Boise State
27-8,15-3Mountain West
Memphis
22-10,13-5AAC
Kigab’s Second-Half Takeover Not Enough
3/17/2022 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PORTLAND, Ore. - Abu Kigab and Boise State mounted a furious rally, but could not overcome a 19-point halftime deficit Thursday, against ninth-seeded Memphis in the NCAA Tournament First Round. The eighth-seeded Broncos fell 64-53, despite 20 second-half points from Kigab.
Kigab scored 18 of Boise State's final 20 points, helping the Broncos (27-8) draw as close as five on two occasions in the last 90 seconds. Memphis (22-10) turned a loose ball into a layup with 50 seconds left and converted enough free throws down the stretch to advance to the second round.
The Broncos started the second half on an 8-2 run, cutting the margin to 13 and leading to a Memphis timeout. Boise State continued to be the aggressor, putting together another 8-2 spurt and getting within seven, 42-35, with 9:45 to play. The run was capped by a Max Rice steal and Kigab fastbreak layup, bringing the pro-Boise State crowd roaring to its feet.
After Memphis answered with a dunk and a second-chance three-pointer to push the lead back to 12, Kigab went on an 8-2 run of his own. The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes before the Broncos made one last run.
Naje Smith scored six points, and recorded four rebounds and two steals off the bench, all coming in the second half. Smith's putback layup with 1:26 to go brought the Broncos within five at 56-51. He and Kigab were the only Broncos to score in the final 12 minutes of the game, combining for 24 points during the stretch.
The game started with both teams trading short runs. Tyson Degenhart and Emmanuel Akot hit back-to-back three-pointers for Boise State, tying the game at 12 at the 11:32 mark. Memphis seized control by scoring the next eight points.
The Tigers led by eight as the first-half clock ticked under four minutes. They held the Broncos scoreless the rest of the half and put up an 11-0 run going into the locker room, including making three of their five three-pointers for the game in the final 2:52 of the period. The 19-point deficit was the largest Boise State faced at any point this season.
Degenhart hit a pair of three-pointers in the first half, including Boise State's first points of the game. He finished with eight points and four rebounds. His eight points are the second-most by a Bronco freshman in an NCAA Tournament game.
Boise State's record-setting season comes to a close at 27-8, an outright Mountain West regular-season title and a conference tournament championship.
