Broncos Stunned By Bulldog Comeback

Saturday, January 25

Boise, Idaho

1:00 PM MT

Boise State

14-7,6-3Mountain West

Fresno State

16-4,9-0Mountain West

Fresno St.

Boise St.

Photo by: Boise State University

1/25/2020 4:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Fresno State 85, Boise State 80

Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020

Boise, Idaho - ExtraMile Arena

Box Score | Postgame Notes | Postgame Quotes

BOISE, Idaho - Boise State led by as many as 17 Saturday against Fresno State, but could not make the lead stick as the Bulldogs used a 35-point fourth quarter to stun the Broncos, 85-80.

The Broncos (14-7, 6-3 MW) led, 60-50, entering the final frame, and again had a 10-point advantage at 62-52 with 8:47 to play. But the Bulldogs (16-4, 9-0 MW) started firing, hitting nine of their final 11 attempts, including four 3-pointers, to overcome the deficit.

Boise State made just one of its next seven attempts after taking the 62-52 lead, during which time Fresno State got five points from Kendyll Kinzerto cut the deficit to two at 66-64.

After Maddi Utti's free throw with 4:38 to play cut the Bronco lead to one, the Broncos got some breathing room on a bucket from Mallory McGwire and a 3-pointer from Riley Lupfer to make it 71-67. But Fresno State answered as Haley Cavinder, who scored a game-high 24 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, scored the next eight Bulldog points as the teams fought to a 75-75 standstill.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good at 78-75 on Kinzer's 3-pointer with 1:04 to play, and the lead got to four at 79-75 26 seconds later. But the Broncos fought back and created chances, with Lupfer pulling them within one at 79-78 with a triple.

Big 3 ball from Lupfer, and the Broncos get the lead to four!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/Fw0MzshI2C
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) January 25, 2020

Fresno State left the door open for the Broncos in the final 37 seconds, missing a pair of free throws to keep it a one-possession game, but Boise State couldn't get a shot off on either of its two final possessions. On the first, with the Broncos down, 82-80, Jayde Christopher was called for charging with 16 seconds left. After Utti, who finished with 21 points, hit just one of two freebies to keep the Broncos within a possession, Lupfer was stripped by Aly Gamez on the way up for a potential game-tying 3-pointer with three seconds to go.

"We got broken down off the dribble. They had a bunch of zero-footers, and we gave up two 3s to a kid who doesn't do anything but shoot 3s. That just crushed us," Presnell said.

Boise State had looked fully in control in the first half, holding Fresno State to just 32.4 percent from the field and building a lead as large as 17 at 36-19 3:31 before halftime. Mallory McGwire, who finished with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, hit each of her first three attempts from behind the arc, and Maggie Freeman, who scored a season-high eight points, hit a pair of free throws with 2:41 left in the half to make it 38-22, Broncos.

Make it 3️⃣-for-3️⃣ from deep for @mallorymcgwire today!

She has 13 points, and the Broncos go up 17!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/qqXet2nhc4
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) January 25, 2020

Fresno State, however, ended the half on an 8-2 run after the Broncos went the final 3:31 of the half without a field goal, and Aly Gamez scored four points for the Bulldogs.

"We had a 17-point lead, something like that. But besides all that, I don't know how the thing went at the end, but we gave up 35 points in the fourth quarter. You won't win any game, at any level, giving up 35 points in a quarter," Presnell said.