Boise State Athletics
#MVPMonday - Record Performance For Hodgins
4/20/2020 1:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
#MVPMonday enters its fourth week as BroncoSports.com continues to look back at Boise State's unprecedented run of four-straight Mountain West Tournament titles, and five over the last six seasons (2015, 2017-20).
With five titles, the Broncos share the lead with New Mexico for most in conference history. But, the Broncos' achievement begs extra praise. Boise State has been in the Mountain West for just nine seasons (2011-12 was the Broncos' first Mountain West campaign), and has won its five titles over that short span, while New Mexico is a charter member of the conference, beginning in 1999-2000.
The Broncos' rise to the top of the Mountain West has followed the team's "Family" ethos, as contributions to every title have come from a variety of individuals and been the true "team effort." But only one player can be named the Mountain West Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Our #MVPMonday series continues, as Braydey Hodgins took home the 2019 tournament MVP award as the Broncos cruised to the three-peat.
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2019 Mountain West Championship MVP – Braydey Hodgins
Boise State enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history in 2018-19, and, entering the 2019 Mountain West Tournament, there was little sign that the dominance would not continue.
The Broncos had rolled to a 16-2 record in conference play and for the first time won outright the Mountain West regular-season title. The top seed at the tournament for the second-straight season, and with a 25-4 overall record, the Broncos opened up in the quarterfinals against Nevada. Braydey Hodgins, who some felt should have been named the Mountain West Player of the Year, sent the conference a message right away.
Hodgins, who during February had equaled a Bronco record by scoring at least 20 points in six-straight contests, averaged 37.0 minutes a game over that stretch. Consequently, she played just 23.3 minutes per contest over the final three regular-season contests, and the fresh legs were evident in the matchup with the Wolf Pack.
Living up to her well-earned "Big Game Braydey" moniker, Hodgins torched Nevada for a tournament-record 37 points on 10-for-18 shooting and a near-perfect 14-for-15 showing from the line.
The Broncos would need every one of those 37 points, as the feisty Wolf Pack fought Boise State all the way to the final buzzer. Behind 20 points from Hodgins, the Broncos held a two-point halftime lead at 39-37, then got six more points from Hodgins to go with eight from Rachel Bowers in the third to stretch the advantage to six entering the final frame.
Boise State appeared to be pulling away with 5:58 to go, as Hodgins' three-point play put the Broncos up 11 at 67-56. But Nevada stormed back, scoring 11-straight points to tie it up and threaten the upset with two minutes to go.
The Bronco defense would come through in crunch time, forcing two Nevada turnovers, after the second of which Hodgins capped her record day with a pair of free throws to put Boise State up three at 70-67. A miss on the Nevada end led to two more free throws, these from Marta Hermida, and the Broncos advanced with the 72-67 win.
In the next day's semifinal against Fresno State, Hodgins would contribute not only on the stat sheet, but also by occupying the Bulldog defense, which opened up her Bronco teammates. Although limited to five first-half points as the teams went to the locker rooms tied, 36-36, Hodgins' effect would help the Broncos break it open over the final 20 minutes.
Hodgins hit a 3-pointer just over two minutes into the half to get the Broncos up six at 44-38, keeping the Bulldog defense honest while senior Marta Hermida torched them for 11 points over Boise State's 16-7 start. The lead would get to 12 with 3:45 left in the quarter as Hodgins hit her second triple of the quarter.
Hodgins' eight third-quarter points fueled her 17-point day, while Hermida went for a career-high 30, as the Broncos went on to the 89-77 victory.
That set up a championship-game meeting with Wyoming, who had dealt the Broncos one of their two conference losses, a 64-52 defeat in Laramie on Jan. 26. Hodgins had been held to just six points on 2-for-6 shooting in that loss, but would be no less than perfect in the rubber match in Las Vegas.
Hodgins scored 16 points in the 68-51 Bronco rout, going 6-for-6 from the field (including a pair of 3-pointers) and 2-for-2 from the stripe. With the game tied 13-13 late in the first quarter, Hodgins' layup put the Broncos ahead for good, and she capped the 22-10 finish to the half with a pair of free throws.
She would answer a second half-opening bucket from Wyoming with a triple to put the Broncos up 13, ending any threat to the Broncos' march to a fourth Mountain West Tournament crown, and her tournament MVP performance.
Over the three-game title march, Hodgins averaged 23.3 points
With five titles, the Broncos share the lead with New Mexico for most in conference history. But, the Broncos' achievement begs extra praise. Boise State has been in the Mountain West for just nine seasons (2011-12 was the Broncos' first Mountain West campaign), and has won its five titles over that short span, while New Mexico is a charter member of the conference, beginning in 1999-2000.
The Broncos' rise to the top of the Mountain West has followed the team's "Family" ethos, as contributions to every title have come from a variety of individuals and been the true "team effort." But only one player can be named the Mountain West Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Our #MVPMonday series continues, as Braydey Hodgins took home the 2019 tournament MVP award as the Broncos cruised to the three-peat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2019 Mountain West Championship MVP – Braydey Hodgins
Boise State enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history in 2018-19, and, entering the 2019 Mountain West Tournament, there was little sign that the dominance would not continue.
The Broncos had rolled to a 16-2 record in conference play and for the first time won outright the Mountain West regular-season title. The top seed at the tournament for the second-straight season, and with a 25-4 overall record, the Broncos opened up in the quarterfinals against Nevada. Braydey Hodgins, who some felt should have been named the Mountain West Player of the Year, sent the conference a message right away.
Hodgins, who during February had equaled a Bronco record by scoring at least 20 points in six-straight contests, averaged 37.0 minutes a game over that stretch. Consequently, she played just 23.3 minutes per contest over the final three regular-season contests, and the fresh legs were evident in the matchup with the Wolf Pack.
Living up to her well-earned "Big Game Braydey" moniker, Hodgins torched Nevada for a tournament-record 37 points on 10-for-18 shooting and a near-perfect 14-for-15 showing from the line.
🎥 Want to see what a @MountainWest Tournament record 37 points from @braydeyhodgins looks like?
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) March 12, 2019
Feast, Your. Eyes.#BleedBlue #NCAAW pic.twitter.com/w2SazxJNbI
The Broncos would need every one of those 37 points, as the feisty Wolf Pack fought Boise State all the way to the final buzzer. Behind 20 points from Hodgins, the Broncos held a two-point halftime lead at 39-37, then got six more points from Hodgins to go with eight from Rachel Bowers in the third to stretch the advantage to six entering the final frame.
Boise State appeared to be pulling away with 5:58 to go, as Hodgins' three-point play put the Broncos up 11 at 67-56. But Nevada stormed back, scoring 11-straight points to tie it up and threaten the upset with two minutes to go.
The Bronco defense would come through in crunch time, forcing two Nevada turnovers, after the second of which Hodgins capped her record day with a pair of free throws to put Boise State up three at 70-67. A miss on the Nevada end led to two more free throws, these from Marta Hermida, and the Broncos advanced with the 72-67 win.
In the next day's semifinal against Fresno State, Hodgins would contribute not only on the stat sheet, but also by occupying the Bulldog defense, which opened up her Bronco teammates. Although limited to five first-half points as the teams went to the locker rooms tied, 36-36, Hodgins' effect would help the Broncos break it open over the final 20 minutes.
Hodgins hit a 3-pointer just over two minutes into the half to get the Broncos up six at 44-38, keeping the Bulldog defense honest while senior Marta Hermida torched them for 11 points over Boise State's 16-7 start. The lead would get to 12 with 3:45 left in the quarter as Hodgins hit her second triple of the quarter.
Hodgins' eight third-quarter points fueled her 17-point day, while Hermida went for a career-high 30, as the Broncos went on to the 89-77 victory.
That set up a championship-game meeting with Wyoming, who had dealt the Broncos one of their two conference losses, a 64-52 defeat in Laramie on Jan. 26. Hodgins had been held to just six points on 2-for-6 shooting in that loss, but would be no less than perfect in the rubber match in Las Vegas.
Hodgins scored 16 points in the 68-51 Bronco rout, going 6-for-6 from the field (including a pair of 3-pointers) and 2-for-2 from the stripe. With the game tied 13-13 late in the first quarter, Hodgins' layup put the Broncos ahead for good, and she capped the 22-10 finish to the half with a pair of free throws.
1. Front rim
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) March 14, 2019
2. Glass
3. ??????????
4. Profit
Big Game @braydeyhodgins with 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting through three quarters!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/6BX8pRRD8R
She would answer a second half-opening bucket from Wyoming with a triple to put the Broncos up 13, ending any threat to the Broncos' march to a fourth Mountain West Tournament crown, and her tournament MVP performance.
Over the three-game title march, Hodgins averaged 23.3 points
✅ 3x Tournament Champion
— Tamara Brown (@Imtamarabrown) March 14, 2019
✅ Tournament MVP
Hear what @braydeyhodgins had to say following @BroncoSportsWBB's win over Wyoming.#MWMadness | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/D0sSGZh38a
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