San Diego State swats, smothers Broncos: 3 takeaways from Boise State’s Mountain West Conference loss

The Boise State men’s basketball team scored a season-low 47 points in Saturday’s 64-47 Mountain West Conference loss at San Diego State.

The Aztecs swatted 10 Boise State shots while holding the Broncos to 33.3 percent shooting (18 of 54) with 14 turnovers.

San Diego State (17-6, 10-4) also defeated the Broncos (17-8, 9-5) back in January at ExtraMile Arena, 76-68.

Here are three takeaways from Boise State’s disappointing loss at Viejas Arena.

1. Aztecs flex defensive muscles

San Diego State entered the day ranked 10th nationally in KenPom defensive rating, and the Aztecs backed it up against the Broncos.

Boise State had six turnovers in the first eight minutes of play and finished the opening half 7 of 23 (30.4 percent) from the field with nine turnovers. The Broncos missed their final seven shots of the half and scored just nine points over the last 15:40.

It didn’t get much better after the break as Boise State finished 18 of 54 overall and 3 of 18 from 3-point range (16.7 percent).

The Aztecs, who lead the MWC at 5.5 blocks per game, had 10 in the win. Magoon Gwath blocked five shots while Miles Byrd added three.

“This team has a different gear in the way they can block shots,” Broncos head coach Leon Rice said after the game. “They’ve always had good athletes and pretty good shot blockers, but this team is elite at it.

“You’ve got to give San Diego State credit. When they guard like that, they’re a tough team.”

San Diego State closed the first half with 11 straight points to take a 28-18 lead into the locker room. Byrd knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half, and the rout was officially on.

2. NCAA Tournament at-large hopes likely gone

Boise State had played its way back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble with four straight victories, but the Broncos’ resume lacked a signature road win.

Presented with a golden opportunity to check that box, Boise State couldn’t hang with the Aztecs in a hostile environment.

The blowout loss drops Boise State to fifth place in the MWC standings, far off the pace set by New Mexico (21-4, 13-1) and Utah State (22-3, 12-2). The Broncos are a combined 0-5 against the Lobos, Aggies, Colorado State (16-9, 10-4) and San Diego State, the four teams above them in the standings.

With six games remaining in the regular season, Boise State has fallen out of at-large consideration. To reach a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament, the Broncos will almost certainly need to win the MWC Tournament title.

3. Cardenas breaks single-season assists record

Senior point guard Alvaro Cardenas entered Saturday one assist away from matching the Boise State single-season record.

Before the first media timeout, Cardenas dished out two assists to break La’Shard Anderson’s record. Anderson had 165 assists during the 2010-11 season.

Cardenas finished the game with eight points and three assists.

A transfer from San Jose State, Cardenas has starred at point guard all season for the Broncos. He leads the MWC in total assists (167) and assists per game 6.7.

MORE BOISE STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS

What head coach Leon Rice said after Boise State’s blowout loss to San Diego State

What Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart said after disappointing San Diego State loss

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