Broncos gallup past Mustangs

Final: Boise State 71, SMU 62

First Half

The Broncos were rather poor hosts to the visiting Mustangs in the first half, shooting an uncouth 62% from the floor, including 45% from three-point range. In an effort to not help themselves out much, SMU shot an abysmal 44% from the free-throw line to go along with their less-than-stellar 40% shooting from the field. Boise State spread the ball around and got 7 players on the board in the first half—led by James Reid and Chandler Hutchison, who both chipped in 12 points (all of Reid’s points came on three-pointers because he is afraid of the lane). All told, Boise State led for nearly 14 minutes of the first half, and most of that time by double digits...taking a safe-feeling 44-24 lead into the locker room. Would SMU be able suck less in the second half? Well, you can see the final score above, so you tell me, smartypants.

Second Half

SMU opened the second half on a 9-0 run, with the Broncos unable to get on the board for a full five minutes. The see-saw continued throughout the second stanza with SMU clawing all the way back to within 6 with the Broncos doing just enough to stay in front. SMU’s defense picked up in the second half and points in the paint became a very dicey affair...thankfully, SMU’s three-point game did NOT pick up (they were 1-9 from beyond-the-arc) and your Broncos held on for a nice win. Chandler Hutchison led all scorers with 21 points and was joined in the double-digit column by frosh Justinian Jessup (11) and James Reid (18). SMU was paced by Ben Moore, who chipped in 19 points for the Mustangs.