3-pointers finally fly in for Boise State, but can’t beat Utah State’s 4-point play

For the past several weeks, Boise State basketball coach Leon Rice has been waiting for his team’s 3-point shooting ability to finally show.

The Broncos started the season with their worst 3-point shooting mark in the past decade, but Rice has been adamant that the quality eventually will shine through.

His belief was repaid on Saturday night in Logan, Utah, as Boise State (12-5, 4-2 Mountain West) hit 14 3-pointers. But it still wasn’t enough, as the Broncos fell 81-79 to No. 25 Utah State (16-1, 6-0).

The Aggies hit a huge 3-pointer of their own — plus a free throw because of a foul to make it a 4-point play with 7 seconds left — to score the game’s final points, with Ian Martinez being the hero.

The final score could have been much more lopsided had Boise State’s big night from beyond the arc not come at the perfect time. Utah State was deadly efficient on offense, hitting 30-of-49 shots (61.2%), but also was only 10-for-22 on free throws, limiting the home team’s ability to build any sort of lead.

The Aggies run a zone defense, regularly forcing opponents to shoot from deep. That could have spelled bad news for the Broncos, who entered the game shooting just 29.9% from three, the 314th-worst mark in the nation out of 355 teams.

So when the Broncos started the game 5-for-5 from three, the typically rowdy crowd inside Dee Glen Smith Spectrum was silenced. The Broncos finished the night shooting 14-for-26 from three, including nine in the first half.

Six Broncos hit at least one three, led by senior forward Tyson Degenhart’s 5-for-7 performance from beyond the arc. Degenhart finished with a game-high 22 points, marking his eighth 20-point game of the season.

The two teams traded blows throughout the game, with the Aggies nearly matching the Broncos blow-for-blow on 3-pointers. Utah State finished the night with 11 threes, seven of which came in the second half.

Boise State entered halftime with a 38-34 lead and extended that margin to 13 points within three minutes of the second half. Senior guard Alvaro Cardenas hit his second of three 3-pointers with a hand in his face to open the half, foreshadowing another high-intensity 20 minutes. He ended the night with 15 points and eight assists, playing all but one minute.

But the Aggies would reply with a 13-4 run to cut the Broncos’ lead to three points before sophomore forward Andrew Meadow hit his second of two threes of the night to restore a 60-54 lead.

Utah State continued to close the gap, eventually taking the 65-64 lead, its first lead since the sixth minute of the game. Cardenas later nearly hit the game-winning shot — his 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining gave Boise State a 79-78 lead.

Martinez then came around a screen on an inbounds play, was able to rise for a 3-pointer and watched from the floor as it bounced on the rim six times before finally trickling into the basket. He then made the free throw.

The Broncos will return to Idaho for a home matchup against Wyoming on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena.