Broncos Stay Hot, Rout San Diego State, 91-67

Saturday, February 16

Boise, Idaho

2:00 PM MT

Boise State

21-3

San Diego State

10-13

San Diego St.

Boise St.

Photo by: Boise State Photo Services

2/16/2019 6:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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BOISE, Idaho - Braydey Hodgins became the first Bronco in eight years to record four-straight 20-point games as she went for 22 in Saturday's 91-67 win over San Diego State at Taco Bell Arena. Hodgins, who went 7-for-12 on the day and 4-for-7 from 3-point range, paced a Boise State performance in which the Broncos shot 61.3 percent in the first half and finished at 53.0 percent with 10 triples.

Boise State (21-3, 12-1 MW), which was without leading scorer and 2018-19 Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year Riley Lupfer (inj., day-to-day) for a third-straight game, flexed its depth once more Saturday. Redshirt juniior point guard Jayde Christopher (six points, game-high seven assists) conducted yet another clinic aas senior guard Marta Hermida (16 points, four 3-pointers) and sophomore forward Tess Amundsen (season-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting) joined Hodgins in double figures. Amundsen, who hit two 3-pointers and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, led a second-straight sublime Bronco bench effort, as the Bronco reserves combined for 29 points on 50.0-percent shooting (12-for-24).

"I felt like we performed well in all phases of the game. I thought our kids were really unselfish, shot the ball at a high percentage. It was a great win for us," said Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell.

The Broncos' Saturday got even better soon after the win, as their lead atop the Mountain West extended to two games with five to play following second-place New Mexico's 77-70 loss at Fresno State. Saturday's Boise State win also clinched at least a top-five seed and a first-round bye for the Broncos at next month's Mountain West Tournament.

In Boise, San Diego State's Tea Adams gave the Aztecs (10-13, 5-7 MW) a 6-5 lead on a layup 2:10 into the contest, but that lead, which lasted for nine seconds, would be the only one for the visitors. Hodgins hit her first 3-pointer of the game and scored nine points in a 15-6 Bronco run which put the home side up, 20-12, with 4:20 to go in the quarter. Amundsen would then take her turn in the quarter's final minute-plus, scoring the Broncos' final four points of the frame as they held an eight-point edge after the opening 10 minutes.

"It's amazing. At some point you are tired and Tess gets in and starts hitting those threes and you can breath," Hermida said. "Tess did a great job. Ellie [Woerner] did a great job. Jade Loville did a great job. Sofía [Galerón] did a great job. I feel like everybody stepped up on the court today and did a great job for us."

The Fresno native stayed hot into the second, converting a three-point play then hitting back-to-back triples from the wing to boost Boise State's advantage to 10 at 34-24 less than two minutes in. Hermida hit a triple of her own to cap a personal five-point run, and Hodgins followed with the next four to make it 48-33 late in the half. Amundsen would follow a Hermida miss and put it back to cap her 15-point half as well as Boise State's 11-5 finish to take a 50-35 lead into the break.

"Tess gave us a real spark and she hit shots early, she's really capable of that," Presnell said of the sophomore. "Shooting isn't the reason she hasn't been playing as much, but she's playing now and doing a really nice job for us."

2Q, 7:24; 37-24 | 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

1. @AmundsenTess on the pick-and-pop
2. SDSU leaves her wide open for 3.
3. ????????
4. Profit#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/hhgIPImRDq
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) February 16, 2019

The Bronco defense firmed up over the final five minutes of the half, forcing three San Diego State turnovers and holding the Aztecs to just two field goals in eight attempts.

Boise State led by as many as 19 through the third quarter, and, in a stark contrast to Wednesday's game against Fresno State, kept the foot on the pedal in the fourth. Wednesday, Fresno State whittled a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit all the way down to two over the final six minutes, and Boise State was determined to not let that repeat. Freshman Jade Loville opened the final frame with an offensive board and putback for the Broncos' first bucket, then Hodgins hit a pair of triples to boost the lead to 25 at 78-53 with 5:45 to play. After Hermida's triple stopped a short 9-2 Aztec run, Hodgins hit her fourth and final 3-pointer from the corner, getting over the 20-point mark and putting the Broncos in front, 86-62, with 2:23 to play.

4Q, 2:06; 86-62 | Another one!@braydeyhodgins with her fourth 3 of the game, and she has 22!

Fourth-straight 20-point game for Hodgins, becoming the first Bronco with that streak since Kati Isham from Dec. 5-20, 2010!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/uht6gmKBl4
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) February 16, 2019

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