Williams, Jessup spur Broncos to Senior Day victory over UNM

Game Recap: Boise State 74, New Mexico 61 Williams ties career-high with 26 points, adds 17 rebounds Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Senior Day goes off without a hitch as Broncos stampede New Mexico For a team with as much experience as …

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Game Recap: Boise State 74, New Mexico 61

Williams ties career-high with 26 points, adds 17 rebounds

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Senior Day goes off without a hitch as Broncos stampede New Mexico

For a team with as much experience as Boise State has, Senior Day was always going to be a special evening.

For Broncos senior RJ Williams, it was one last chance to put on a career performance in front of the home fans in Boise.

Highlights of RJ Williams from today: https://t.co/lESb59tg5O

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) February 24, 2020

Williams tied his career-high with 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, spurring his team to a 74-61 win at ExtraMile Arena on Sunday afternoon. The forward was nearly perfect on Sunday, making 11 of 14 shots while also posting a perfect mark at the free throw line.

Fellow senior Justinian Jessup finished with 15 points and added another trio of three-pointers to his ledger, further extending his Mountain West all-time record for triples. The prolific shooter also added five rebounds and a team-leading four assists on the day.

Derrick Alston Jr. scored 17 points for Boise State, coming off the bench in deference to seniors Alex Hobbs, Marcus Dickinson, and Robin Jorch. That said, while he is just a junior, Alston could be forgiven for stealing some of the spotlight on Sunday—the guard has long been discussed as a professional prospect, thanks to a breakout year last season.

If this was his last game in Boise, he made it memorable.

Some of Boise’s seniors didn’t get the memo.

While Hobbs, Dickinson, and Jorch were all in the starting lineup and remained on the floor until the first media timeout, none of the three were very effective in their final game in front of the home fans. The trio combined to score just four points on 1-for-12 shooting.

Still, even as those elder statesmen struggled, Leon Rice watched as the rest of his team came together to secure an 11^th league victory. With the win, the Broncos remained just a half-game behind Utah State and Nevada for second place in the Mountain West standings.

The result provides even further contrast between the top six in the MW and the bottom five.

And New Mexico is squarely in the second camp now.

The Lobos have now dropped four straight since beating Wyoming at The Pit on February 8, and have lost nine of their past eleven games. If the beginning of New Mexico’s season was a fairy tale, then the back half has been the panicked journal entries of a sailor lost at sea.

Paul Weir’s roster has been decimated by on- and off-the-court issues since their 15-3 start. This most recent loss drops them to just a half-game lead over Fresno State for the #7 seed in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament.

Vance Jackson did his part to try to keep New Mexico alive in this game, pouring in a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds. Jackson was joined in double-figure scoring by only one other Lobo, Keith McGee, who finished with twelve points.

The Lobos will be happy to put Boise in their rear-view mirror as they prepare for the final week of the regular season, before heading to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament. They will be guaranteed to be among the first-round contestants, solidifying their place in the league’s bottom six this week with losses to Nevada and Boise State.

UP NEXT

The Broncos will get an early taste of next week’s tournament venue when UNLV hosts Boise State on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. A Boise State win would clinch a first-round bye for the blue and orange. And with just one game remaining in the regular season, Leon Rice and the Broncos will be watching from home on Saturday for the final Mountain West gameday.

The Lobos finish the season with a trip to Clune Arena to do battle with Air Force, before finally heading home for their own Senior Day on February 29 against Utah State. It’s hard to know just how much is left in the tank for a team that has had a difficult season, both physically and mentally. But a win over the Aggies at The Pit would certainly be a nice send-off for seniors JaQuan Lyle and Corey Manigault.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Utah State Leads The Race for #2 Seed in MW Tournament

The Mountain West title has already been won, but a battle is brewing for 2nd place – and a spot on the other side of the bracket from SDSU.

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Utah State Leads Six Teams Vying for #2 Seed in MW Tourney

Aggies have the inside track, but any slip-ups could cause chaos

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

SDSU has already clinched the top spot, but how will things play out beneath them?

With the Mountain West regular season title already locked up by San Diego State—and with the Aztecs focusing on bigger things, like a potential #1 seed and a chance to cut down the nets in Atlanta—the major storyline in the league has shifted to who will finish in second place.

Currently, there are five teams leading the fight for the Mountain West’s silver medal: Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada, Boise State, and UNLV. The Aggies currently hold a half-game edge over the Rams and Wolf Pack, with the Broncos a full game back. UNLV is in sixth place, but their 8-6 record is only one and half games off Utah State’s pace.

Why is the race for second place so important?

Because with undefeated San Diego State on the other side of the bracket, the teams that finish in second and third will have a few extra games before they have to play the Aztecs. The teams that earn the #4 and #5 seed will face the difficult task of playing an above-average team in their first game and SDSU in the next.

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, each game holds massive sway over seeding for the Mountain West Tournament. To give you an idea of just how contentious these next few weeks will be, take a look at some of the big matchups remaining on the schedule:

2/18 – Nevada @ New Mexico
2/18 – Colorado State @ UNLV
2/22 – UNLV @ San Diego State
2/23 – New Mexico @ Boise State
2/25 – Colorado State @ San Diego State
2/26 – Boise State @ UNLV
2/29 – San Diego State @ Nevada
2/29 – Utah State @ New Mexico

With so many important games remaining, there are myriad scenarios of how the standings will look on March 1. Here’s a quick investigation into how each team can find their way to second place in the Mountain West.

NEW MEXICO (17-10, 6-8 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Nevada, 2/23 @ Boise State, 2/26 @ Air Force, 2/29 vs. Utah State

Yes, that’s right. The Lobos are still in it.

New Mexico is currently in seventh place and below .500 in league play, but they have just enough rope that if everything goes right—and it really is almost everything—they could end up finishing in second place.

Here’s how: Wyoming would need to beat Utah State and Nevada. San Jose State would need to beat Colorado State, Utah State, and UNLV. Air Force would need to beat the Rams in Fort Collins. If all of that happens, and New Mexico takes care of its own business against the Wolf Pack, Broncos, and Falcons, it would set up a spectacular season finale in The Pit.

If the Lobos could win that game, then New Mexico, Utah State, Nevada, Boise State, and Colorado State would all finish with a league record of 10-8. Tiebreaking procedures dictate that the team with the best record against these opponents will receive the highest seed. The Lobos and Aggies would move into a two-way tiebreaker by virtue each having gone 4-2 against these opponents.

The tiebreaker then moves to head-to-head record, which would give New Mexico the advantage—the final game of the season would be the only regular-season meeting of the two teams.

There is virtually no chance that all of that would happen. But the mere fact that it is even still a possibility is amazing, considering how quickly the Lobos have fallen off the map after their 15-3 start to the season.

UNLV (13-14, 8-6 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Colorado State, 2/22 @ San Diego State, 2/26 vs. Boise State, 2/29 @ San Jose State

It would still take some major chaos in the Mountain West for the Rebels to finish in second place, but it’s not as far-fetched as New Mexico’s bid. UNLV has plenty of roads into second place—even without a win over San Diego State.

Like New Mexico, the Rebels would really need Utah State to fall apart down the stretch, with the other three teams currently ahead of them stumbling as well. But UNLV could lose to the Aztecs and still finish 11-7. A handful of scenarios could see the Rebels sitting clear of everyone else in the #2 position.

Interestingly, if the Rebels can’t land in the #2 or #3 spot, they may actually have better luck down as the #6 or #7 team. They could stay away from San Diego State and will still have the benefit of playing at home for the Mountain West Tournament.

These scenarios are much, much more likely than the Rebels finishing second. But even more likely is that one of the next four teams will take home the silver. [CONTINUED]

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Colorado State Looking to Bounce Back with Border War Win

Colorado State at Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Cowboys out for an upset in latest Border War matchup Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire GAME DETAILS WHO: Colorado State (17-9, 8-5 MWC) at Wyoming (6-19, 1-12 MWC) …

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Colorado State at Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Cowboys out for an upset in latest Border War matchup

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Colorado State (17-9, 8-5 MWC) at Wyoming (6-19, 1-12 MWC)

WHEN: 2:00 P.M. Mountain / 1:00 P.M. Pacific

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium, Laramie, Wyo.

WATCH: AT&T SportsNet; Get a free trial of FuboTV.

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: The Cowboys lead the series, 135-97.

ODDS: Colorado State -10, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

Niko Medved will look to keep his team up in the top half of the Mountain West standings, as the Rams head to Wyoming for this year’s second installment of the Border War.

Colorado State has outperformed their preseason projections this season, having been pegged as the league’s ninth-best team before the 2019-20 campaign began.

That initial ranking did not take into account just how impactful freshmen Isaiah Stevens and David Roddy would be to this club, though.

The rookie pairing has combined to average roughly 26 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per night, providing cover for heralded senior big man Nico Carvacho. Add in the solid sophomore efforts from Adam Thistlewood and Kendle Moore, plus the veteran experience of Kris Martin off the bench, and this is a much-improved team from last year.

Seriously… you might be a liar if you believed Colorado State would be in 2nd place in the MW at this juncture of season. Coach Niko Medved’s rebuild has become a youth movement reload! WOW, what a year this young group is having!!

— Richie Schueler (@RichieSchueler) February 11, 2020

That improvement might eventually take Medved to greener pastures than the green and white of Fort Collins, but that is a conversation for another day. For now, the second-year head coach needs to focus on keeping his team in the race for a top-three seed in the Mountain West Tournament.

A big win in Laramie could help Colorado State shake off the disappointment of their home loss to Utah State earlier this week. A victory could have seen the Rams hold onto second place in the Mountain West, but it was instead the Aggies that left Moby Arena with an important road win.

Wyoming, on the other hand, doesn’t need a big win.

They just need a win.

The Cowboys have stumbled to a 1-12 start in league play, with their sole victory coming against San Jose State—one of the teams currently tied for the second-worst mark in the Mountain West. Wyoming is 6-19 overall, with one of those victories coming against Division III opponents Nebraska Wesleyan.

Sophomore guard Hunter Maldonado has been the only bright spot for Allen Edwards’ squad this year, though fellow underclassmen such as Hunter Thompson, Kwane Marble II, and Trevon Taylor have shown potential in flashes.

Still, even in the midst of a lost season, a rivalry is a rivalry. Wyoming may not have much to play for at this point, but pride and revenge can both be strong motivators.

Colorado State must keep their eye on the ball and take care of business ahead of an important road game on Tuesday against UNLV. If they lose the War, they’ll be facing an uphill battle to finish in the top three of the Mountain West.

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Aggies fight off another Boise St. comeback to win 70-61 at home

Utah State won 70-61 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday night, beating Boise State to pull even in the Mountain West standings.

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Game Recap: Utah State 70, Boise State 61

Aggies pull into three-way tie for 3rd place with BSU, Nevada

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Utah State bent but never broke as they evened the season series with Boise State on Saturday.

FINAL | 🔵🔵

You DON'T come to The Spectrum expecting to win!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/DU9K8gCXHJ

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 9, 2020

Utah State got revenge against their neighbors to the north, beating Boise State 70-61 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday. While the Aggies led for nearly the entire game, the Broncos didn’t allow themselves to be put away for good until the final minute. The win pulls Utah State up into a three-way tie for third place with Boise State and Nevada.

The Aggies (19-7, 8-5 MWC) led by as many as 12 points during the second half, but they also let the Broncos stay within reach for the duration of the game. The deficit shrunk to as small as a single point after Riley Abercrombie’s field goal with just over a minute remaining.

But on the ensuing possession, the Aussie freshman was charged with a flagrant foul after pulling down Utah State’s Neemias Queta on a shot attempt.

The decision from the referees meant that the Aggies retained the ball after Queta made both free throws, and fellow USU star Sam Merrill added two more on the bonus possession. The Broncos were unable to score another point, as Utah State ended the game on an 8-0 run.

Queta led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, adding five rebounds and five blocks. Merrill contributed 17 points and four assists. Diogo Brito had 11 ponts and seven rebounds for the Aggies, while Justin Bean had 16 rebounds to go along with seven points.

Despite getting the win, Utah State will not be happy with their three-point shooting performance. They finished the game just 2-for-19 from beyond the arc, barely eclipsing the 10% mark. For a team with multiple sharpshooters, this kind of inefficiency simply does not compute.

They were bailed out in this instance, by a Boise State team that didn’t fare much better from three-point land. The Broncos went 6-for-29 from deep, good for just 20.7% on the night.

Senior guard Justinian Jessup was the only Boise State player to hit multiple threes, knocking down a trio of triples to extend his newly-earned Mountain West record for career threes made to 301. He is the first player in league history to surpass the threshold.

Justinian Jessup has 298 career 3-pointers. That's a Mountain West record. Everything from here on out is just icing on the cake.https://t.co/l4c6e78ekh

— Rachel Roberts (@ByRachelRoberts) February 9, 2020

Jessup led Boise State (16-9, 8-5 MWC) with 20 points. Alex Hobbs had a second-straight impressive offensive showing, putting up 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. After scoring a career-high 24 points off the bench against Wyoming earlier this week, Hobbs got the start in place of Abu Kigab, who sat out of Saturday’s game with a hip injury.

Derrick Alston Jr.’s struggles this week continued through the weekend. The junior went 0-for-7 and scored just two points against the Cowboys on Tuesday. His box score improved on Saturday, but he still managed only seven points on 2-of-8 from the floor.

Abercrombie was forced into extra action against the Aggies after RJ Williams and Robin Jorch both fouled out. Though he did have some success on the interior, Abercrombie was 0-for-5 from beyond the arc—and also committed the ill-timed flagrant foul near the end of the game.