Boise State Sends Idaho To Yet Another Tough Loss

The score was close in the final minutes, as it often has been for these teams this season.

That usually gives Boise State the shivers. That always gives Idaho the shivers and the shakes, and inevitably leads to a lot of tough losses.

BSU, notorious for blowing leads this season, did so again on Saturday night, but recovered to nip the Vandals 62-57 before a Kibbie Dome gathering of 5,564 - more than double Idaho’s largest crowd of the season.

These close-but-no-W replays are wearing thin with UI coach Kermit Davis.

“Everybody says, ‘Well, you compete hard and you don’t quit,’ ” Davis said. “Well, that’s college athletics. I mean, that’s expected. I’m not going to brag on my team for competing.”

Idaho, 7-10 overall, is 0-4 and last in the East Division of the Big West Conference. The Vandals take a four-game losing streak on the road to New Mexico State and North Texas next week. BSU, which has lost six games after leading in the final 5 minutes, solved that dilemma to improve to 2-2 and 7-7.

Idaho’s still searching - and bad endings aren’t the only problem. The Vandals have been badly outplayed in the first 5 minutes of second halves, too.

“Liberty, Eastern Michigan, Nevada, Utah State, Pacific and this one - the game’s been on the line the last 4 minutes and we cannot get critical (defensive) stops at the end of the games,” Davis said. “We can’t do that, and we’re atrocious how we start the first 5 minutes of the second half. I’m kind of at a loss of words over the first 5 minutes. All we do is emphasize it.” , Nonetheless, BSU outscored UI 14-2 to open the second half and take a 43-31 lead.

“Assistant coach (Dave) Farrar thinks we pace ourselves,” Kris Baumann said. “I don’t know. But it’s a huge part of the game.”

Idaho, rallying behind Baumann and Eddie Turner, rushed back to tie at 54 on Turner’s free throws with 2:43 left.

From there, BSU got three easy buckets. Gerry Washington drove around Jon Harris for a scoop layin and Joe Wyatt lost a Vandals defender for another layin, giving BSU a 58-56 lead.

Baumann’s 3-point attempt rimmed out and BSU’s Roberto Bergersen escaped in transition for another layin. Steve Shephard’s free throws with 21 seconds left clinched BSU’s second Big West road win.

“They weren’t even hitting jump shots,” said Baumann, who scored 19 points, aided by four 3-pointers. “They were layups. It just killed us.”

Particularly Baumann. He’s from New Plymouth, about an hour’s drive from Boise, and he was recruited by BSU coach Rod Jensen.

“Being from there, this might be the toughest loss this year,” Baumann said.

Jensen, meanwhile, has assembled a quality team which plays pestering defense and buries 3s. The Broncos hit their average of 8 3-pointers per game, which is 21st in the country. Wyatt made 4 of 5 3s and scored 23 points before fouling out in the closing seconds. Center J.D. Huleen, who played only 3 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, scored nine second-half points. Bergersen added 11.

Boise St. 62, Idaho 57

BOISE ST. (7-7) - Bergerson 5-7 0-0 11, Tolman 1-7 0-1 3, Huleen 4-9 0-1 9, Washington 2-6 0-0 5, Wyatt 8-11 3-4 23, Lyons 0-0 2-2 2, Shephard 0-2 2-2 2, Hagman 1-3 1-2 3, Fox 0-0 0-0 0, Van Kirk 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 23-50 8-12 62.

IDAHO (7-10) - Harris 0-2 2-2 2, Turner 4-9 5-6 13, Jackman 3-8 5-5 11, Baumann 6-14 3-4 19, Scott 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 2-7 0-0 5, Wendt 1-2 2-2 5, Byrne 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 17-43 17-20 57.

Halftime-Boise St. 29, Idaho 29. 3-Point goals-Boise St. 8-15 (Bergerson 1-1, Tolman 1-3, Huleen 1-3, Washington 1-2, Wyatt 4-5, Hagman 0-1), Idaho 6-18 (Turner 0-2, Baumann 4-12, Thompson 1-2, Wendt 1-2). Fouled out-Jackman, Wyatt. Rebounds-Boise St. 26 (Washington 6), Idaho 31 (Turner 7). Assists-Boise St. 2 (Lyons, Hagman, 1 each), Idaho 4 (Turner 2). Total fouls-Boise St. 15, Idaho 16. A-5,564.

, DataTimes