Broncos Hold Off Late Aztec Comeback Attempt

Monday, January 30

Boise, Idaho

6:30 p.m. MT

Boise State

10-13,5-5Mountain West

San Diego State

18-6,8-3Mountain West

San Diego St.

Boise St.

Photo by: Tyler McFarland

1/30/2023 9:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State held off a fourth quarter comeback attempt Monday night, defeating San Diego State 62-57 in ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos (10-13, 5-5 MW) started off slow, falling behind 15-3 early in the first quarter. Natalie Pasco stopped the bleeding, scoring five straight points as the team trailed the Aztecs (18-6, 6-3 MW) 17-9 after the opening quarter.

Boise State held San Diego State in check in the second quarter, holding the Aztecs to only four points in the period. The Broncos shot 53.3% from the field in the quarter and took the lead on an Abby Muse jumper with 1:21 left in the half. Dani Bayes hit her second 3-pointer of the game on the ensuing possession and Muse added a putback layup as time expired as Boise State expanded the lead to six at the break.

The team continued its hot shooting in the second half, outpacing the Aztecs 16-13 in the third period to lead 41-32. The Broncos opened the fourth quarter on fire, extending the lead to 16 off a Pasco 3-pointer with 6:29 left in the game.

San Diego State wouldn't back down, going on a 14-2 run to cut the lead to four with 3:11 left. Lalotte scored a layup to stop the run, and after both teams exchanged baskets, hit another layup with 34 seconds left to give Boise State a 58-52 lead. Asia Avinger responded with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to three, but Anna Ostlie hit two free throws to extend the lead back up to five. Sophia Ramos made a jumper with three seconds remaining for the Aztecs, but Mary Kay Naro sealed the game from the foul line, hitting two free throws to secure the win.

Top Broncos

- Natalie Pasco scored 14 points off the bench for the Broncos. The freshman shot 6-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
- Dani Bayes added 11 points for the squad, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from deep.
- Anna Ostlie shot 3-of-5 from the field to finish with 10 points.
- Abby Muse nearly had a double-double, recording nine points and 11 rebounds.
- Mary Kay Naro finished with nine points and four assists. The junior shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line.

Notables

- Boise State shot 66.7% (8-of-12) from beyond the arc, the highest percentage the team has shot from deep this season.
- Dani Bayes hit three triples in the game, the seventh time this season the freshman has hit three or more shots from downtown
- Mary Kay Naro dished out her 300th career assist during the game. The junior currently sits ninth in program history with 302 assists.
- Abby Muse blocked two shots on the night, moving into third place all-time in program history with 60 blocks in a single season. Camille Redmon owns the program's single-season record, blocking 77 shots during the 2014-15 season.

Quotables

"The biggest thing tonight was our encouragement and our enthusiasm. We died a cruel death against Wyoming in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Our kids weren't going to let that happen again. Our huddles were terrific. I'm so proud of them." – head coach Gordy Presnell

"Our freshmen are getting a lot better. Mary Kay really showed up tonight. Abby really showed up tonight. Elodie hit a huge shot down the stretch. Jayda sped the game up for us in the second quarter. We have the pieces, we just have to stay the course. I'm just so proud of them." - Presnell

"Losing the Wyoming game was hard for the whole team. We were all hyped during warmups so I knew we were going to have a good game. We were going to do whatever it took. That loss stung and we were ready to protect our home court." – guard Anna Ostlie