What seemed like a great road win ended up being a nightmare. After a back and forth first half, the Boise State Broncos controlled most of the second half until the New Mexico Lobos exploded to snatch the game away.
Heartbreak for Boise State Yet Again
Boise State basketball fans are getting used to the feeling of heartbreak. One week ago, it was believed that James Webb III hit a game winning three in overtime. However, the referees declared that the clock had started late. So, they got out a stopwatch (yes, this is protocol according to them and the Mountain West) and decided that Webb didn't get the shot off. Many news sites, including ESPN, saw the controversial finish and decided to review the play on their own. After running many computer tests, ESPN reported that Webb got the shot off in 0.7 seconds.
The Broncos bounced back with a commanding 94-71 win over the Wyoming Cowboys, but their momentum came to a screeching halt on Wednesday.
Drmic Comes Off Of Bench And Gives the Broncos a Spark
When Boise State coach Leon Rice wanted to "shake things up", he decided to bench superstar Anthony Drmic. When Rice decided to bring Drmic in the game, he certainly showed he should be starting. The Australian had 23 points in a span of 12 minutes.
The first half saw an incredible stretch of eleven straight three pointers exchanged by both teams after a sluggish start. It seemed the Broncos would be down by three going into halftime, but a foul by Australian Nick Duncan with very little time left made that deficit to five. This would be huge at the end of the game.
New Mexico Gets Momentum In The Final Stretch
This game had a ton of momentum shifts. However, what was most important was that New Mexico got the final burst of momentum. The Lobos in the last six minutes were lead by Elijah Brown's 13 points (26 in the game). Brown took advantage of the Broncos' persistent second-half meltdowns, a problem in which Boise State needs to fix in order to have any shot at winning the Mountain West.
What's Next For Both Teams?
For Boise State, they fall to 17-10 (8-6) and are now fifth in the conference. They face the UNLV Runnin' Rebels at Taco Bell Arena on Tuesday, looking to shake off a stretch of tough losses. The Broncos are falling in the conference standings, which effects their seeding in the Mountain West Tournament. The Broncos simply don't have a strong enough resume to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their only hope at this point is an automatic bid via winning the conference tournament.
New Mexico will travel to Colorado Springs and take on the Air Force Falcons this Saturday. The Lobos, now 16-10 (9-4) and second in the Mountain West, look to inch closer to first place San Diego State Aztecs.