By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Senior Staff Writer | Junior guard Colby Garland reacts as time expires during the Spartans’ 84–74 win. (Photo by Alex Stoev—The Spear)
San Jose State men’s basketball (9-23, 4-17 MW) opened the Mountain West tournament with an upset win over Boise State (20-12, 13-8 MW), defeating the Broncos 84-74 on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
The win marked just the third Mountain West tournament victory in program history and set a school record for points scored in a conference tournament game.
Defense proved pivotal for the Spartans, who held the Broncos to 21.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Boise State committed 12 turnovers, which SJSU converted into 15 points, while committing just six.
SJSU seized momentum late in the first half when junior guard Colby Garland beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to give the Spartans a 41-39 lead at halftime.
They carried that energy into the second half, extending their lead to as many as 16 points.
The victory came after SJSU closed the regular season on a three-game losing streak. It also marked just the second time a No. 11 seed has won a Mountain West tournament game.
After leading by six points with 7:13 remaining, the Spartans went cold. Boise State responded with a 9-0 run and reclaimed the lead with 3:01 left.
SJSU answered down the stretch, tightening up defensively and converting key chances to secure the win.
“I think our recipe works. When we get the right ingredients, players, we can contend with just about anybody in the league,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said. “Tonight I thought we did a really excellent job on the defensive end to start, and that really led us into where we were going.”
The entire starting five contributed, each scoring in double figures and shooting above 50 percent, with Garland leading SJSU with 22 points.
“We know how much work we put in this summer and the fall. We never doubted ourselves, even in how the season went,” Garland said. “We had a lot of injuries, but we never stopped believing.”
Sophomore guard Jermaine Washington added 18 points and led the Spartans with three 3-pointers.
Freshman guard Melvin Bell Jr. delivered a highlight dunk early in the second half, igniting the bench and crowd.
On the first offensive possession after halftime, freshman forward Japhet Moupadele converted an and-one layup, giving SJSU a strong energy boost from its seven-man rotation.
Washington said preparation made the difference.
“Still pushing through, the intensity the whole time,” Washington said. “We worked hard this whole week and we prepared.”
Boise State senior forward Javan Buchanan led all scorers with 28 points. He fueled the Broncos’ 9-0 run, briefly putting them ahead late in the first half.
The Spartans responded with timely shot-making, including a 3-pointer from senior forward Sadraque NgaNga and key baskets from Washington to regain control.
“I think it’s a great sign that we’re positioned to be able to win, especially in the postseason,” Miles said.
SJSU will face No. 3-seeded University of New Mexico in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
