What Boise State’s Leon Rice said following home win over Colorado State

Coming off a four-game losing streak, the Boise State men’s basketball team returned to form on Friday night with a 79-73 home Mountain West victory over Colorado State.

“I’ve been so proud of the way they just are bouncing back,” Broncos head coach Leon Rice said after the game. “They have just been showing up and been working, and it’s brought us more together. But you’ve got to get rewarded for it.

“We play a zero-sum game and it doesn’t feel like progress if you’re not getting the job done. For them to get the job done, in that circumstance, was great.”

Senior point guard Dylan Andrews had a strong game for the Broncos (10-8, 2-5) with 21 points.

Rashaan Mbemba and Brandon Rechsteiner paced the Rams (11-7, 2-50 with 17 points apiece.

Here are the highlights from Rice’s postgame press conference.

On Dylan Andrews’ big game

“I was just so proud of DA. I’ve seen how hard he’s working, I’ve seen who he can be, and you got to see that tonight. … We need him to (play like that), there’s no ifs, ands or buts. Because he makes everybody (better). And it’s just nice to have a veteran guard in those situations that makes free throws, that gets the ball, that’s what he looked like tonight. He ran the show, he guarded, all those things.

“I’m just so happy for him because … the game and the adversity, all this stuff, it squeezes you. That’s what I told our guys, there’s more in you than you even think. Sometimes it takes so much squeezing to get it out of you, and that’s what they did.”

On Colorado State’s second-half comeback

“We had them at a little bit of arm’s length, but that team you never do because of the way they can shoot … and they were right back in it. We kind of got stagnant a little on our heels, and then we regrouped and counter-punched.”

On ending losing streak

“As a coach, I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. I’ve been through all these things. I wanted those guys to be rewarded so badly. Because I know they’re suffering, I know they’re trying to do everything they can. It’s been a tough emotional time on us, but that’s life and that’s sports. My job is to try to help them through that. And it makes it a heck of a lot easier to help them when they get rewarded for all the stuff that they’re doing.”