Close, but no cigar.
Battling for 40 minutes, the Broncos (11-5, 1-2) came up just short in announcing contender status. Hosting the defending Mountain West champions UNLV Lady Rebels, Boise State fell 61-57.
The first and third quarters were indicative of what this Boise State team could be. Attacking the paint and holding the Lady Rebels at bay, Boise State outscored UNLV 37-21.
In the second and fourth quarters, however, UNLV (11-4, 3-0) stepped up on both sides of the floor, while the Broncos went away from what was working. In these quarters, the Lady Rebels won 40-20, including 25-14 in the decisive frame.
A battle of two top offenses turned into one of two stellar defenses. Each team was under 40 percent from the field but both teams mostly kept care of the ball. UNLV had only 11 turnovers to Boise State's 12.
Mya Hansen had a team-high 17 points for Boise State, with Elodie Lalotte adding 12.
This game featured multiple ties and lead changes, with neither team leading by more than seven points throughout the contest.
First half
Boise State started quickly, hitting three of their first four shots. A steady, balanced effort, with the Broncos attacking the interior, provided an early lead.
It was a lead that stretched to seven at 15-8 after an Alyssa Christensen three pointer. The Broncos, shooting 8 of 13 in the quarter, led 17-11 after the first.
A quick basket from Natalie Pasco to start the second quarter put the Broncos up 19-12. Offense from there, however, went cold.
Settling for too many jump shots, Boise State was only 2 of 17 from the field in the second quarter. UNLV slowly chipped away and used a run of 11-0 to build a four-point lead. The Broncos did enough on defense to stay within striking distance, trailing by three points at the break.
Lalotte and Pasco each scored six points in the half. Abby Muse had four first-half rebounds, all in the second quarter, as she became the Boise State career leader in that category.
Second half
The switch on offense again flipped for the Broncos, thanks in large part to Hansen.
The UNLV lead stretched to five thanks to Amarachi Kimpson's first field goal of the game. After starting the quarter 0-3 from the field, the Boise State offense got jump started thanks to a Dani Bayes three-pointer.
Foul trouble to Bayes and Pasco hindered the Broncos but Hansen stepped in to score ten points in the quarter, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Boise State a seven-point lead entering the final frame.
A key was Boise State getting back to the inside game, with key buckets from Lalotte. Christensen also hit another shot from deep, part of the 15-6 run to close the third.
UNLV blazed out to a 10-2 run to open the fourth. Ten lead changes took place in the second half, with many of those coming in the fourth quarter. A Bayes jumper off an inbounds pass tied the score at 49 with 5:06 left. And a made three by Pasco with 3:54 left provided the Broncos with a one-point lead.
Boise State again went cold and, after only one turnover in the third quarter, committed five in the fourth. UNLV was able to consistently attack the paint and hit their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
The Lady Rebels also had more rebounds (44-31) than the Broncos, including 14 on the offensive glass.
Kiara Jackson had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists for UNLV, with Kimpson adding 15 points. Alyssa Brown finished with eight points and nine rebounds.
For Boise State, Pasco added nine points and Bayes added seven. Muse and Tatum Thompson led the Broncos with six rebounds apiece.
Boise State will look to bounce back next week, with road games at Utah State (1/8) and Fresno State (1/11).
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