The No.3-seeded Boise State Broncos (20-11) take on the Colorado State Rams (17-15) in the second round of the MWC tournament at Thomas & Mack Center. The game gets underway at 11:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on CCS.
The Broncos lost to San Jose State 68-63 in their last game. Chandler Hutchison was the best player for the Broncos, contributing nine points, five rebounds, and four assists. The Rams, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-61 win over that same San Jose State squad in the 1. Emmanuel Omogbo played well and claimed his eighth double-double of the season, accumulating 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The battle on the backboards could prove decisive, pitting strength against strength. Boise State is among the nation’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 31st in OR% at 28.6%. Meanwhile, Colorado State ranks third in the nation at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 75.2%. Also, the Rams commit the 10th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.5%), while the ball-hawking defense of the Broncos causes the eighth-most (opponents’ TO% of 21.2%).
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Rams had the upper hand in the most recent game, a blowout 97-93 win. Despite the loss, Mikey Thompson was a top performer in the game with 20 points, three rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two three-pointers.
Notes
In its last game, Colorado State won by a margin of 19 points. Boise State is 7-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Colorado State has a 4-1 record in blowouts.
Ranked 11th, the Boise State Broncos have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 98.8 points per 100 possessions. The Colorado State Rams rank 47th in offense, scoring 112.8 points in the same number of possessions.
Colorado State has an average field goal percentage of 42.9%. Boise State is a solid 13-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Boise State Broncos and the Colorado State Rams both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Boise State is 118th and 81st in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Colorado State is 234th and 148th in these categories.
Colorado State, the 29th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.1 rebounds per game. Boise State does worse, ranked 242nd with 34.9.
The Colorado State Rams rank 38th in offensive rebounds. The Boise State Broncos rank 194th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Boise State is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 21.2% (ranked eighth). Colorado State has an underachieving record of 2-4 SU this season when its TO% reaches 21.2% or greater.
