Happenings in the WAC last night

This moves Idaho way ahead of Louisiana Tech and also beyond SJSU in avoiding the WAC tourney playoff game. Idaho's victory also makes Saturday's Louisiana Tech - San Jose State even more compelling.

Idaho gets OT win in men's hoops
Bulldogs' halftime lead vanishes in tough loss
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
2/14/08

MOSCOW, Idaho -- Idaho used two special overtime moments Thursday to defeat the Fresno State men's basketball team 79-74.

First, double-teamed by Eddie Miller and Alex Blair, guard Mike Hall stood near the Idaho sideline. As the shot clock ticked down to 3 seconds, he used a hesitation dribble with his left hand, freezing Blair, then leaped and released.

His shot rattled around the rim before falling with 1:12 left, giving Idaho a two-point lead.

"It went in, the crowd went crazy," Hall said. "Everybody was just glad to see us on top for once."

Then, with 11.2 seconds left, Jordan Brooks, a point guard-power forward, scored in the post over Dwight O'Neil. Brooks was fouled, and added a free throw, ending Idaho's losing streak at four games while giving Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland one of his most humbling losses of the season.

"You can't let me get the ball that deep with anybody on me," Brooks warned afterward. "Five-nine, or 6-9, it's going to be a bucket or a foul."

It ended up being both.

Brooks led all scorers with 25 points. He also had 16 rebounds and five assists, and helped hold Kevin Bell to eight points on 3-of-13 shooting. Hall added 17 for Idaho, a program that has finished its first two seasons at the bottom of the Western Athletic Conference...

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AND

Just when it looked liked the Wolf Pack had the proverbial head of steam and just might surpass Boise State in the standings, the Broncos take Nevada down 77-68.

Greg Graham's squad had a 12-point lead at halftime and that lasted. Reggie Larry led Boise with 20 points (6-18 shooting) and Matt Nelson provided 19 points (in just 20 minutes of play). Marcelus Kemp did the honors for Nevada with 22 points. Guard Matt Bauscher led the Broncos with 10 rebounds. In 17 minutes of action, JaVale McGee totaled three points and three rebounds, shooting 1-9 from the floor. Boise out-boarded Nevada 35-30 and outshot the visitors 47.5% to 36.1%.

Pack basketball: Broncos' defense takes toll on Pack
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
February 15, 2008

BOISE, Idaho -- It was the fourth game in eight days for the Nevada basketball team and it showed. Repeatedly.

Defensively, it showed at the beginning of the game. When the Wolf Pack was able to make a run in the second half, it sputtered.

Reggie Larry scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and Matt Nelson had 19 points to lead Boise State past a weary Nevada, 77-68, in front of 5,244 fans at Taco Bell Arena on Thursday night. The victory gave the Broncos a regular-season series sweep over the Pack, which dropped to 16-9 overall and 8-4 in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Broncos, 18-6 overall and 9-3 in the WAC, opened the game with an 11-0 run and the Pack was never able to get closer than five points after the first minute and 12 seconds. The last time Nevada was able to close the gap to five was in the second half when it used an 8-0 run to slice the lead to 58-53 with 9:34 left.

"We just didn't have enough juice in the tank to sustain the second-half effort," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "Tonight, we just didn't have energy defensively."

The Pack was outshot and outrebounded. The Broncos took a 39-33 advantage on the boards. It was the 12th time the Pack has been outrebounded this season, but it was the opening minutes that set the tone for the game...

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Or if you prefer the Idaho perspective:

Bronco men sweep Nevada for first time since 1998-99
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
February 15, 2008

The WAC's highest-scoring team showed Thursday night that it also can play a little defense.
Boise State limited Nevada to a season-low 36.1 percent shooting and led from start to finish in recording a 77-68 win in front of 5,244 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

The win by the Broncos (18-6 overall, 9-3 WAC) gave them their first season sweep of the Wolf Pack (16-9, 8-4) since the 1998-99 season.

"I think it's huge and opens peoples' eyes," BSU senior Matt Bauscher said. "Every time people talk about Boise State, the first two words are 'blue field.' Then it's football, so that's three words. So maybe now someone will start talking about the basketball team."

The Broncos scored the first 11 points of the game, and Nevada never got closer than five points.

Reggie Larry (20 points) and Matt Nelson (19) were the only Broncos in double figures, but five others scored at least six points to give BSU the balance it craves.

"We jumped out and set the tone right away," BSU coach Greg Graham said. "They made a couple of runs, but we kept control of the game from the get-go."

The Broncos won 95-80 last month in Reno, a victory that was fueled by offense.

Thursday's win was a near opposite, though the Broncos made 16-of-26 shots in the first half to take a 42-30 lead...

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AND

NMSU won as expected in Ruston:

New Mexico State subdues shorthanded Tech men's team
News-Star news services

RUSTON New Mexico State shot 58.7 percent from the field and forced 18 Louisiana Tech turnovers as they pulled away late in the second half for an 85-63 win at the Thomas Assembly Center on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (4-19, 1-10 WAC), who had only seven healthy players available for tonight's contest, fought hard throughout the evening, pulling within single-digits several times during the second half. But the size and speed of the Aggies (15-12, 9-3 WAC) proved to be too much in the end.

The teams traded baskets over the first 12 minutes of the game and stood knotted at 18 apiece with less than eight minutes to play. But a 20-6 New Mexico State run gave the Aggies a 14-point halftime lead at 38-24...

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