Boise State Athletics
2019-20 In Review: November
3/23/2020 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Let's get the obvious out of the way first. The 2019-20 Boise State women's basketball season ended sooner than it was supposed to, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Broncos (24-9) were on a high and playing some of the team's best basketball of the campaign, fresh off of the program's record fourth-straight Mountain West Tournament title and preparing for its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years when the NCAA announced the cancellation of the tournament March 12.
This week, BroncoSports.com will take a look back at the 2019-20 campaign, focusing on one month of the season each day. Today's entry reviews the month of November, in which the Broncos endured a brutal travel schedule to go 4-3 but, despite the adversity, forged what was poised to be a historic March run.
Game 1 – Nov. 5 vs. Lewis-Clark State College
• Original Recap
Boise State's 88-34 season-opening win over Lewis-Clark State, in hindsight, foreshadowed a component which would go on to play a major role in the Broncos' late-season success.
The Bronco bench scored 38 points, led by 15 from Ellie Woerner and 14 from Jade Loville, and went a combined 15-for-21 in the win. Woerner went 6-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range, adding seven rebounds, pacing a Bronco effort in which the team shot 56.9 percent from the field and hit nine triples. Freshman Laia Soler also got into the act, draining a triple in her first-collegiate attempt.
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Woerner and Loville's performances helped the Broncos shake off a 1-for-8 start from the field. And while the focus immediately turned towards the Preseason WNIT first-round contest against Portland State three days later, it would not be the last time the pair stepped up to carry Boise State when most needed.
Game 2 – Nov. 8 vs. Portland State (Preseason WNIT First Round)
• Original Recap
Boise State improved to 2-0, hitting 11 3-pointers and rolling to an 82-57 victory over Portland State in the first round of the Preseason WNIT.
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Riley Lupfer hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points to lead the way, and once again, the Bronco second unit proved its worth, as Rachel Bowers scored 15 points, Jade Loville 14 for the second game in a row, and Ellie Woerner grabbed 11 rebounds.
"They are really unbelievable. Like how can you come off the bench and have to guard five people to start that are good and then five people off the bench that are equally as good? It's unbelievable what they can do," Lupfer said about the Bronco bench after the game.
The win set up a matchup the Broncos had circled on their calendar all preseason. Missouri State, a 2019 Sweet 16 participant, would come to ExtraMile Arena for a quarterfinal showdown two days later.
Game 3 – Nov. 10 vs. Missouri State (Preseason WNIT Quarterfinal)
• Original Recap
Two inches. That ended up being the difference between the Broncos forcing overtime against Missouri State, and a heartbreaking loss. When Riley Lupfer's 3-point attempt at the buzzer rattled in and out, leaving the Broncos short in a 72-69 loss to the Lady Bears, the senior crouched down and slammed her hands on the court.
"I don't really let anger come out like that, but yeah I was pretty mad," Lupfer said postgame. "I hit the same shot right before that and I thought that last shot was going down. If you're a shooter you know what rimming out feels like, it's probably the worst feeling for a shooter."
A game that was NCAA Tournament-worthy featured eight ties and nine lead changes. The Broncos led by as many as six at 29-23 with 5:23 left in the first half before Missouri State used a 15-2 run to end the half and take a 38-31 lead.
Boise State would open the second half on a 13-4 run to retake the lead at 44-42, and, behind a Mallory McGwire performance of 19 points and 17 rebounds, would continue slugging it out into the fourth quarter, sitting knotted at 62-62 with 5:08 to play.
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The Lady Bears would get the lead to 70-66 with 27 seconds to play before Lupfer hit a triple to pull the Broncos within a point, but the second 3-point attempt would not go at the buzzer, and the Broncos were left frustrated at a missed opportunity.
Game 4 – Nov. 16 at UAB (Preseason WNIT Consolation)
• Original Recap
Boise State's first road trip of the season was a demanding one…flying halfway across the country to Birmingham, Ala., one day ahead of a clash with UAB in the Preseason WNIT Consolation round.
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The teams combined for 23 3-pointers in a wild 83-81 Bronco win, with Riley Lupfer hitting five of those triples, including one with 3:22 left in the third quarter which was No. 261 in her career, moving her past Abby Vaughan (1999-2003) and into Boise State's all-time lead.
"It feels really good to get the win on the road," Lupfer deadpanned when asked about the record postgame, before laughing and adding, "It feels really good. It feels good to do it here at Boise State with my teammates because it wouldn't have gotten done without them."
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"I'm really proud of her. She's a culture kid, she buys in. Riley's had one of the all-time great careers, a Hall of Fame-type career, at Boise State, and I'm glad she got the record," Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell said about Lupfer after the game.
Lupfer would score 17 points in the win, while Mallory McGwire led the team with 20 (including four 3-pointers), and Braydey Hodgins finished with 19.
Game 5 – Nov. 20 vs. Washington State
• Original Recap
Boise State came into its midweek meeting with Washington State with high hopes. Another chance at a resume-building win, this time over a Pac-12 team, was something the Broncos were feeling confident about after their gutsy road win at UAB.
But those hopes came crashing down quickly, as the Broncos opened the game 3-for-17 from the field, including an 0-for-9 stretch into the second quarter which allowed the Cougars to open up a 25-10 lead en route to an 80-68 win.
Game 6 – Nov. 24 at No. 8/9 Louisville
• Original Recap
The Broncos, still smarting from their loss to Washington State, aimed to put it behind them as a trip to No. 8/9 Louisville was up next on the docket.
Boise State shot 61.4 percent (35-for-57) in the contest, with four players scoring in double figures, led by 16 points apiece from Rachel Bowers and Braydey Hodgins, but it was not enough in a 98-82 loss to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals, for their part, shot 54.3 percent in the game, including 71.4 percent in the first half, to open up a 58-34 lead at the break. Kylee Shook scored six of Louisville's first 10 points, and finished with 15, while Jazmine Jones led all players with 22 and Dana Evans scored 20.
Game 7 – Nov. 26 vs. Utah Valley
• Original Recap
The fog from two-straight losses carried over into Boise State's November finale against Utah Valley, as the winless Wolverines held a 50-49 lead in the third quarter.
But Riley Lupfer would step up for the Broncos, hitting a career high-tying seven 3-pointers and scoring 23 points to bring Boise State back for the 77-69 win.
The Broncos would rip off an 11-0 run in response to the Wolverines' one-point lead, turning it into a 60-50 advantage, and would hold off a late charge.
"We had a pretty emotional game less than 48 hours ago, but we should have responded to that a little better. We did not, but I was pleased with the little run we had, and Riley hit some big shots," head coach Gordy Presnell said afterwards.
Redshirt senior point guard Jayde Christopher would follow up her Boise State single-game record 14 assists at Louisville with a near-triple-double of eight points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists in the win over the Wolverines.
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Coming Tuesday: The Broncos face more non-conference challenges, sandwiched around a pair of early-season Mountain West contests.
The Broncos (24-9) were on a high and playing some of the team's best basketball of the campaign, fresh off of the program's record fourth-straight Mountain West Tournament title and preparing for its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years when the NCAA announced the cancellation of the tournament March 12.
This week, BroncoSports.com will take a look back at the 2019-20 campaign, focusing on one month of the season each day. Today's entry reviews the month of November, in which the Broncos endured a brutal travel schedule to go 4-3 but, despite the adversity, forged what was poised to be a historic March run.
Game 1 – Nov. 5 vs. Lewis-Clark State College
• Original Recap
Boise State's 88-34 season-opening win over Lewis-Clark State, in hindsight, foreshadowed a component which would go on to play a major role in the Broncos' late-season success.
The Bronco bench scored 38 points, led by 15 from Ellie Woerner and 14 from Jade Loville, and went a combined 15-for-21 in the win. Woerner went 6-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range, adding seven rebounds, pacing a Bronco effort in which the team shot 56.9 percent from the field and hit nine triples. Freshman Laia Soler also got into the act, draining a triple in her first-collegiate attempt.
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Freshman Laia Soler drains her first 3 for her first collegiate points!
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) November 6, 2019
Broncos up, 88-34, on LCSC!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/C5SlDrFglb
Woerner and Loville's performances helped the Broncos shake off a 1-for-8 start from the field. And while the focus immediately turned towards the Preseason WNIT first-round contest against Portland State three days later, it would not be the last time the pair stepped up to carry Boise State when most needed.
Game 2 – Nov. 8 vs. Portland State (Preseason WNIT First Round)
• Original Recap
Boise State improved to 2-0, hitting 11 3-pointers and rolling to an 82-57 victory over Portland State in the first round of the Preseason WNIT.
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🚨 HALFTIME BUZZER BEATER 🚨@magfree3 takes the first shot of her collegiate career, and its a halftime buzzer-beater!
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) November 9, 2019
Broncos up 51-23 over Portland State at the half!#BleedBlue #ncaaw pic.twitter.com/gBYZifGnxu
Riley Lupfer hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points to lead the way, and once again, the Bronco second unit proved its worth, as Rachel Bowers scored 15 points, Jade Loville 14 for the second game in a row, and Ellie Woerner grabbed 11 rebounds.
"They are really unbelievable. Like how can you come off the bench and have to guard five people to start that are good and then five people off the bench that are equally as good? It's unbelievable what they can do," Lupfer said about the Bronco bench after the game.
The win set up a matchup the Broncos had circled on their calendar all preseason. Missouri State, a 2019 Sweet 16 participant, would come to ExtraMile Arena for a quarterfinal showdown two days later.
Game 3 – Nov. 10 vs. Missouri State (Preseason WNIT Quarterfinal)
• Original Recap
Two inches. That ended up being the difference between the Broncos forcing overtime against Missouri State, and a heartbreaking loss. When Riley Lupfer's 3-point attempt at the buzzer rattled in and out, leaving the Broncos short in a 72-69 loss to the Lady Bears, the senior crouched down and slammed her hands on the court.
"I don't really let anger come out like that, but yeah I was pretty mad," Lupfer said postgame. "I hit the same shot right before that and I thought that last shot was going down. If you're a shooter you know what rimming out feels like, it's probably the worst feeling for a shooter."
A game that was NCAA Tournament-worthy featured eight ties and nine lead changes. The Broncos led by as many as six at 29-23 with 5:23 left in the first half before Missouri State used a 15-2 run to end the half and take a 38-31 lead.
Boise State would open the second half on a 13-4 run to retake the lead at 44-42, and, behind a Mallory McGwire performance of 19 points and 17 rebounds, would continue slugging it out into the fourth quarter, sitting knotted at 62-62 with 5:08 to play.
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Big time non-con matchup for @BroncoSportsWBB today! Hosting Missouri State (sweet 16 team last year, knocked off #23 Minnesota last week)..
— Will Hall (@WillHallKTVB) November 10, 2019
Mallory McGwire buries the three here... BSU and MSU all tied at 46 in the 3rd pic.twitter.com/Kezoim7g1v
The Lady Bears would get the lead to 70-66 with 27 seconds to play before Lupfer hit a triple to pull the Broncos within a point, but the second 3-point attempt would not go at the buzzer, and the Broncos were left frustrated at a missed opportunity.
Game 4 – Nov. 16 at UAB (Preseason WNIT Consolation)
• Original Recap
Boise State's first road trip of the season was a demanding one…flying halfway across the country to Birmingham, Ala., one day ahead of a clash with UAB in the Preseason WNIT Consolation round.
                Â
The teams combined for 23 3-pointers in a wild 83-81 Bronco win, with Riley Lupfer hitting five of those triples, including one with 3:22 left in the third quarter which was No. 261 in her career, moving her past Abby Vaughan (1999-2003) and into Boise State's all-time lead.
"It feels really good to get the win on the road," Lupfer deadpanned when asked about the record postgame, before laughing and adding, "It feels really good. It feels good to do it here at Boise State with my teammates because it wouldn't have gotten done without them."
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🎥 Here's @rileylupfer2 hitting her 261st-career 3 to become Boise State's all-time leader!#BleedBlue #ncaaw pic.twitter.com/rrIeR7Nhru
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) November 16, 2019
"I'm really proud of her. She's a culture kid, she buys in. Riley's had one of the all-time great careers, a Hall of Fame-type career, at Boise State, and I'm glad she got the record," Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell said about Lupfer after the game.
Lupfer would score 17 points in the win, while Mallory McGwire led the team with 20 (including four 3-pointers), and Braydey Hodgins finished with 19.
Game 5 – Nov. 20 vs. Washington State
• Original Recap
Boise State came into its midweek meeting with Washington State with high hopes. Another chance at a resume-building win, this time over a Pac-12 team, was something the Broncos were feeling confident about after their gutsy road win at UAB.
But those hopes came crashing down quickly, as the Broncos opened the game 3-for-17 from the field, including an 0-for-9 stretch into the second quarter which allowed the Cougars to open up a 25-10 lead en route to an 80-68 win.
Game 6 – Nov. 24 at No. 8/9 Louisville
• Original Recap
The Broncos, still smarting from their loss to Washington State, aimed to put it behind them as a trip to No. 8/9 Louisville was up next on the docket.
Boise State shot 61.4 percent (35-for-57) in the contest, with four players scoring in double figures, led by 16 points apiece from Rachel Bowers and Braydey Hodgins, but it was not enough in a 98-82 loss to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals, for their part, shot 54.3 percent in the game, including 71.4 percent in the first half, to open up a 58-34 lead at the break. Kylee Shook scored six of Louisville's first 10 points, and finished with 15, while Jazmine Jones led all players with 22 and Dana Evans scored 20.
Game 7 – Nov. 26 vs. Utah Valley
• Original Recap
The fog from two-straight losses carried over into Boise State's November finale against Utah Valley, as the winless Wolverines held a 50-49 lead in the third quarter.
But Riley Lupfer would step up for the Broncos, hitting a career high-tying seven 3-pointers and scoring 23 points to bring Boise State back for the 77-69 win.
The Broncos would rip off an 11-0 run in response to the Wolverines' one-point lead, turning it into a 60-50 advantage, and would hold off a late charge.
"We had a pretty emotional game less than 48 hours ago, but we should have responded to that a little better. We did not, but I was pleased with the little run we had, and Riley hit some big shots," head coach Gordy Presnell said afterwards.
Redshirt senior point guard Jayde Christopher would follow up her Boise State single-game record 14 assists at Louisville with a near-triple-double of eight points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists in the win over the Wolverines.
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The game was tough, but @BroncoSportsWBB prevails by beating Utah Valley 77-69. Jayde Christopher (@jookieee23) almost had a triple-double. She finished with 8 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/1ow0YFK7XZ
— Chris Lewis (@ChrisLewisTweet) November 27, 2019
Coming Tuesday: The Broncos face more non-conference challenges, sandwiched around a pair of early-season Mountain West contests.
Players Mentioned
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