Boise State Captures First MW Championship

Saturday, March 12

Las Vegas, Nev.

4 P.M. MT

Boise State

27-7,15-3Mountain West

San Diego State (Final)

23-8,13-4Mountain West

San Diego St.

Boise St.

3/12/2022 8:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - In the closing seconds of a one-point game, Boise State once again leaned on its defense. The reward Saturday was the Broncos' first conference tournament title since joining the Mountain West. San Diego State had two attempts to take the lead on the game's final possession, but Boise State turned away both and batted the ball to safety as the final horn sounded to clinch the 2022 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship with a 53-52 win.

The Aztecs (23-8) took possession with 29 seconds on the clock. Matt Bradley was met at the rim by Tyson Degenhart on a driving layup attempt, but collected his own miss and kicked the ball out to Trey Pulliam at the top of the arc. Pulliam dribbled into the lane and put up a free-throw-line floater in traffic that bounced off the back of the rim. Boise State (27-7) cleared the miss as time expired and the Broncos rushed the court to celebrate the program's first conference tournament title since 2008, when the team was in the Western Athletic Conference.

With the victory, Boise State became just the fifth team in Mountain West history to win the outright regular-season title and the conference tournament championship in the same season.

Degenhart led the Broncos with 13 points, the most by a Boise State freshman in a conference tournament title game since 1999. His basket with 2:20 to go, a spinning left-handed scoop shot around MW Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Mensah, put Boise State ahead 53-50.

Marcus Shaver, Jr. appeared to seal the game with 29 seconds to play, but his driving layup was waved off and Shaver was assessed an offensive foul. The turnover set up Boise State's title-clinching defensive stand.

Abu Kigab chipped in 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Kigab was named the MW Championship Most Valuable Player, averaging 14.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in the Broncos' three games. He is the fifth conference tournament MVP in program history.

Emmanuel Akot scored 10 points, his third game in double figures in as many outings at the tournament. Akot was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists during the Broncos' run.

The championship game was tightly contested throughout, with neither team taking a lead greater than five points. In the first half, Bradley made a 3-pointer to put San Diego State on top 25-24 with 5:42 remaining. Boise State proceeded to shut down the Aztec offense, holding them scoreless on 0-for-10 shooting the remainder of the half to take a 28-25 lead into the break. Degenhart scored nine points in the first half for the Broncos, knocking down three triples.

The second half opened with a 5-0 run from the Aztecs to retake the lead, the first of six lead changes in the second half. Boise State responded by scoring 12 of the game's next 17 points to build the largest lead of the night for either team, 40-35, with under 14 minutes to play. After another run from San Diego State put the Aztecs in front, Shaver tied the game with a pair of free throws and Kigab reclaimed the lead with a jumper in the lane with 7:27 remaining. The Broncos did not trail again.

With an automatic bid in hand, Boise State waits to hear its name called on Selection Sunday. The selection show begins at 4 p.m. MT. Fans are invited to attend a free watch party at ExtraMile Arena, with doors opening at 3 p.m.