Dominant First Half Propels Broncos Past Aztecs

Saturday, January 13

Boise, Idaho

2 p.m. MT

Boise State

11-6,2-2Mountain West

San Diego State

11-7,2-3Mountain West

San Diego St.

Boise St.

1/13/2024 5:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State women's basketball staved off a late rally from San Diego State, winning 68-59, Saturday, at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos (11-6, 2-2 Mountain West) built up a 21-point halftime advantage, but the Aztecs (11-7, 2-3 MW) whittled the lead down to six with less than a minute left in the game. Boise State secured the game from the free throw line, draining all six of its attempts from the charity stripe to solidify the win.

Natalie Pasco once again led the Blue and Orange with 15 points, draining four 3-pointers for the fifth time this season. Elodie Lalotte totaled 12 points on the night, while Dani Bayes added 10 off the bench. Mya Hansen and Mary Kay Naro were key distributors throughout the game, dishing out five assists each in the contest.

Lalotte and Pasco combined for the first eight points for the Broncos, giving the squad an early 10-7 advantage. The rest of the squad joined in, as seven players scored in the opening quarter as Boise State ended the stanza on a 17-2 run. The Broncos shot 75.0% from the floor in the quarter and led 27-9 after the first frame.

Boise State continued its shooting prowess, leading 40-15 at the second quarter media timeout. The Broncos wouldn't score the remainder of the period, but held the Aztecs to just four points to maintain a 40-19 halftime lead.

San Diego State started the second half with a quick 7-3 run, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Pasco and Bayes kept the Broncos up 19 at the media timeout. The Aztecs scored six-straight points out of the timeout, and ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 50-38 entering the final quarter.

Naro drained a corner 3-pointer with 7:26 remaining to push the Bronco advantage up to 14. San Diego State wouldn't back down, cutting the lead to single digits with 2:26 left on the clock. The Aztecs made late shots, pulling within six with 57 seconds remaining, but Boise State finished the game 6-of-6 from the charity stripe to keep the Aztecs at bay.

Top Broncos

- Natalie Pasco drained four 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 15 points.
- Elodie Lalotte scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the win. The senior shot 5-of-9 from the floor.
- Dani Bayes made two 3-pointers and finished with 10 points off the bench.
- Mya Hansen notched nine points and five assists in the victory.
- Mary Kay Naro recorded eight points and five assists in the game. The senior was 3-of-6 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

Notables

- Boise State is now 10-3 all-time against San Diego State in ExtraMile Arena. The Broncos lead the all-time series against the Aztecs 14-12.
- Natalie Pasco scored 15 points to eclipse 500 career points, finishing the game at 501. The sophomore is the fourth Bronco on the squad to reach 500 career points, joining Abby Muse, Elodie Lalotte and Mary Kay Naro, who all accomplished the feat last season.
- Naro dished out five assists in the contest, becoming the fourth Bronco in program history to reach 400 career assists. The senior now has 401 total dimes.
- Muse broke the program record for most rebounds in a single quarter, grabbing nine rebounds in the first frame. The senior matched her season-high with 16 boards.
- Muse also blocked two shots in the contest, moving into fourth-place on the program's single-season block list with 60 blocks on the year. The senior passed Verna Guild, who blocked 59 shots during the 1994-95 season.
- Boise State's 27 points in the first quarter is the most points the team has scored in a quarter all season.
- The Broncos led 40-19 at halftime, marking the third time this season the squad has led by 20+ points at the break.
- Boise State is 8-1 on the season when three or more players reach double figures.
- Pasco drained four 3-pointers in the game, marking the fifth time this season and eighth time in her career that the sophomore has made 4+ 3-pointers in a game.
- The Broncos made all six of its free throw attempts in the final two minutes.

Quotables

"I don't know if we established anything in the first quarter but we hit some shots. The hoop got big for us. We had a lot of juice and a lot of enthusiasm. I don't know if we established anything offensively, and that's okay sometimes if you're hitting shots." – head coach Gordy Presnell

"This win is a testament to our perseverance and our team chemistry. We were able to stay together as a team. We had a little bit of adversity but we were able to shake it off." – senior Abby Muse

What's Next

Boise State will be back in action on Wednesday as the squad heads to San Jose, Calif., for a matchup at San Jose State. The Broncos will tip off against the Spartans at 8 p.m. MT with the contest airing live on the MW Network and 670 KBOI.