Injury-depleted Boise State survives at Air Force to set up first-place showdown

The trip to USAFA, Colorado, could end up being a costly one for the Boise State men’s basketball team.

But it could have been worse.

The Broncos lost two starters to injury but won the game, 59-52, at Air Force on Tuesday night at Clune Arena to set up a showdown for first place in the Mountain West at San Diego State on Friday.

Boise State coach Leon Rice told KBOI 670-AM in a postgame radio interview that he did not have an injury update for starters Naje Smith and Marcus Shaver Jr. Smith exited with 6:34 to play in the first half and never returned, while Shaver limped to the bench with 2:41 remaining in the game.

“No speculation,” Rice said. “I hate seeing that, especially this time of year and especially with what’s coming down the pipe. But that’s part of college basketball, and those guys are tough guys. ... It’s gonna have to be next man up and it’s gonna have to be find a way. We’ll solve that problem as we go forward.”

Boise State (18-5, 8-2 MW) found a way to win Tuesday despite weathering a number of runs from the defensive-minded Falcons (12-11, 3-7).

The Broncos opened the game shooting just 2-for-10 from the field to fall behind 12-4 with 13:25 on the clock as freshman Rytis Petraitis scored nine of Air Force’s first 12 points. But the Broncos closed the first half on a 30-9 run, which included holding the Falcons scoreless for a stretch of nearly 6 minutes.

Max Rice knocked down four 3-pointers over the final 4:47 to help the Broncos build a 34-21 halftime lead. Rice was 4-for-5 from 3-point range and 6-for-9 overall in the first half for 16 of his game-leading 22 points.

Boise State entered Tuesday’s game ranked eighth in the nation in 3-point field-goal defense, at 28.1%. The Falcons felt that defensive pressure, shooting just 2-for-12 — or 16.7% — from deep in the opening half and 2-for-24 overall.

But the Broncos’ once 15-point lead dwindled away in the second half as Air Force scored 11 unanswered points for a 46-45 advantage with 7:01 to play. The Broncos and Falcons then traded baskets down the stretch, with Boise State clinging to a 52-50 lead with 1:50 remaining in the game.

That’s when reserve Pavle Kuzmanovic came up big.

Playing in place of Shaver, Kuzmanovic nailed a step-back 3-pointer with 1:29 left to give the Broncos a two-possession lead, 55-50. Max Rice then added a pair of free throws with 46.5 seconds left and Chibuzo Agbo had a dunk with 23 seconds to go to give the Broncos a little more cushion.

“Pavle with the major 3,” Max Rice told KBOI. “That was probably the biggest shot of his Boise State career. They’re not a bad team, but losses this time of year like that can hurt you, and you don’t want to put it in the hands of the (NCAA Tournament) committee. Being on the bubble is no fun. That was a huge win for us, and thank God we pulled it out at the end.”

The Broncos are on the road for a first-place Mountain West matchup at San Diego State on Friday. Tipoff is 7 p.m. Mountain time at Viejas Arena, and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, or listen on the radio on KBOI 670 AM.

Women’s basketball: Broncos hold off San Diego State

The Boise State women’s basketball team held off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt Monday night, defeating second-place San Diego State 62-57 at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos (10-13, 5-5 MW) led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter before the Aztecs (18-6, 8-3) went on a 14-2 run to cut the Broncos’ lead to four with 3:11 left.

San Diego State’s Sophia Ramos made a jumper with 3 seconds remaining to make it 60-57, but Boise State junior Mary Kay Naro sealed the game from the foul line, hitting two free throws to secure the win.

“The biggest thing tonight was our encouragement and our enthusiasm,” Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said in a news release. “We died a cruel death against Wyoming in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Our kids weren’t going to let that happen again. Our huddles were terrific. I’m so proud of them.”

Natalie Pasco scored 14 points off the bench for the Broncos. The freshman shot 6-for-8 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Fellow freshman Dani Bayes added 11 points, shooting 4-for-6 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from deep.

Boise State is back on the road for a Thursday game at Nevada. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. Mountain time at Lawlor Events Center, and the game will be streamed lived on the Mountain West Network, or listen on the radio on KBOI 670 AM.