The 25th-ranked UNLV Lady Rebels (14-1, 4-0) and Wyoming Cowgirls (9-6, 4-0) are setting the pace in the first two weeks of conference play. Boise State is one of five teams with two losses, with a great opportunity to push their win streak to four this week.
Wins over the New Mexico Lobos (11-6, 2-2) and San Diego State Aztecs (11-7, 2-3) were partially due to the resurgence of a three-point shot. The Boise State Broncos knocked down 11 against New Mexico in a 64-56 road victory. And followed that up with nine against the Aztecs. Boise State raced out to a 40-19 halftime lead in that game, though cooled off and held on for a 68-59 home win.
Better shooting has complimented a strong inside game and tenacious defense, which included a zone that gave San Diego State trouble. A deep bench, too, has allowed head coach Gordy Presnell to maximize the team's abilities.
Boise State Broncos: Individual leaders
Leading scorer Natalie Pasco (13.5 ppg) bounced back nicely from a 1-11 performance against New Mexico. Pasco scored 15 in the Aztecs game and is shooting 43.4 percent from three-point range this season.
Pasco is the only Bronco averaging double digits in scoring but getting plenty of help. Fellow sophomore Mya Hansen continues to shoot well from deep (40.4 percent) and is averaging 8.4 points per game. Hansen has been outstanding in the two victories, scoring 22 points and dishing out 13 assists.
On the inside, seniors Abby Muse and Elodie Lalotte are leading the way. Muse had 16 rebounds against San Diego State, bringing her season average to ten. She also has 60 blocked shots and scores 7.8 per game.
Lalotte had 12 points and 7 rebounds against the Lobos and has been a focal point of the offense in the two wins.
Senior point guard Mary Kay Naro returned to the lineup after missing two games, dishing out five assists and passing the 400-career assists mark. She has 70 assists on the season and a healthy Naro brings intensity to both sides of the court.
And let's not forget about Dani Bayes, who scored 21 against New Mexico. Bayes added 10 against San Diego State and was 7-17 from three-point range the last two games.
The bench has scored 34 points the last two games.
Though upcoming opponents occupy the bottom of the conference, no walk in the park for Boise State is guaranteed.
On the road against San Jose State
Things between the two schools have been a little back-and-forth the last three seasons. Boise State swept the San Jose State Spartans (6-10, 1-3) last season and in '20-21. In between, the Spartans swept the Broncos, winning by two games by a combined seven points.
The Spartans enter this meeting having lost six of their last eight games. Their lone Mountain West victory thus far was a 15-point win against Utah State. In their most recent outing, the Spartans fell to the Nevada Wolf Pack by seven, a team Boise State lost to by one.
San Jose State averages 62.6 points per game but commits 19.9 turnovers. They are paced by freshman guard Jyah Lovett, who is averaging 22 points per game in conference play. Lovett is prone to turnovers (4.7/gm) but is the high-octane focus of the offense.
Lovett averages 15.3 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.6 steals for the season.
Junior forward Amhyia Moreland contributes 12 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while sophomore Sabrina Ma has made 33 three-pointers. Ma shoots 32 percent from deep and averages 9.8 per game.
Wednesday's game (1/17) starts at 8 p.m. (MT) and can be seen on the Mountain West Network.
Extra Mile Arena action vs Utah State
By time Saturday rolls around, the Utah State Aggies (3-13, 0-5) will hope to have put a 10-game losing streak to rest. Prior to facing Boise State, the Aggies take on Nevada on 1/17.
Utah State has some close losses to good teams to their credit. They lost by only four in New Mexico and by only six points to Wyoming. The Aggies also lost by six to BYU, a team Boise State lost to by 15.
Struggles on offense hamper Utah State, averaging only 57 points while committing 19.3 turnovers per game. The Aggies shoot 38.5 percent from the field and only 26.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Two players are the tops in most categories for Utah State. Junior guard Cheyenne Stubbs is tops in points (15.9), rebounds (4.1), assists (2.4), and steals (1.8). Stubbs had 30 points in a loss against UNLV and is scoring nearly 19 per game in conference play. Skye Miller averages 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.
Boise State was 3-0 against the Aggies last season, with a close game in the Mountain West tourney. The two teams split games in '21-22 and Boise State was 2-0 against Utah State in '20-21. Saturday's game (1/20) starts at 3 p.m.
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