‘We were the softest I’ve seen us be this year;’ Boise State’s Leon Rice criticizes team after loss to Grand Canyon

Broncos shoot 34.7 percent in 75-58 rout

Boise State Broncos head coach Leon Rice. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Boise State men’s basketball team suffered its second straight loss in Mountain West play on Wednesday against Grand Canyon.

Trailing 37-27 at halftime, the Broncos (9-6, 1-3) quickly fell behind by 18 points in the second half. Boise State rallied back to pull within four points, but the Lopes (9-5, 2-1) steadied the ship to secure a 75-58 victory at ExtraMile Arena.

Boise State went 17 of 49 from the floor (34.7 percent) and 4 of 19 from beyond the arc (21.1 percent) while finishing with just six assists. The Broncos had a strong night at the foul line, going 20 of 25 (80 percent).

The Lopes won the rebounding battle 38-28. 

Head coach Leon Rice didn’t sugarcoat the Broncos’ latest MWC defeat. 

“Credit Grand Canyon. They came out with some desperation,” Rice said in his postgame radio interview. “They got beat at home, and they came with desperation. We came with like ‘OK, we’re going to play basketball, but we’re not going to fight. 

“We were the softest I’ve seen us be this year. We got punked on the glass by 10, and they were just so much tougher than us.”

Here are the highlights from Rice’s postgame comments.

On Grand Canyon

“We had a good little stretch in the second half where we made a run at them, and they responded. We looked like we were running in sand. They were a step faster than us, they were a step tougher than us.

“They came out with an attitude that they didn’t care if they fouled. They were the aggressor and got us on our heels.”

On lack of fight 

“It was really disappointing because we’ve responded to some tough situations. We’ve responded to some adversity over the year. Tonight, no, we did not. It’s funny because you think you’re starting to get to know a team, like ‘OK, these guys are going to respond. They have and they will.’ And we didn’t.”

On missed opportunities for more free throws 

“We could’ve gotten a lot more. You look at their guard (Jaden Henley), he dribbles the whole possession, dribbles the whole possession, and he knows how to get fouled. I’m telling our guys ‘We’re in the bonus, we’re in the bonus,’ and we settled for bad shots. We settled for fadeaway 15-footers instead of having some savvy and getting to the free throw line. When nothing is working, you can get to the free throw line. 

“Our guards have to have more savvy. You can’t play two point guards and have six assists for the whole game.”