Broncos Race Past Cowgirls

Wednesday, February 5

Boise, Idaho

7:00 PM MT

Boise State

16-8,8-4Mountain West

Wyoming

11-10,7-5Mountain West

Wyoming

Boise St.

2/5/2020 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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BOISE, Idaho - Boise State sped things up Wednesday night against Wyoming, attacking the Cowgirls with aggressive defense that led to quick offense in a 67-48 win at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos (16-8, 8-4 MW) posted 10 steals in the first half en route to a season high-matching 15 for the game, and shot 61.5 percent in the opening quarter to take a 21-9 lead which would hold up the rest of the way. The win was also Boise State's 20th in its last 22 February games, hinting at another late-season run.

Wyoming (11-10, 7-5 MW) did get as close as two at 21-19 after a 10-0 run to open the second quarter, but the Broncos buckled down, outscoring the Cowgirls, 9-4, the rest of the half. From there, an 18-7 third-quarter advantage, highlighted by an 11-0 run to end the frame, put the Broncos firmly in control as they cruised to the win.

"I was really pumped, it was just a total team effort defensively and they got after it and turned them over 24 times," said Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell. "Jayde Christopher was everywhere in the backside and it was just a really great effort. We've been ahead numerous times and then, in third quarters, come out and play flat, but we didn't and I'm really proud of their effort."

Riley Lupfer scored a game-high 18 points, going 7-for-9 from the field and hitting three 3-pointers. Lupfer helped the Broncos pull away in the third, scoring 10 points and going 4-for-5 shooting. The performance also lifted Lupfer into fifth on Boise State's all-time scoring list with exactly 1,400 points.

Jayde Christopher provided the defensive effort, making a career-high six thefts and providing the help defense as the Broncos forced 24 turnovers and limited Wyoming to just two 3-pointers. Christopher punctuated the win, and the stifling defensive performance, with a steal and coast-to-coast layup with 1:51 remaining.

A career-high sixth steal for @Jookieee23 and the coast-to-coast finish!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/iQtvAnfOt4
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) February 6, 2020

"Our main goal is to get defensive stops on them. This game was really one where we wanted to redeem ourselves. They won there, so we had to win here," Christopher said. "[I was] just keeping my head on a swivel and working on being in the right spots at the right times. I was just trying to get the ball as much as I could."

Taylor Rusk got Wyoming to within seven at 37-30 with 6:17 left in the third quarter before Lupfer started the 11-0 Bronco run to end the frame with a filthy stepback 3-pointer. Lupfer scored seven of the Bronco points in the run, while the defense did its part, holding the Cowgirls without a field goal over the quarter's final 7:34. Wyoming would go 0-for-5 with six turnovers over the last seven-plus minutes.

SHE HAS A FAMILY, @rileylupfer2

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/mohcI8abPv
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) February 6, 2020

That energy carried over from the start for the Broncos, who made five thefts in the opening frame, holding Wyoming to nine points on 3-for-9 shooting. On the offensive end, a 3-for-3 showing from Lupfer and five points on 2-for-2 shooting from A'Shanti Coleman carried an 8-for-13 effort for the Broncos. Jade Loville scored nine of her 10 points in the first half, going 3-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line over the opening 20 minutes.

Jaeden Vaifanua led the Cowgirls with 15 points, while Tereza Vitulova added 14. The pair combined to go 11-for-16 on the night, with Vitulova hitting both Cowgirl triples, but the rest of the Wyoming squad went just 6-for-26 from the field and 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the contest.