Broncos Nab Third Straight Win, Down UNLV 71-62

Tuesday, February 4

Las Vegas (Thomas & Mack Center)

9 PM

Boise State

16-7,8-4Mountain West

UNLV

11-12,5-7Mountain West

Boise St.

UNLV

2/5/2025 12:14:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Four players scored in double figures, propelling Boise State to a, 71-62, win over UNLV on Tuesday night inside Thomas & Mack Center.

The Broncos (16-7, 8-4 Mountain West) collected their third straight victory and third win on the road this season. UNLV (11-12, 5-7 Mountain West) dropped its fifth consecutive game.

Tyson Degenhart paced all Broncos with a team-high 16 points. He added seven rebounds and four assists in nearly 35 minutes of game action.

Andrew Meadow collected 14 points and four rebounds while Javan Buchanan tallied 13 points. Alvaro Cardenas stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Dedan Thomas Jr. shot 7-of-18 from the floor and scored a game-high 20 points. Jeremiah "Bear" Cherry posted 19 points, while Jailen Bedford scored 11 off the bench.

Upon reaching the first media timeout, the two teams combined for just 12 total points. Meadow scored four of the first six points for Boise State and the game was deadlocked at six apiece with 15:51 on the clock.

Despite shooting just 1-of-5 from the floor to start the game, the Broncos found early success at the free throw line. Boise State made nine of its first 10 free throw attempts, giving the team an early lead.

The first half was tightly contested throughout as the largest lead for either team was eight. With 2:29 left to play in the frame, Degenhart poured in his second three of the period to put the Broncos ahead, 33-25.

UNLV, however, responded in kind and closed the half by scoring the final four points. In total, both teams shot 37 percent (22-59 FGs) in the opening 20 minutes, but Boise State went to the locker room with a four-point halftime lead.

To start the second half, Boise State scored the first nine points. Four different Broncos tallied to a bucket to start the period and the team opened a 13-point advantage upon reaching the under 16 media timeout.

Conversely, UNLV missed its first 10 shots to start the frame. The Runnin' Rebels went nearly six minutes without a basket and didn't tally their first second-half field goal until the 14:05 mark.

After leading by as many as 14, UNLV went on an extended 17-7 run to slice Boise State's lead to four. The Runnin' Rebels converted consecutive turnovers into dunks and made it a 56-52 game with just under five minutes to play.

The Broncos withstood UNLV's best punch and never let them inch closer. Across the final 3:26, Boise State outpaced the Runnin' Rebels and scored 13 of the final 21 points.

For the game, the Broncos shot just 40.8 percent from the field (20-49 FGs) but limited UNLV to 1-of-16 from three. Boise State led for 33:47 en route to a nine-point victory.

Capping four games in a 10-day span, the Broncos will return home to take on San Jose State on Friday night. Airing live on FS1, tip-off at ExtraMile Arena is set for 7 p.m. MT.

NOTABLE:

Following Saturday's game, the Broncos are 20-11 all time against UNLV.

The Broncos complete the two-game season sweep and have won 10 of the last 11 head-to-head meetings against the Runnin' Rebels.

As a team, Boise State notched a season-high-tying seven blocks. Tyson Degenhart and Javan Buchanan each tied their career high with three blocks apiece.

The Broncos grabbed a season-high-tying 45 rebounds, marking the sixth time the team has collected 40 or more rebounds in a single game.

Boise State made 24 free throws, marking the ninth time the team has posted at least 20 makes from the line in a single game this season.

Alvaro Cardenas recorded six assists, upping his season total to 155. He's now 10 away from tying La'Shard Anderson for the most in a single season in program history.

RJ Keene led all players with 10 rebounds. His performance marks the second time in the last three games he's registered double-digit boards.

Cardenas grabbed a season-high eight rebounds. His previous high was six against Washington State on Dec. 7.