Boise State Athletics
Boise State
22-6, 12-4MW
Colorado State
11-18, 4-12MW
Hutchison Scores 27, Broncos Pummel Rams
2/21/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) Chandler Hutchison scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half for his fifth 20-point game of the season, and Boise State beat Colorado State 87-54 on Wednesday night to secure a top-three Mountain West Conference finish for the fourth-straight season.
This is the 12th time in program history Boise State will enter a conference tournament as one of the top three seeds. It is the fifth time in Leon Rice's eight seasons as head coach.
Justinian Jessup added 16 points with four 3-pointers, Zach Haney had 13 points, and Chris Sengfelder grabbed 11 rebounds for the Broncos (22-6, 12-4).
Jessup's four triples gives him 79 on the season, putting him in seventh place in Boise State single-season history.
He trails Anthony Drmic (2012-13) and Coby Karl (2006-07) by one trey for fifth place, as both made 80. Drmic's 80 3-pointers from the 2012-13 season is also the sophomore school record.
The Rams led briefly early in the first, but Marcus Dickinson's layup put the Broncos up for good, 15-12, and they led 50-29 at halftime, tying a season high for most first-half points.
Jessup's 3-pointer early in the second half sparked a 20-0 run while the Rams went scoreless for nine minutes and the Broncos led by as many as 42 points and cruised.
The Broncos outscored the Rams 34-18 in the paint and outrebounded them 51-31, scoring 25 second-chance points off of 18 offensive boards.
The 33-point victory was the Broncos' largest margin of victory in a conference road game since Feb. 26, 2004, winning at SMU 89-50 (39 points).
Deion James and J.D. Paige scored 12 points apiece for Colorado State (11-18, 4-12), which has lost nine of its last 10.
The Broncos will utilize a bye this weekend before taking on San Diego State on the road (Feb. 27) next Tuesday. The game will tip 9 p.m. MT and broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
