Thomas Bropleh came off the bench for 18 second half points as Boise State downed Colorado State 84-72 in Fort Collins tonight.
Boise State went ahead 27-25 on two Derrick Marks free throws 6 minutes and 37 seconds into the game, and Coach Leon Rice's team never looked back after that. Anthony Drmic hit three three-pointers and had 12 points as the Broncos carried a 43-36 lead into halftime.
The homestanding Rams wouldn't go away, though, yet every time they crept closer, Bropleh would nail a three-ball or a key jumper to stave off the Rams. Bropleh finished 7-9 from the field with four treys while Drmic finished with 19 points to lead the Broncos. Ryan Watkins had 12 rebounds and 9 points in another stellar effort. Jeff Elorriaga made his biggest contribution in weeks due to battling a back injury--he nailed three three-pointers for the Broncos.
Guard Daniel Bejarano poured in 23 points to lead CSU, while J.J. Avila had 13 while Carlton Hurst and Dwight Smith chipped in 11 each.
Boise State shot an excellent 54.7%, especially since they were 13-22 from three-point range. The Rams stayed in the game with 16 offensive rebounds.
The Bronco win goes a long way in helping the team get to fifth place in the Mountain West. The top five teams in conference play receive a bye in the upcoming tournament in Las Vegas. Boise State is now 7-6 in the MWC and 17-9 overall, while CSU slipped to 5-9 and 14-13.
Wyoming defeated Fresno State tonight and is currently fourth place with an 8-5 league mark and 17-9 overall. Fresno State dropped to 6-8 and 13-14.
Nevada is the other team with a good chance of finishing in the top five--they are currently 7-6 in the Mountain West pending their game tonight with San Jose State.
Drmic's seven field goals tonight moved him past former Bronco great John Coker for tenth place all-time in career field goals. Drmic now has 441, just four behind Pat Hoke (1972-1976).
Boise State hosts UNLV in an "Orange Out" in Taco Bell Arena. Fans are urged to wear Orange for the Saturday night game--tip is set for 6 p.m.
