Boise State Comes Up Short In 62-50 Loss To Oregon
The Broncos suffer their second loss to the Ducks on the year
Contact/Follow @boettger_eli & @MWCwire
BSU was outscored by 15 points in the second half
Ehab Amin tallied 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals off the bench en route to Oregon’s second 12-point win over Boise State on the year.
In what was a lackluster offensive performance for both squads, the two Pacific Northwest powers combined to shoot just 37.2 percent from the field. The key difference in this matchup, minus Boise’s shooting woes, was the Broncos turning the ball over 19 times, leading to a number of easy Oregon baskets in the second half. Pat Dembley, who scored 13 points, was the only BSU player in double figures.
Many anticipated an entertaining double dip between Oregon and Boise State prior to the start of the year – a rare in-season home-and-home between two schools in separate conferences – but the Ducks controlled both matchups by double digits. The previous three battles between these programs produced instant classics, including Boise’s 74-72 upset over No. 24 Oregon in 2015 and Lexus Williams’ game-winning half court shot to defeat the Ducks at the buzzer last December.
Boise State, which wraps up non-conference play with a dismal 5-8 record, is forced to pick up the pieces and try to build some early momentum in league competition. The five non-league wins is the fewest ever by a Leon Rice team.
Boise State opens conference play Wednesday, January 2 in Laramie against the Wyoming Cowboys.
Eli Boettger is the lead basketball writer at Mountain West Wire. He’s covered Mountain West basketball since 2015 and his work has been featured on Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, SB Nation, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and other platforms. Boettger is a current USBWA member.