BOISE, Idaho - When you shoot 55 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3-point range, you expect to win handily - but 19 turnovers and seven missed free throws have a way of complicating things.
Idaho (14-11, 7-6 Western Athletic Conference) saw 19 giveaways translate into 19 Boise State (14-11, 7-6 WAC) points, and were outscored 19-13 in the 69-63 loss at a sold-out Taco Bell Arena. The official announced attendance was 12,193, a significant portion of which were Vandal fans.
"We always judge how we play on how hard we play, and I thought we played very, very hard," Idaho head coach Don Verlin said after the game. "I told them to keep their heads up. We've proven we can play with the very best teams in this league, and we've just got to continue to get better and better and clean up a few of our little miscues."
Idaho attempted a season-low 38 shots, but made 21 for a 55.3 percentage. The Vandals also connected on eight of their 17 3-point attempts for a 47.1 percentage from long range. Boise State, by contrast, shot 41.2 percent (21-51) overall, 42.1 percent (8-19) from 3-point range and 90.5 percent (19-21) from the free throw line.
In a game that was tight from start to finish, a 13-0 run by the Broncos appeared to be the deciding factor when they took a 61-53 lead at the 4:03 mark. Idaho didn't panic and didn't buckle, instead answering with a 9-0 run of its own to take a 62-61 lead with 1:44 left to play.
The momentum quickly evaporated on the next possession, when BSU's Daequon Montreal drew a foul and sank both free throws, then the Broncos forced an Idaho turnover at half court. The Vandal defense did everything right after the turnover - except one key element: the rebound.
"That was a great game for the fans to watch, a great game to coach," Verlin said. "I thought we showed a lot of character - we were down eight with four to play and found a way to get back to the lead.
"Just a few key plays down the stretch was the difference in this game."
Montreal grabbed the offensive board for Broncos with 32 seconds to go, and the Broncos made six straight free throws in the closing seconds to hold on to the lead for good.
Senior guard Jeff Ledbetter led all scorers with 19 points on his third career game with six made 3-pointers. He finished the day 6-of-8 from long range, and moved into a tie with Steffan Johnson for third all-time at Idaho in single-season 3-pointers (74). Junior Landon Tatum contributed a career-high 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including his first made 3-pointer early in the first half.
Idaho outscored Boise State 26-24 in the paint and 11-10 on the fast break, while BSU held a 19-5 advantage off turnovers, a 6-1 second-chance edge and a 25-20 bench scoring margin. The score was tied 12 times and the lead changed hands 11 times.
Montana State awaits the Vandals in one week at Bozeman, Mont., as part of the ESPN BracketBusters program. That game will tip off at 6 p.m. (PST). The next WAC action for Idaho will be on Feb. 24, at Nevada.
