teams making huge shots. Great finish coming up in Logan. 

Aggies lead: Utah State takes its first lead of the second half on a Karson Templin layup. 65-64 Utah State, 6:44 left in the game. 

TV timeout: Boise State 64, Utah State 63, 7:11 remaining. The Broncos are holding on for dear life at Smith Spectrum. Javan Buchanan, who has nine points off the bench for BSU, just picked up his fourth foul. 

Aggies clawing back: Back-to-back Drake Allen baskets and Boise State’s lead is down to 57-54. 

Timeout BSU: Utah State can heat up quickly, and the Broncos take a timeout following a 6-0 Aggies run. Boise State 53, Utah State 47, 13:10 to go in the half. 

BSU freshmen stepping up: The Broncos have three mega-talented freshmen in Chris Lockett Jr., Julian Bowie and Pearson Carmichael. Bowie buries another 3-pointer to put Boise State up 53-41. 

TV timeout: Boise State 49, Utah State 40. Aggies big Karson Templin just picked up three quick fouls. 

Broncos run: Boise State goes up 47-34 on a 9-0 run to begin the second half. Dream start to the final 20 minutes for the Broncos. 

BSU stays hot: Cardenas opens the second half with a 3-pointer, Boise State’s 10th of the game against Utah State’s zone. 

Underway: Boise State, leading 38-34, begins the second half with the ball. 

Halftime recap

USU leaders: Deyton Albury is 4 of 4 from the field with 11 points. Aubin Gateretse has six points and two blocks. 

BSU leaders: Tyson Degenhart had four of Boise State’s nine first-half 3-pointers. The senior is 4 of 6 from deep and has 12 points, two rebounds and two assists. Andrew Meadow, Alvaro Cardenas, Chris Lockett Jr., Julian Bowie and Pearson Carmichael also connected from long range. 

First half recap

Halftime: Boise State 38, Utah State 34. Broncos were red-hot all half from 3-point land, finishing 9 of 15. 

Final TV timeout: Boise State 32, Utah State 28, 3:56 left in the half. Broncos are 7 of 9 from beyond the arc following a Cardenas triple. Shooting 60 percent overall (12 of 20) and 78 percent from long range, it feels like the Broncos should be up by more than four points.  

More threes: Freshman Pearson Carmichael knocks down a 3-pointer to give Boise State a 27-21 lead with 7 minutes to go in the half. The Broncos are now 6 of 7 from long range. 

Broncos depth: Boise State has used 11 different players during this up-tempo half. Head coach Leon Rice likes the depth this team has, and the Broncos are showing it off tonight. 

BSU on fire: Julian Bowie drills a 3-pointer, and the Broncos are now 5 for 5 from long range. Boise State 19, Utah State 16, 11:38 left in the half. 

TV timeout: Furious pace in this one as both teams have already made multiple highlight offensive plays. Utah State leads 16-14 with 13:33 remaining in the half. Boise State is 4 for 4 from 3-point land; Tyson Degenhart has three of them. 

Smith Spectrum is rocking: This is by far the most hostile environment BSU has played in this season. Utah State leads 8-5 early. 

Underway: Utah State wins the tip, and we are underway at Smith Spectrum. 

Pregame recap

Tipoff update: We could be a little late getting going in Logan as the Villanova/St. John’s game is running long on CBS Sports Network. 

BSU starters: Same starting five as Tuesday night for the Broncos: Alvaro Cardenas, Chris Lockett Jr., Andrew Meadow, Tyson Degenhart and Dylan Anderson. 

Injury update: Boise State guard RJ Keene II missed Tuesday’s win over UNLV with a broken nose. The junior will be back in action tonight with a mask. 

White out: Tonight is a white out at Smith Spectrum, arguably the loudest venue in the Mountain West alongside New Mexico’s The Pit and San Diego State’s Viejas Arena. 

Published | Modified
Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

Bob Lundeberg is a reporter for Boise State Broncos On SI. An Oregon State graduate, Bob has lived in Idaho since 2019 and is an avid hiker and golfer.

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