The Broncos (14-7, 4-4) are not necessarily in a dire spot sitting in fifth place. However, it is a spot that could be better if the usual trappings of previous seasons hadn't reappeared.
Turnovers. Missed easy shots. Long stretches of scoring droughts.
Honestly, these were issues I thought would be fixed this season with the veteran roster. Buoyed by juniors and seniors, there was reason to believe a bit more success was possible.
Woes on the road have been part of the struggle in Mountain West play. Three of Boise State's conference losses have been away from ExtraMile Arena. And two of those road losses were to teams currently lower than Boise State in the standings.
Still, a lot of good things have gone well for the Broncos. A regular season conference title maybe out of reach but Boise State is on track to earn a first-round bye in the Mountain West tournament. With the conference more open than in recent years, it is too early to count the Broncos out just yet.
Pasco, Thompson leading way
A trio of juniors pace the Broncos in a number of categories, led by Natalie Pasco and Tatum Thompson.
Pasco is the team's leading scorer (13 ppg) and is knocking down 40 percent of their three-point attempts, leading the team with 42 made threes. Pasco is also shooting 47.8 percent from the field and the Broncos recent game against the Colorado State Rams passed 1,000 career points.
Pasco has five straight games of scoring in double digits, averaging 19 points in this stretch.
Thompson has been exceptional on both ends of the court and is second on the team in points (11.8) and rebounds (6.4) per game. Boise State has relied a lot on Thompson in recent weeks and the junior has responded with four straight double-doubles, averaging nearly 18 points and 11 rebounds per game.
The third of this trio is Mya Hansen, who is enjoying quite a stretch, too. Hansen averages 8.7 points per game and is shooting 42.3 percent from deep. Hansen is a valuable ball handler as well as shooter, though 43 turnovers lead the team.
Scoring in double figures in six conference games, Hansen is averaging 14.1 points in Mountain West play while knocking down 18 three-pointers (including at least two in six straight games).
Boise State has one of the deepest benches in the nation, with often five to seven players receiving regular minutes. On a regular basis, one of Hansen, Pasco, or Dani Bayes (8.4 ppg) comes off the bench.
The super seniors of Abby Muse, Elodie Lalotte, and Mary Kay Naro are contributing, though I wish at times the experience shined through a tad better. Muse leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots, with Naro leading the team in assists.
The Broncos need to look at converting more looks in the key and committing less turnovers (15.3). Upping these aspects and coupled with their normally tenacious defense will help a lot in building success to close the regular season.
Boise State forces more turnovers than they commit and holds opponents to under 30 percent on three-point attempts. The Broncos also hold an advantage of 3.5 on the glass and average 5.5 blocked shots per game. If those things hold true and a more consistent offense emerges (like it did at the end of last season), then this team will be strong rolling down the back half of conference play.
Conference standings and upcoming games
At 8-0 in Mountain West play, UNLV currently sits atop the standings. The Lady Rebels have not been quite as dominant as season's past but remain stellar nonetheless. UNLV holds a 1-point win versus Wyoming (11-8, 5-2), a four-point win at Boise State, and nine points versus Colorado State (14-6, 5-2). Though tested in other games these three were the closest.
The New Mexico Lobos (13-7, 6-1) currently sit in second place, with their only loss to UNLV. Discounting a 22-point win at Utah State, the Lobos conference wins are by an average of 6.6 points.
New Mexico hosts Fresno State up next and then travel to Boise to face the Broncos.
Boise State is on their bye this weekend after losing to Colorado State last Tuesday by a score of 79-70. The Broncos have a big week next with a chance to make a move with two victories. On 1/28, Boise State hosts New Mexico, followed by a game on 2/1 in Laramie against Wyoming.
Six of Boise State's final 10 conference games are against the top four teams in the standings. The road ahead is difficult but if the Broncos come together and play to their capabilities, an exciting March is on the horizon.
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