Boise State men knock off Saint Mary’s. Presnell records 200th home win with Broncos

Andrew Meadow is just beginning to dip his toe into Division I basketball.

But the Boise State freshman gave fans a taste of what his future holds in a 63-60 victory over Saint Mary’s on Friday night in a neutral-site matchup at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls.

After Saint Mary’s cut Boise State’s lead to one with 13:04 remaining in the second half, Meadow came through with back-to-back 3-pointers to re-energize the Broncos. They were the only points of the game for the 6-foot-7 forward from Santa Clarita, California, but they came at a critical moment.

“He’s a robot competitor,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said in a postgame radio interview on KBOI 670 AM. “Nothing bothers him. The moment’s not too big. He’s gonna be a great player. He’s just learning the system, and I thought he took the scouting report and figured it out a little bit, went in and made big plays.”

Boise State opened the game on an 11-0 run, forcing five Saint Mary’s turnovers in the first five minutes of action. The Gaels made a free throw for their first points with 14:24 on the clock, and seven minutes passed before they sank their first field goal.

The Broncos took advantage of the Gaels’ early woes, amassing their largest lead, 28-14, with 7:02 left in the first half. Boise State led 34-24 at the break and never trailed in the contest despite a stronger second half from Saint Mary’s, which was picked to win the West Coast Conference over Gonzaga but has started the season slowly.

“We found a way to win, which is the most important thing,” Rice said. “It’s a zero-sum game. You don’t get style points. You don’t get extra points for finishing perfectly. You get points for winning, and they accomplished that mission.

“The exciting thing for me as a coach is how much better we can get.”

Ten players in all scored points for the Broncos (4-3), including 22 from Boise State’s reserves. Junior forward Tyson Degenhart poured in a team-best 17 points to go with five assists and four rebounds. Senior guard Chibuzo Agbo added 11 points and eight rebounds, and junior forward O’Mar Stanley chipped in 10 points.

Aidan Mahaney paced the Gaels (3-5) with a game-leading 19 points, but Saint Mary’s never found its touch from beyond the arc, going just 2-for-14 from 3-point range to lose for the fifth time in its past six games.

“We just beat a good team,” Rice said. “You watch, at the end of the year, they’re gonna have 24, 25 wins. Don’t get fooled. (Saint Mary’s) played a huge, tough schedule, and they’ve got a lot of wins coming.”

According to KenPom.com, Saint Mary’s has the 22nd toughest nonconference schedule in the nation this season, while the Broncos check in at No. 13. The Gaels, who started the year ranked No. 23, lost to Weber State, Xavier, San Diego State and Utah prior to Friday night’s defeat.

Friday’s win gave Boise State a 17-4 mark against WCC teams during Rice’s tenure. The Broncos also lead the all-time series with Saint Mary’s 8-6.

After playing their past five games outside of ExtraMile Arena, the Broncos now return to campus for four straight games. That homestand begins Tuesday against North Texas. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

Women’s basketball: Presnell reaches another milestone

The Boise State women’s basketball team defeated UC Davis 70-53 in nonconference action Wednesday night, handing coach Gordy Presnell his 200th career victory inside ExtraMile Arena.

Presnell is now 200-79 in home games for the Broncos and sports an overall record at BSU of 340-228.

“It’s great that I’ve lasted this long. I love our arena,” Presnell said in a news release. “I just feel blessed to have the opportunity to coach here. I love this place. We have one of the nicest facilities, and I’m just honored and blessed to get to coach here.”

The Broncos improved to 6-1 this season and 5-0 at home behind a season-high 21 points from sophomore guard Natalie Pasco. The Broncos were 11-for-21 from 3-point range, with Pasco knocking down five from beyond the arc. Senior forward Elodie Lalotte added 14 points, six rebounds and three steals, and senior forward Abby Muse pulled down a team-leading 15 rebounds.

Boise State continues its nonconference schedule with a road game against Eastern Washington (4-2) on Sunday. Tipoff is 3 p.m. Mountain time, and the game can be heard on the radio on 670 AM.