Broncos Down the Falcons

Thursday, February 16

USAFA, Colo.

6:30 p.m. MT

Boise State

14-14,9-6Mountain West

Air Force

12-14,7-7Mountain West

Boise St.

Air Force

Photo by: Dom Duarte

2/16/2023 8:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

USAFA, Colo. – Mary Kay Naro hit four free throws and recorded a block in the final minute of the game to help Boise State defeat Air Force on the road 59-54, Thursday evening.

The Broncos (14-14, 9-6 MW) trailed a majority of the first period, but a 3-point play from Tatum Thompson with 20 seconds left gave Boise State a 16-15 first quarter lead.

An 8-point run midway through the second put the Broncos up 29-19 with 2:49 remaining. The Falcons (12-14, 7-7) climbed back into the game, cutting the deficit to six as Boise State led 32-26 at the half.

Trailing by four at the media timeout, Air Force hit back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 36 with three minutes left in the third. Jayda Clark and Trista Hull responded with back-to-back long balls to trigger an 8-0 run as Boise State took a 44-39 advantage into the final quarter.

The Broncos jumped out to an eight-point lead at the media timeout, but Air Force responded with a 6-0 spurt to cut the lead to two with 2:21 remaining. The Falcons tied it up on the next possession, but Anna Ostlie netted a 3-pointer to give the Broncos a 54-51 lead. After a Boise State stop, Elodie Lalotte drew a foul and went 1-of-2 from the line to make it a two-possession game. Naro iced the game for the Broncos, making all four of her free throw attempts and recording the game-sealing block.

Top Broncos

- Anna Ostlie scored a team-high 11 points for the Broncos.
- Elodie Lalotte nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
- Jayda Clark scored a season-high seven points off the bench. The sophomore shot 3-of-5 from the field, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.
- Linsey Lovrovich recorded seven points and three rebounds.
- Mary Kay Naro finished with seven points, three rebounds and two blocks.

Notables

- Abby Muse broke the program record for blocks in a single season during the game. The junior, who entered the game tied with Camille Redmon with 77 blocks, now has 82.
- Anna Ostlie hit her 100th career 3-pointer during the contest. The junior has the 16th most made triples in program history (101).
- Mary Kay Naro eclipsed 500 career points during the game. The junior is the third Bronco to surpass the 500-mark this season, joining Muse and Elodie Lalotte.
- Muse also moved into the Top 10 in program history for rebounds in a single season. The junior currently sits at 7th place with 235 boards.

Quotables

"This one feels great. I'm really proud of our team for prevailing. We got big minutes out of Jayda and Linsey. They both came in and combined for 14 points for us. They had big, big minutes. Anna hit a big shot at the end when things weren't going our way." – head coach Gordy Presnell

"I really enjoy this team. I really enjoy coming to work and spending time with this group. We've taken our lumps but hopefully we're moving towards a brighter day. We've had a good last few weeks." – Presnell

"Coach P has all of our backs and he cares about us so much. It's nice to know your coach is behind you celebrating your success." – junior guard Mary Kay Naro

What's Next

Boise State will return home to ExtraMile Arena for its final home game of the season, Saturday, against Utah State. The Broncos will honor the team's two seniors, Mandy Simpson and Chinma Njoku, prior to the 2 p.m. MT tipoff. The game will be broadcast on the MW Network.