Four players scored in double figures to help lead the Broncos to a 79-52 win over the San Jose State Spartans Friday night at ExtraMile Arena.
Using a balanced attack on offense and a strong effort on defense, Boise State (17-7, 9-4) picked up their fourth-straight victory. The Broncos maintained a steady hold on fifth place in the Mountain West, sitting one game back in the loss column behind San Diego State and Colorado State.
Seniors Tyson Degenhart and Alvaro Cardenas paved the way for Boise State. Degenhart was nearly perfect from the field, connecting on 9 of 11 attempts to finish with 22 points. He also found nothing but net on all three of his three-point attempts.
Cardenas was all over the box score, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. He did all this while committing only one turnover.
It was the performance of Emmanuel Ugbo, however, that should be especially noted. The sophomore forward had one of his best games as a Bronco, finishing with 12 points and five rebounds.
San Jose State (12-13, 5-8) entered the game having won three of four but struggled on offense throughout the game. The Broncos held the Spartans to 38 percent from the field, including 2 of 18 on three-point shots.
Boise State, meanwhile, shot 54.5 percent from the field and outrebounded San Jose State 37-23.
First half: Start slow, finish fast
San Jose State opened the game hitting their first two shots and were off to an early 4-0 lead. That was close to the high point for a Spartans team playing their best basketball as of late.
The Broncos rattled off an 8-0 and San Jose State did not score for over four minutes. There were heavy doses of Cardenas and Degenhart early, but the Spartans managed to hang around, tying the game at 10 with 12:25 left in the half.
Cardenas picked up his second foul with over 11 minutes remaining and the Broncos leading 12-10, but he ended up only sitting out for a brief spell. Even with Cardenas on the bench, Boise State was playing stifling defense, often forcing the Spartans to heave up shots late in the shot clock.
Up only one point with 8:43 left in the first half, the Broncos went on a tear. Powered by Ugbo during this stretch, including a three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play, the Broncos went on an 18-6 run. The lead grew to as large as 13 and Boise State led at halftime, 37-25.
Ugbo and Degenhart each had 10 points in the half, with Julian Bowie adding six.
Broncos steady in second half
Each team started cold to open the second half. Boise State missed their first three shots but warmed up first, hitting their next five shots. The Spartans, however, were scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the half.
Degenhart immediately snuffed out the momentum with a three-pointer, growing the Broncos lead to 19 points.
The Spartans tried to chip away after finding some rhythm on offense. Boise State continued to match them, again finding a stretch where they connected on five straight field goal attempts. A Cardenas three-pointer with 4:29 left was the final dagger, giving Boise State a 72-28 lead.
Javan Buchanan was the fourth Bronco in double figures, finishing with 11 points. Freshman Pearson Carmichael added seven and tied for the team-high with seven rebounds.
Latrell Davis led San Jose State with 14 points. Josh Uduje, who scored 22 points against the Broncos in the first meeting, had only eight on 3 of 9 shooting. Robert Vaihola had six points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
If there is one downside to the four-game winning streak it is that Boise State does not play again for another week. Despite wanting to ride the momentum immediately, the rest will be nice. Especially because on the agenda is back-to-back games against the San Diego State and the New Mexico Lobos, where a chance to climb the standings will be on the line.
Boise State travels to San Diego State to face the Aztecs on 2/15. The Broncos then return home to face the Lobos on 2/19.
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