The Rams knocked down a Mountain West tournament title game record 12 three-pointers and won their second Mountain West championship, defeating the Broncos 69-56.
Throughout much of the game Boise State (24-10) looked like the team that played the late game in Friday night's semifinals. Offense was stagnant, shots were not falling, and the Broncos played like a team who emptied the tank in tournament wins over San Diego State and New Mexico.
Boise State was looking for its second Mountain West conference tournament title. Colorado State (25-9), who has won ten straight games, last won the tournament championship in 2003.
Tyson Degenhart was the only player to score in double figures for the Broncos. Degenhart, who broke the school's all-time scoring record in the semifinal victory over New Mexico, finished with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Boise State shot only 38.8 percent from the field and committed 13 turnovers. The Broncos held the advantage on the glass, with 33 to Colorado State's 29.
Three-pointers proved to be an enormous difference in this victory by the Rams. Colorado State went 12 for 24, helping to put this game out of reach early in the second half.
Nique Clifford, after a slow start, finished with 24 points and six rebounds. Clifford, who carried the Rams all season, averaged 25 points and 10.2 rebounds in three tournament games. At one point in the second half, Colorado State's star had as many points (14) in the half as Boise State.
With the victory, Colorado State claims the Mountain West automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Boise State will sweat out their fate until Sunday's Selection Show, where the Broncos, if they get into the Big Dance, will likely head back to Dayton and another First Four showdown.
Boise State: First half playing in sand
The Broncos looked quite the opposite of how this game ended, holding the Rams without a point for the game's first five minutes. Up 6-0, the Broncos forced two Colorado State turnovers and held the Rams to 0 for 7 from the field.
Then, the wheels fell off, in a huge way.
Colorado State rattled off a quick 7-0 run but a Julian Bowie jumper gave the Broncos the lead at 8-7. It was Boise State's last lead of the game.
The Broncos scored only one point over the next 7.5 minutes and Colorado State raced out to a 22-9 lead. The margin grew to 17 when Clifford converted on an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Rams up 28-11.
Boise State found momentum, using an 11-2 run to close the gap to eight when RJ Keene II converted on a three-pointer from the corner. A late foul on Alvaro Cardenas gave Clifford two more free throws and the Rams held a 32-22 lead at halftime.
Pearson Carmichael and Andrew Meadow each scored five points in the half to pace the Broncos.
First half for the Rams saw their starting five shoot 4 of 20 from the field. Colorado State's bench poured in 19 points, led by Bowen Born, who had nine.
Second half: Late run for Broncos far too late
Being behind at halftime was no strange thing for the Broncos in this tournament. And in the opening minutes of the final half, momentum shifted in their direction.
Degenhart opened with five straight points and suddenly it was a five-point game. How did the Rams respond? With Clifford of course. The senior knocked down two free throws, followed by two three-pointers from Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and one from Kyan Evans.
Suddenly it was a 16-point deficit for the Broncos again. One they never recovered from.
Bowie hit a three-pointer but that was followed by a 9-1 run from Colorado State, effectively putting the game out of reach.
The lead swelled to 25 at the 8:25 mark with another Clifford free throw. Boise State managed to outscore the Rams 20-8 the rest of the way but by then it was far too late.
Bowie finished with eight points off the bench and Keene added six. Outside of Degenhart, the starting lineup was disappointing in the scoring column. Carmichael and Meadow each scored five, with Meadow only attempting three shots. Cardenas scored only three points on 1 of 8 shooting, though the senior finished with eight assists.
Emmanuel Ugbo finished with a game-high eight rebounds, with Carmichael pulling down five.
The only other Ram in double figures was Ethan Morton, who scored 11 off the bench.
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