Boise State Scores 84-72 Road Win At Colorado State

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.

Boise State Wins 84-72

First win ever in Fort Collins, and one I said Boise State had to have to have a good chance of finishing fifth in the Mountain West.

Fresno State looks like they will lose to Wyoming--if so, the Broncos will have a 1 1/2 game lead over the Bulldogs for sixth place.  

With this win, if Boise State goes 2-2 down the stretch, I believe they get fifth.

Boise State Lead Down to 9

Broncos had built a 14-point second-half lead, but it's now 77-68 with less than three minutes left.

Boise State Going for 17th Win

Broncos up at Colorado State, 69-58 with ten minutes left.

It's Boise State's Turn To Win in the Final Seconds

It has been said that New Mexico creates matchup problems for the Boise State basketball team.

Well, Bronco coach Leon Rice figured out a way to beat the Lobos, as Boise State rallied to tip New Mexico, 71-70 last night in Taco Bell Arena.  Derrick Marks hit two free throws with 13 seconds left, and the Boise State defense held at the other end to preserve the last-second victory.  Boise State had seen more than their share of these type of games get away from them this season, so this one was extra sweet for the hard-working Broncos.

Kendall Williams paced New Mexico with 22 points, while Bairstow threw in 20.  The Lobos saw their six-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Broncos.

Williams drilled a three-pointer with 28 seconds to put his team up 70-69.  Marks then drove inside on Boise State's possession and was fouled; his free throws capped a comeback from 12 points down.

New Mexico, which has dominated Boise State in the past, appeared to be well in command of moving into a share of the Mountain West Conference lead, opening up a 42-30 lead late in the first half.  But the Broncos scored the final five points of the half, then came out in the final stanza and made a game of it.

Rice used his bench extensively and had an unexpected surprise for the Lobos' big men--Alex Kirk and Cameron Bairstow.  Rice inserted senior Thomas Bropleh into the lineup, with the daunting task of guarding someone six inches taller and 100 pounds heavier.    

Bropleh, whose play has found another level the last few weeks, performed admirably, giving his own big men much-needed rest.  Bropleh also hit four-three pointers, including a banker with the shot clock expiring that clearly affected the New Mexico team, and trimmed the Lobo lead to 60-59 with 8:10 remaining.  

Bropleh scored all 14 points in the second half, and during a stretch of 4:43, Bropleh scored 11 of those.  Anthony Drmic poured in 18 points for Boise State, while Ryan Watkins added 12 points and 11 rebounds and Marks finished with 11.

Watkins hit a jumper to give Boise State its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.  The contest then became a see-saw affair, with Watkins hitting two free throws with 41 seconds left to put Boise State up 69-67.

Marks drained all eight free-throw attempts to move him past former Bronco great Gerry Washington (1995-1999) into seventh place for career free throws at Boise State with 328.  Drmic's three three-pointers moved him out of a tie with Washington for sixth place in career treys (187).

Boise State evened its MWC record at 6-6 while moving to 16-9 overall.  A loss would have made it extremely difficult to earn a first-round bye in the upcoming conference tournament.  The impressive win over the Lobos may also be a factor in postseason tournament consideration for the Broncos.

Kirk had 13 points and nine rebounds for New Mexico (9-2 and 18-5), which lost for just the second time in 13 games.  The Lobos hit 51.2% of their shots, but were outrebounded by the shorter Broncos 35-23.  Led by Watkins, Boise State hauled in 12 offensive rebounds.

Boise State will travel to Colorado State next Tuesday night.

Boise State Gymnasts #16 in Today's Poll

The Broncos move up, but you have to average 196 to have a real shot of getting into Nationals.  Since Boise State does not, they will have to have a score exceeding 196 in the conference championships to move close to #12.

The top two teams at Regionals will get in, but judges will not give high scores to teams that haven't deserved them all year long.  Just the way it works...

Boise State Tennis Team Rallies for 4-3 Win Over BYU

The Broncos scored a big regional win on the road over BYU, coming from behind to take the victory in Provo.

Bronco Women Dominate Utah State 83-62

Miquelle Askew scored 34 as Boise State ran over Utah State today, 83-62.  The Bronco women are now in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West.

Broncos Lose, 76-70

The Boise State loss to Wyoming meant that the Mountain West would probably only have two teams in the NCAA's.  Now, with the Broncos losing to Utah State, the conference will probably only have one team in the NIT's.  What a difference a year makes.  The teams that are winning in conference lost badly in the non-conference games; the teams that did well out of conference (like Boise State) are losing in conference.  

Ouch.

NC State with Two-Run Homer

Broncos now down 6-1 in the seventh, NC State still batting.

Where the Bronco Basketball Team Stands

If Boise State can win in Logan, the Broncos would be tied with the loser of tonight's UNLV-Wyoming game for fifth place.  If they lose, they fall to a tie for sixth with Colorado State, which has already won today.

Broncos Down to Last Three Outs

North Carolina State continues to lead the Bronco softball team, 4-1, going to the top of the seventh.  Rebecca Patton has tossed a four-hitter at the Wolfpack, but she'll need to hold them down and hope her bats can come alive in the bottom of the seventh.

Boise State and Utah State

Tied at 33 at halftime.

Boise State Basketball Team Clinging to 2-Point Lead

Boise State has never won in Logan.  Broncos up 31-29.

Krieger Stranded on Third

Boise State's Jordan Krieger got to third base in the fourth with no one out.  What was needed was a ground ball to the infield or a fly to the outfield, and Boise State could get neither (pop-up to second and a strike out).  Still 3-1 in the top of the fifth.

Jordan Krieger Walks, Steals Second

Boise State with a bit of a threat in the fourth, trailing 3-1.

Bronco Softball Down to NC State

Boise State trails 3-1 in Tempe and will bat in the bottom of the fourth.  The Wolfpack are among those receiving votes in the latest collegiate softball poll.

Flanagan Takes First

Boise State's Mackenzie Flannigan won the 200 meters today at the Bronco Invitational Track meet.  Flannigan was timed at 24:47.

Bronco Gymnasts Come Through

Boise State came up with a nice road score in winning the Chicago Style Collegiate quadrangular gymnastics meet last night, giving the Broncos an 8-2 record.

Boise State finished first with a season-high 196.325 to beat out Bowling Green (194.325), North Carolina (192.075) and Illinois-Chicago (191.950).  The Broncos scored season-bests of 49.00 on beam and 49.175 on floor exercise, while also scoring 49.00 on vault and 49.150 on uneven bars.  Boise State will need to at least match those the rest of the season if they want to finally break through to the next level.

Kelsey Morris won the all-around title with a career-high 39.275.  Morris and Paige Urquhard each had 9.850 to share the balance title.  Perkins won on bars with a 9.875 and took the floor title with a 9.90.

Boise State will meet Oregon State, Utah State and Seattle Pacific next week on Corvallis.

Andrade Wins 400

Jordin Andrade of Boise State has just won the 400 meter run at Jackson's Track, a time of 48.12.

Drayden Takes Long Jump

Dominique Drayden of Boise State won the long jump at the Bronco Invitational Track Meet in Nampa, clearing 7.02 meters.

Post Wins Weight Throw

Boise State's Matt Post took first in the men's weight throw yesterday in the opening day of the Bronco Track Invitational at Jackson's Track in Nampa.  Post recorded a top throw of 18.42 meters.

Boise State Beats Utah Again, This Time in Tennis

The Bronco tennis team beat the Utes on the road, 5-2.

Bronco Softball Team Defeats Utah 6-1

Boise State opened the 2014 softball campaign with a 6-1 trouncing of the team the Pac-12 chose for expansion over the Broncos (Utah) at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.  

Boise State will play North Carolina State tomorrow.

Boise State Dual with Oregon State Cancelled

Weather in Portland has forced Oregon State to cancel a wrestling dual with Boise State scheduled for tonight.  The Beavers were unable to fly out of Portland last night, and still could not get a plane out this morning.  Both teams will attempt to reschedule the match.

Boise State Gymnasts Slip to #18

Boise State was as high as #12 earlier in the year.  Hopefully, they can regain some of that magic:


http://www.troester.com/gym/WRankings/2014/0203/wteam.htm

Congrats to Freshman Allison Jeffries

The pole vaulter from Eagle became the first Bronco woman in history to clear four meters.  She set the school mark with a vault of 13-1.25 on her third attempt to win the event tonight at Jackson's Track.

Broncos Lose

Boise State's 11-point lead with four minutes left wasn't good enough, and they lose on the road.

UNLV Grabs Lead

Rebels with a 12-0 run to take a one-point lead, inside of two minutes.

Rebels Close to Four

Back and forth we go.  2:13 left and the Broncos up 67-63.  Boise State with the ball--must come up with points.

Boise State 62, UNLV 53

Six minutes left, Marks with 20, Watkins with his sixth straight double double.

Boise State with 11-Point Run of Their Own

Boise State leads UNLV 57-46 with eight minutes left.

Bronco Lead Down to Three

UNLV has exploded out of the gate and cut a 12-point Boise State lead to three in the second half.

Boise State Leads UNLV 37-27

Halftime score.

Hayli Bozarth Sets School Record

Hayli Bozarth of Boise State won the weight throw at the Ed Jacoby Invitational in Nampa.  The Bronco senior heaved the weight a school record 64-feet, 1.75 inches.

Emma Bates finished fourth in the women's 5000-meters at the UW Invitational in Seattle.  Bates' time is currently sixth-fastest in the nation.

Brandi Williams Wins Long Jump

Boise State's Brandi Williams took the long jump title today at the Ed Jacoby Invitational in Nampa.  Williams leaped 18-feet, 6.50 inches to take first.

Congrats to Boise State Student-Athletes

Fifty-five Boise State student-athletes have received all-academic status from the Mountain West Conference, the league office announced today.  Thirty-one Bronco football players made the list, tops in the conference.

Congratulations to all:

Men’s Cross Country

Name                     Class                Major

Aaron Black            Junior               Exercise Science

Kyle Merritt              Junior               Exercise Science

David Elliott             Junior               Business Management

Jeff Howard            Senior              K-12 Physical Education

Zachary Wiles         Senior              Sociology

Women’s Cross Country  

Name                           Class            Major  

Marisa Howard             Senior          Nursing

Katherine Jette             Senior           Health Science Studies

Lauren Lucas               Senior          Elementary Education

Shelby McIntyre            Sophomore   Marketing

Shannon Susbauer       Sophomore   Physiology

Taryn Treadway           Senior           Elementary Education 

Football  

Name                           Class                Major  

Jay Ajayi                      Sophomore        Marketing

Travis Averill                 Sophomore        undeclared

Corey Bell                     Junior                Business Management

Charles Bertoli              Sophomore        Athletic Training

Jonathan Brown             Senior               Business Management

Dallas Burroughs           Junior               Criminal Justice

Jack Fields                   Sophomore        undeclared

Spencer Gerke              Senior               Criminal Justice

Jake Hardee                 Junior               Political Science

Trevor Harman              Senior               Communication

Marcus Henry                Junior                Business Management

Tyler Horn                    Junior                Communication

Dustin Kamper              Senior               Communication

Darren Lee                   Freshman           undeclared

Gabe Linehan               Senior                Marketing

Taylor Loffler                Junior                 Business Management

Dillon Lukehart              Junior                 Business Management

Ebo Makinde                 Senior                 Business Management

Beau Martin                  Junior                  Communication

Sam McCaskill               Sophomore         Supply Chain Management

Matt Miller                     Junior                 Business Management

Kirby Moore                   Senior                Communication

Ress Odhiambo            Junior                 Exercise Science

Matt Paradis                 Senior                 Economics

Chris Santini                 Sophomore         undeclared

Joe Southwick               Senior                 Business Management

Chris Tozer                   Senior                 Communication

Sean Wale                    Sophomore         Health Science

Ben Weaver                  Sophomore          Finance

Shane Williams-Rhodes Sophomore          Communication

Mario Yakoo                Sophomore           Communication 

Soccer  

Name                             Class                 Major  

Dominique Banks           Sophomore       Health Science Studies

Bekah Carrasquer          Sophomore       Health Science Studies

Brooke Heideman           Sophomore       Health Science Studies

Ashley Hruby                  Senior              Supply Chain Management

Katy Oehring                  Senior              Health Science Studies

Anna Popma                  Sophomore       Health Science Studies

Shannon Schueren         Junior               Chemistry

Rebe Wolverton              Senior              Health Science Studies 

Volleyball  

Name                             Class                Major  

Sarah Baugh                  Sophomore       Biology

Aly Duffin                      Junior                Business Management

Alyssa Gammel              Junior                Social Science

Casey Rose                   Senior               Social Science

Janessa White               Sophomore        Health Science Studies

Bronco Gymnasts Fall Again in Top 25

Boise State yet to get that average above 196 per outing, so they'll stay pretty much around 14-20 all year.

http://www.troester.com/gym/WRankings/2014/0127/wteam.htm

Former Boise State Golfer Graham DeLaet Finishes 2nd on PGA Tour

Former Bronco golfer Graham DeLaet finished second this weekend at the Farmer's Insurance Open tournament.  DeLaet was in a tie for first in the clubhouse, and finished one stroke behind the winner.

Bronco Track Team Wins Four More Events

Mackenzie Flannigan captured her second title of the weekend at the Jacksons Invitational Track & Field meet in Nampa, topping the field in the 400-meter dash.  Flannigan ran a 54.54 to finish first.

Emma Bates won the women's mile in 4:47.59, while Allan Schroeder took the men's mile in 4:06.98.  Roderick Townsend won the men's high jump (6-10.75) to give the Broncos six individual wins for the meet.

Boise State's Karyna Armstrong Wins Weight Throw

Two wins on opening day of the Jacksons Invite in Nampa.  We told you earlier about Mackenzie Flannigan--Karyna Armstrong also came away with a title, heaving a career-best of 61-feet, 2-inches to win the weight throw.

Action continues tomorrow at Jacksons Track.

Boise State Gymnasts Top Southern Utah 196-025 to 195.050

Ciera Perkins scored three individual wins to help #15 Boise State defeat Southern Utah 196-025 to 195.050 at Taco Bell Arena last night.

Perkins won on vault, uneven bars and floor exercises in helping the Broncos to the win.  Perkins scored career bests of 9.925 on vault and bars, and a career best-tying 9.875 on floor.  Perkins' bar score is tied for the seventh-best in school history, and her six career bars wins moves her into a tie for 10th all-time.

Fellow Junior Kelsey Morris shared the floor title with Perkins and Kelsey Black, while Morris won the all-around with a career-best 39.150.  Black is now tied for ninth in career floor wins with six.

Overall, Boise State scored a 49.100 on vault, a 49.025 on bars, a 48.775 on beam and 49.125 on floor.  Southern Utah finished with 48.775 on vault, 48.600 on bars, 48.700 on the balance beam and 48.975 on floor.  Ana Jaworski of Southern Utah took home the beam title with a 9.875.

The two teams meet again next Friday in Cedar City, Utah.

Flannigan Takes 200 Title at Jackson's

Mackenzie Flannigan has won the women's 200-meter open at the Jackson's Track Invitational.  Flannigan crossed the tape in 24.34, beating several runners from Washington State and Nevada in the process.

Bronco Wrestlers Lose to North Dakota State 26-15

Boise State's wrestlers fell for the third time in the last four matches, getting whipped by #22 North Dakota State on their home floor, 26-15.

No. 22 North Dakota State 26, No. 21 Boise State 15
125: Rami Haddadin (BSU) dec. Hunter Weber (NDSU), 3-1
133: Justin LaVelle (NDSU) tech fall Matt Nader (BSU), 16-1
141: Clay Cathey (NDSU) dec. Travis Himmelman (BSU), 4-3
149: Chris Castillo (BSU) dec. Tyler Diamond (NDSU), 8-4
157: Nick Olejnik (NDSU) dec. Taylor West (BSU), 5-3 (2OT)
165: No. 3 Steven Monk (NDSU) fall Holden Packard (BSU), 2:56
174: No. 13 Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) dec. Austin Dewey (BSU), 6-2
184: No. 7 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Kurtis Julson (NDSU), 4-2
197: Tyler Lehmann (NDSU) fall Cody Dixon (BSU), 1:54
285: No. 6 J.T. Felix (BSU) fall John Gusewelle (NDSU), 4:47

Boise State Wins Gymnastics Meet

Boise State pulled ahead with 195.125 team points, followed by #13 Denver with 194.825 and #23 Brigham Young with 194.450.

Gymnastics squads are supposed to score better at home for several reasons, yet Boise State's score was less tonight than it was on the road in Salt Lake City last week.  This will hurt them when the Regional Qualifying Scores come into play later in the year.  Also, several Broncos scored under 9.80 tonight, the benchmark for teams that make the national championships.  Boise State must consistently score over 49 in each event each week to have hopes of ever making that field.

Boise State Pulls Ahead of Denver

BYU still has two competitors on beam, while Boise State has one left on floor.  But the Broncos appear to have won the triangular gymnastics meet, although there were numerous Broncos under 9.80 tonight.

Denver Leading Women's Gymnastics

Denver has finished with 194.825 points, well ahead of nationally-ranked Boise State and BYU, who are yet to complete their final events.  We'll have final results soon.

Boise State Student-Athletes Set School Record for Classroom Performance

Boise State's outstanding student-athletes have been amazing students for many years now (13 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0), but they have outdone themselves now.

The Broncos set a school record in the 2013 fall semester, as nearly 70% of them posted grade-point averages above 3.0--68% to be exact.

Eleven programs in the Boise State Athletic Department had combined GPA's of 3.0 or better, just an amazing achievement.  The football, men's golf and women's swimming and diving all set school records.

Boise State's cumulative all-sport GPA is now 3.12, the highest on record at the school.  

No less than twenty-eight Boise State student-athletes recorded GPA's of 4.0.  We salute them, and all of the great young men and women responsible for this achievement:

Men's Basketball

Nick Duncan

Football
D.J. Dean
Ryan Finley
Mason Hampton
Matt Paradis

Men's Golf
Shane Allor

Women's Golf
Dana Clary
Jenna Leurquin
Genevieve Ling
Sammie Pless

Gymnastics
Brooke Graham
Paige Urquhart

Softball
Jordan Kreiger
Rebecca Patton

Soccer
Rebe Wolverton

Swimming & Diving
Brooke Balogh
Heather Harper
Stevie Hughey
Devin Madsen
Samantha Wicks

Men's Tennis
Aidan Reid

Women's Tennis
Megan LaLone
Bobbi Oshiro

Men's Track & Field
David Elliott
Cody Forman

Women's Track & Field
Kate Jette
Lauren Lucas
Mary Kate McGuire
Kady Stafford

Drmic Now Ninth Place in Career Scoring

Anthony Drmic now has 1,211 career points at Boise State, with three points tonight so far at Nevada.  Drmic is in ninth place all-time, moving ahead of former guard Gerry Washington.

Boise State Gymnasts Tie School Record with #11 National Ranking

On the strength of their performance against #6 Utah last week, Boise State is ranked #11 in the nation in this week's women's gymnastics rankings.  It is tied for the highest ranking a Lady Bronco gymnastics team has ever held.

http://www.troester.com/gym/WRankings/2014/0113/wteam.htm

Bates Receives Votes for Bowerman Trophy

Storied distance runner Emma Bates has received another honor.  Bates received votes for the 2014 Bowerman Trophy Women's Preseason Watch List, becoming the first Bronco to ever attain that distinction.  The Bowerman Trophy is essentialy the "Heisman" for track and field.

The list is voted on by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, which made the announcement today.

Bates will compete in her final season of indoor track in the coming months, but has two seasons of outdoor track and one final one in cross country this fall.

Aztecs Enter Boise State Game Sky High

San Diego State, fresh from it's upset of then-#17 Kansas, hosts Boise State tonight in a key Mountain West Conference men's basketball game.  The Axtecs shocked Kansas last weekend, 61-57.  San Diego State has also beaten #23 Creighton (86-80) and Marquette (67-59) this season.

The Broncos, meanwhile, are coming off a game in which they let a twenty-five point lead evaporate to five before downing Fresno State 86-79 Saturday.  Plus, Boise State has not shown the ability to beat a Top 20 team, losing a game to Iowa State despite leading most of the game, and getting crushed by Kentucky.

Xavier Thames is the unquestioned leader of San Diego State; he does everything well.  Thames is averaging 16.2 points a game and is hitting 47.5% of his three-point attempts (29-61).  Thames also averages 80.6% from the free-throw line, leads his team with 32 assists and has 26 steals.

Winston Shepard averages 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds a game and has 18 steals on the season.

After those two, the Axtecs are pretty balanced.  J.J. O'Brien averages 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and hits 48.8% of his shots.  Forward Josh Davis is similar to Boise State's Ryan Watkins.  Davis averages 8.9 points and 11.3 rebounds and also has 12 steals.

Matt Shrigley is 20-48 from three-point land (41.7%) , the next-best long-range bomber to Thames.  Shrigley averages 6.8 points a contest.  Former St. John's transfer Dwayne Polee II averages 8.0 points, Aqeel Quinn averages 7.1 points and has 10 steals this season, while Skyler Spencer averages 4.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, hits 53.8% from the field (28-52) and an incredible 37 blocks already this year.

San Diego State rebounds the ball about as well as anyone in the country (#13), especially offensively.  It will take a super shooting performance as well as Boise State's best defense and blocking out of the year to pull out a Bronco win.

Broncos #18 in the Country in Free-Throw Shooting

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/statistics/team/_/stat/free-throws

Boise State #27 in Three-Point Shooting

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/statistics/team/_/stat/3-points

Boise State #22 in Scoring

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/statistics/team/_/stat/scoring-per-game

Ryan Watkins #5 in the Nation in Offensive Rebounds

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/stats/leaders/NCAAB/OREB/regularseason/yearly

Elorriage #2 in Three-Point Shooting Percentage

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/stats/leaders/NCAAB/TPPCT/regularseason/yearly

Jeff Elorriaga #27 in Three-Pointers

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/stats/leaders/NCAAB/TPM/regularseason/yearly

Anthony Drmic #42 in Scoring

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/stats/leaders/NCAAB/PTSAVG/regularseason/yearly

Schedules Page Updated

The Blue Through and Through Schedules Tab has been updated with the 2014 schedules for the winter sports.  You can always find it by clicking on the Tab at the top of the web site.  The spring schedule will be updated when those schedules are complete.

http://rocketman5000.blogspot.com/p/schedules.html

Bronco Grapplers Now #19

http://www.intermatwrestle.com/rankings/college/Team

Boise State #21 in CBS RPI Basketball Rankings

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/rpi/index1

Broncos Roll to 80-54 Win Over South Carolina

Anthony Drmic scored from nearly every place on the court, as the junior guard poured in 30 points and had six rebounds to lead Boise State to a lopsided 80-54 win over South Carolina tonight in Honolulu. The Broncos will meet #14 Iowa State in the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic on Christmas night.

The Broncos looked smooth and confident from the get-go, exploding to a 13-4 lead six minutes into the contest against the Gamecocks. Drmic scored nine of his team's 13 to set the tone early. Boise State undoubtedly played one of their best games of the season, throwing a stifling defense on inexperienced South Carolina.

Meanwhile, Coach Leon Rice's team utilized unselfish play and crisp passing, often finding open Broncos for easy buckets underneath. Boise State led at the break, 43-28, with Drmic piling up 20 points.

Boise State continued to build their lead in the second half, opening up a thirty-point lead with 8:53 remaining on a three-ball from Jeff Elorriaga. Coach Rice emptied his bench in the final minutes.

Drmic hit 10-of-17 shots from the field; his repertoire featured three-pointers, pull-up jumpers, floaters in the lane, and difficult driving layups that often resulted in fouls. Drmic connected on 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. Elorriage's three treys resulted in nine points, while big man Ryan Watkins contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assists.  Igor Hadziomerovic had four assists for Boise State.

Brenton Williams came off the bench to hit 14 points for South Carolina, while Duane Notice added 13.

Boise State forced 18 Gamecock turnovers while committing just nine themselves. Boise State advanced to 10-2 with the win, while South Carolina dropped to 3-5.

Boise State Selected as Favorite in Initial Mountain Rim Conference Season

The Boise State gymnastics team is moving on from its days in the Western Athletic Conference, but some things remain the same--the Broncos are the preseason favorite in the new Mountain Rim Gymnasts Conference.

Boise State received three first-place votes and 15 points to top the poll of the five league coaches, while the University of Denver finished second with the remaining two first-place votes.  Southern Utah was third, followed by Brigham Young and Utah State.

Boise State returns 2013 WAC Freshman of the Year Maddie Krentz, as well as All-WAC performer Kelsey Black, from its WAC Championship squad of last season.

The 2014 Mountain Rim conference season will begin January 11, with the championship scheduled for March 22 in Provo, Utah.

The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era:

In case you haven't checked it out, or have fallen behind with the Christmas rush, here is a link to Inside The Rock Era's first 25 artists:

http://top5000-rocketman5000.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-top-100-female-artists-of-rock-era_16.html

The Top 150 Christmas Songs of All-Time:

Here is a guide to all the Christmas songs that our sister blog, Inside The Rock Era, has featured since December 1 in our annual Christmas special:

http://top5000-rocketman5000.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-150-christmas-songs-of-all-time_16.html

Welcome Back to Boise, Bryan Harsin!

http://bluefootballthroughandthrough.blogspot.com/2013/12/bryan-harsin-is-next-boise-state-head.html

Bronco Hoops Ready to Go in Lexington

It took much longer than expected, but Boise State got to Lexington late last night, and did a shootaround this morning in Rupp Arena.  Someone asked me what percentage Boise State had of winning tonight?  I said about the same percentage as Boise State's field goal percentage tonight.

Boise State #29 in AP Basketball Poll

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/ap

Boise State #30 in Coaches Poll

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/coaches

Statement from Boise State

http://news.boisestate.edu/update/2013/12/06/boise-state-thanks-coach-pete-looks-ahead/

Coach Chris Petersen Leaving for Washington

Coach Chris Petersen is leaving Boise State after leading the Broncos to their worst season since at least 2001.  His last few years weren't happy ones--the NCAA violations, the suspensions, kicking players off the team.  Pete was 92-12 since taking over in 2006, with a quarter of those losses happening this year.

Boise State has already received dozens of applications for the vacant head coaching job.  I expect an announcement fairly soon.

Broncos Pull Out 69-67 Win Over Utah

In the game of basketball, sometimes you need some intangibles to win.

Tonight, Boise State got those, in the form of a noisy crowd down the stretch, stepped-up defense, and playing though a 10-minute stretch in which their leading scorer was on the bench with foul trouble, to stop Utah 69-67 in Taco Bell Arena.

That the Broncos won with an uncharacteristic frigid night from behind the free-point line (4-14) is to their credit.  It certainly wasn't pretty, but Coach Leon Rice's team advances to 7-0 with the win over the previously unbeaten Utes.  That's the best start in school history.  Getting it this early is one thing; keeping it is quite another.  

This year's Broncos will have to go 9-1 over the next 10 games to match the 16-1 start by the 1987-1988 team.

The game was back and forth the entire way, with 14 lead changes.  Utah grabbed their biggest lead of the night, 46-42 on a Kenneth Ogbe three-pointer with 12:16 remaining.  They continued to hold that lead at 50-46 until an Anthony Drmic three-ball two minutes later.  

Boise State regained the lead at the 7:52 mark when a jumper by Drmic found nothing but net to put the Broncos up 56-55.  It was a lead that the Broncos wouldn't relinquish until Jordan Loveridge's three-pointer with just 1:52 left to put the Utes ahead 66-65.

Derrick Marks hit a clutch jumper in the key with 52 ticks remaining to give Boise State a 67-66 lead.  A defensive stop put Marks on the line.  He missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Jeff Elorriaga made the defensive play of the game with a steal with 18 seconds remaining.

Marks was back at the free-throw line, and this time, he hit both shots to extend the lead to 69-66.  Utah's Delon Wright made one of two free throws for the final points for either team.

Marks led the way with 17 points, while Drmic scored 14 hard-earned points and Mikey Thompson came off the bench for 13.  Ryan Watkins stepped up his game in the second half to finish with eight points and 10 rebounds, including several key offensive boards.  

Loveridge led Utah with 19 points while Wright had 15.  Utah falls to 6-1 with the loss.

Boise State entertains Carroll College Thursday night in Taco Bell Arena.

Boise State Basketball Team Drops to #32

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/coaches

Boise State Drops to #32 in AP Poll

San Diego State is #24:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/ap

Broncos Turn Back Portland State 76-60

Boise State wore down Portland State tonight 76-60 in Taco Bell Arena.

The game was the Broncos' third in seven days and just two days after the exhausting game against Idaho and it showed.  Boise State was not its usual sharp selves, allowing the Vikings to hang around for the entire first half.  Coach Leon Rice's team went into the locker room only up 34-30.

No doubt Rice laid it out to his team at halftime, as the Bronco defense ceased to allow the easy buckets they were giving up in the first half.  One minute into the second stanza, Derrick Marks' driving layup made it 36-30, then a steal by Marks and beautiful assist to Ryan Watkins opened up an eight-point lead.  Watkins added a free throw to make it 39-30.

Both teams turned ice cold as seven minutes later, Boise State held a 43-35 lead.  Igor Hadziomerivic drilled a three-pointer to give Boise State its biggest lead at 46-35, then Anthony Drmic came up with another steal, resulting  in a Marks layup and free throw.  The Broncos were up 49-35, and coasted the rest of the way to their sixth victory in as many games.

Watkins was superb for Boise State, hustling all over the court.  The big guy netted 14 points and 13 rebounds, and his help down low stopped several Vikings in their tracks.  Marks added 14 points, while Mikey Thompson scored 13 and had four assists, Hadziomerivic contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Drmic had 9 points, 8 boards and 3 assists for the Broncos.

  DaShaun Wiggins had 19 points for Portland State, aided by Tim Douglas with 12 and Aaron Moore with 12.

Next up for the Broncos is Utah Tuesday night.  The Utes are unbeaten themselves, making for an early season game of two of the nation's 25 undefeated teams remaining.  

Tipoff is 8:05 Tuesday night in Taco Bell Arena.

The 2013 Boise State Seniors: A Record-Breaking Run for A Class Act

http://bluefootballthroughandthrough.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-2013-boise-state-seniors-record.html

Marks Sets School Record with 21 Free Throws

Idaho helped Derrick set the mark, fouling the Mountain West's best free-throw shooter repeatedly down the stretch.  Marks calmly hit 21-23 free throws, breaking the school record of 20 set by Tanoka Beard against George Mason in 1992.

Oh, and Idaho quit fouling when Boise State had 98 points.  Hmmmm.

Drmic Moves from 21st to 18th on All-Time Scoring List at Boise State

Anthony Drmic's 21 points tonight gave him 1,033 in his Boise State basketball career.

He is now 18th all-time in career scoring, passing Eric Lane (1,075 points), Greg Bunn (1,032) and LeShard Anderson (1,022).

Boise State Wrestlers Stun #6 Oregon State

Boise State sent shock waves through the wrestling world with a 19-18 upset of #6 Oregon State in Corvallis.

Coach Greg Randall's team fell behind 15-3, but won four of the last five matches to knock off the defending Pac-12 champions in the first league match for both teams.

The shock started with sophomore Chris Castillo's win at 149 pounds, beating the #3 wrestler in America, Scott Sakaguchi, 3-2.  Oregon State won the next to matches to grab their big lead, but freshman Austin Dewey recorded a 6-5 victory over Oregon State's Joe Latham at 174 pounds.  Senior Jake Swartz, the nation's #5 wrestler at 184 pounds, put away John Tuck 20-7.  Taylor Meeks, the top-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds, got more than he wanted from Boise State senior Cody Dixon, escaping with a 1-0 win to push the Beaver lead to 18-10.

Bronco senior heavyweight J.T. Felix pinned Amarveer Dhesi in 31 seconds, to hand the deciding match to Sophomore Rami Haddadin.  Haddadin came through with a 10-9 victory to give the Broncos the amazing win.

MATCH RESULTS
133: Van Anrooy major decision Ty Stevenson, 10-0 (OSU 4, BSU 0)
141: Joey Delgado major decision Travis Himmelman, 10-2 (OSU 8, BSU 0)
149: Chris Castillo decision Scott Sakaguchi, 3-2 (OSU 8, BSU 3)
157: RJ Pena decision Holden Packard, 6-2 (OSU 11, BSU 3)
165: Alex Elder major decision Taylor West, 11-2 (OSU 15, BSU 3)
174: Austin Dewey decision Joe Latham, 6-5 (OSU 15, BSU 6)
184: Jacob Swartz major decision John Tuck, 20-7 (OSU 15, BSU 10)
197: Taylor Meeks decision Cody Dixon, 1-0 (OSU 18, BSU 10)
HWT: J.T. Felix pin Amarveer Dhesi, 0:31 (OSU 18, BSU 16)
125: Rami Haddadin decision Pat Rollins, 10-9 (OSU 18, BSU 19)

Boise State #31 in AP

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/ap

Boise State #31 in Coaches Poll

Still not a whole lot of respect for the Broncos.  They put a 4-1 team ahead of 4-0 Boise State.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/coaches

Boise State Getting Close To 400 Wins As a Four-Year School

In 2005, my research showed that Boise State was the fastest school in the modern era to win 300 football games as a four-year school.  The Broncos won their 300th over San Jose State about midway through that season.  

Since that win, Boise State has won 96 games, giving them 396, just four shy of their 400th win as a four-year school.  It just so happens that the Broncos can win four more games this season if they win out--really something for them to shoot for.

If these Broncos don't get it done, Boise State very likely will get their 400th very early in the 2014 season.

Boise State Thumps New Orleans 100-80

The Broncos are 4-0, cracking the 100-point barrier for the 33rd time in school history, and the third time in four games this year.  Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks both had 24 points, and Jeff Elorriaga hit six three-pointers for 18.

Bates Finishes Second in the Nation

Emma closed the gap on the leader after about 4000 meters, moving from 20th to 12th to 3rd.  Abbey D'Agostino of Dartmouth raced out to a lead of about 60 meters shortly afterwards.  Bates chased her down at the end, but finished about five seconds behind.

Superb race, and just a super finish by Bates--Congrats!

Bates Falls Back

Emma is well back of the leader, who leads the field by about 20 yards.

Bates Underway in the NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship

Boise State's Emma Bates is hoping to finish somewhere in the Top 10 today.  She is a legitimate contender for the title.

Anthony Drmic Becomes 23rd Bronco Over 1,000 Career Points

Anthony Drmic went over the 1,000-point mark for his career in the first half of the New Orleans game.  He now has 21 with four minutes remaining.  Congrats AD!

Boise State Leads New Orleans on the Road 52-28

Great start in the Broncos' first road game.