Abu Kigab scored 16 points in the second half and was 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final 70 seconds to guide Boise State’s 58-52 come-from-behind victory Wednesday, against Washington State at Spokane Arena. The victory extended the Broncos’ win streak to six games heading into Mountain West play next week.
Tyson Degenhart scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, including a a pair of free throws with 3:14 left that gave Boise State (9-4) a lead it never surrendered. WSU (8-5) cut climbed to within one a minute later, but Degenhart drilled a three-pointer with 2:05 to play and sent the blue-clad portion of his hometown crowd into a frenzy.
The Cougars did not go away quietly in the final minutes, but Kigab and Marcus Shaver, Jr. combined to go 9-for-10 at the free throw line down the stretch to keep the Broncos in front. Boise State was 18-for-21 from the free throw line for the game.
Kigab finished with a game-high 19 points and Shaver added 15. Both were 5-for-11 from the field.
Washington State raced out to an 18-9 lead before the Broncos locked in defensively. Boise State held WSU without a field goal for more than seven minutes to crawl back into the game. The Cougars led 24-19 at halftime.
The defense continued to shine at the outset of the second half. Boise State scored the first six points of the period and did not allow WSU to score until the 14:35 mark. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair until Degenhart’s triple gave the Broncos breathing room.
The win is Boise State’s ninth against an opponent from a power five conference during Leon Rice’s tenure as head coach, including the sixth against a Pac-12 foe.
Boise State opens Mountain West play Dec. 28, at home against Fresno State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT at ExtraMile Arena.
