Then, a defensive lockdown took place, the Broncos hit their free throws, and Boise State (10-4, 1-0) survived a scare from the San Jose State Spartans, winning 78-69.
The Spartans (7-8, 0-2) led most of the game behind the inspired play of Myron Amey Jr., who dropped 25 points in the first half on 9-11 shooting (5-7 on threes). This hot start propelled San Jose State to a 40-33 halftime lead.
Amey cooled down however and San Jose State, for a second game in a row, watched a second-half lead disappear. The Spartans did not make a field goal in the last 5:16 of the game, scoring only four points in this stretch. And Boise State continued to hang around and chip away, finally retaking the lead with two free throws from O'Mar Stanley.
A lot of the comeback can be pointed to the Boise State defense ratcheting up the pressure and focus in the second half. Boise State held the Spartans to a shade over 30 percent (9-29) from the field in the second half, including a stifling 1-13 from three-point range.
Amey finished with 30 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Boise State was powered by their core four players, led by a career game for the transfer from St. John's.
Stars align but help needed
To say Boise State found a gem in Stanley might be an understatement. Especially with the way he's been playing the last three games.
Stanley was in control all game, finishing with 30 points (on 11-17 shooting) and 11 rebounds. He was the third player in the Leon Rice era to put up at least a 30/10 game, joining Chandler Hutchison and Abu Kigab.
Stanley kept the Broncos in the game in the first half. Playing with a mismatch inside most of the night, Stanley had a stretch for Boise State where he scored 13 straight points. Late in the second half, propelling Boise State to the lead, Stanley connected on five of six free throw attempts, finishing 8-10 from the line.
The last three games have seen Stanley fill up the box score in every way. He's averaging 24.3 points per game, shooting 64.3 percent from the field. Stanley is also 18-20 from the free throw line and averaging eight rebounds per game.
Help in the second half arrived in the form of Tyson Degenhart. The junior scored 17 of his 21 points after the break, including two huge three-pointers.
Chibuzo Agbo and Max Rice added 15 and 12 points, respectively, with each collecting seven rebounds as Boise State outrebounded the Spartans by 20.
Rice added four assists.
The stars were spectacular for Boise State but help will be needed as Mountain West play continues. No other player scored and the Broncos only used seven players in the second half.
This is not to say the other players who played did not contribute. Freshman Andrew Meadow contributed heavy minutes down the stretch with Agbo in foul trouble. And while point guards Roddie Anderson III and Jace Whiting combined for six turnovers, both were better in the second half.
Turnovers were a main issue in Boise State's first half deficit and were only slightly better in the second, finishing with a total of 15.
The main concern is finding someone in the bench rotation who can add some scoring. Cam Martin had an off game and didn't play in the second half but is a player who can normally provide six to ten points off the bench. Meadow and Anderson, who starts, seemed reluctant to shoot at times. The two only attempted five field goals between them.
Four players handling all the scoring isn't unheard of. But if one or two of them stumble in a each, the Broncos are going to be hard pressed to finish near the top of the conference if others don't step up. This is something that will be tested this next week with two big games for the Broncos.
Boise State Broncos: Upcoming games
Winning was an agreeable way to get started for the Broncos because their next two games won't be easy. Not that anything will be in a conference where every team entered conference play above .500.
First up is a home game with the Colorado State Rams, currently ranked 13th in the nation. The Rams won their conference opener, defeating New Mexico 76-68.
Prior to the Boise State game on 1/9, the Rams hit the road for a Saturday night meeting with Utah State, who opened conference play with a 28-point thrashing of Air Force.
A trip to Reno to face the Nevada Wolf Pack will close out next week for the Broncos. Nevada finally opens conference play with a Saturday meeting with Fresno State, who dropped their opener to San Diego State by 27. Nevada will also face Air Force before the 1/12 game with Boise State.
The Broncos carry a 21-game home winning streak into Tuesday's meeting with the Rams, a team Boise State defeated twice in 2022-23, winning by 21 at home. Last season, the Broncos split their meetings with Nevada, losing by two in Reno and winning by 15 in Boise.
Tuesday's game will be available on KTVB and the Mountain West Network, with Friday night's affair televised on FS1.
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