Broncos fight off the Aggies

FINAL BSU 71 USU 67

Slow start for the Broncos. The Aggies were obviously trying to shut down Hutch, and it was working. Through nearly the first 10 minutes, Hutch was held scoreless. Williams and Jessup led the Broncos in keeping it close, but the Aggies were shooting well from the field (60% from field goal, 60% from 3).

The Aggies continued to play the Broncos hard through the first half, leading for a good portion of it. Hutch eventually got on the board, but a single basket is a stark contrast from last week.

Williams led the way for the Broncos at half with 9 points, with Dickinson a close second at 8. The Broncos were 15-28 (53.6) from the field and 4-7 (57.1) from 3. The Broncos has a slight edge on the boards 13-11. The Broncos were also 3-5 from the line.

The second half didn’t start any better for the Broncos. The Aggies stampeded back to take the lead and were up by 9 at one point. 10 minutes into the half they were 9-13 from the field (69.2%). The Broncos were a paltry 4-17 (23.5%) at the same point.

The crowd started to get into it with about 7 minutes to go. The Broncos had battled back within 2. The Aggie D was all about shutting down Hutchison, and it was largely effective, but he came alive late in the game. Hutch continued to build on his second half resurgence and was crucial in the late-game comeback.

A solid defensive effort down the stretch, rebounds and making some crucial baskets and free throws resulted in a hard-fought win.

Dickinson and Hutchison both finished with 16 points, while Williams and Hobbs both contributed 14 each. Hutch finished with 6 rebounds, Jessup with 5. The Broncos finished 27-58 (46.6%) from the field and 8-18 (44.4%) from 3. They also finished 9-11 (81.8%) from the free throw line, which was huge. The Broncos got a total of 30 bench points after Haney went just 1-2 for 2 points and Jessup had a rough night from 3.

Gutsy win for the Broncos. This was actually the largest margin of victory in the last 3 home games against the Aggies. Last year they won 72-70 and the year prior they won 70-67.

Next up is a HUGE game at Nevada on Saturday, 1/20. Tip is at 8pm on ESPNU. GO BRONCOS!