LAS VEGAS — The top-seeded Boise State men’s basketball team led from start to finish in its third meeting of the season against Wyoming, and Friday night’s victory at the Thomas & Mack Center moves the Broncos into the Mountain West Tournament championship game for the first time in program history.
They’ll try to hoist their first conference tournament trophy since 2007-08 (Western Athletic Conference) on Saturday when they face the winner of No. 2 Colorado State and No. 3 San Diego State.
Final score: Boise State 68, Wyoming 61
Records: Boise State 26-7, Wyoming 25-8
Player of the game: Abu Kigab sank two 3-pointers early and finished with a career-high-tying four triples. The fifth-year senior totaled 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. It was his team-leading seventh 20-point game of the season.
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Stat of the game: Mladen Armus keyed an opening run, scoring seven of Boise State’s first 12 points as the Broncos got out to a 12-4 lead. The redshirt senior forward had 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting by halftime, when Boise State led 37-23, to go with eight rebounds. He finished with a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds on perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the floor.
Miscues plagued the Cowboys in the opening half, as they committed six turnovers that led to seven Boise State points. Wyoming also struggled with mental mistakes, allowing the shot clock to expire on one occasion, losing track of Armus and failing to get off a shot in their final possession of the first half.
Quotable: Asked what it took to get the win Friday, Kigab said in a TV interview on CBS Sports Network after the game: “Defense and rebounding, defense and rebounding, and a lot of effort. ... In tournaments like these, that’s what you need to get those wins.”
What’s next: Boise State advances to the Mountain West Tournament championship game for the first time in program history. The Broncos will play the winner of Friday night’s late semifinal, Colorado State-San Diego State. The title contest tips off at 4 p.m. Mountain time Saturday at Thomas & Mack, and the game will be televised on CBS.
Regardless of what happens in the league title game, Boise State will play in the NCAA Tournament. The selection show announcing the 68-team field begins at 4 p.m. Mountain time Sunday on CBS. It will be Boise State’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the 2014-15 season.