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This Day In Sports…February 27, 2016:
One of the best late-game comebacks in Boise State history, as the Broncos rally from a nine-point deficit with just over a minute left to defeat San Diego State, 66-63. The Broncos had been on the ropes. With the seemingly safe Aztecs lead, the decibel meter they keep in Viejas Arena hit a deafening 147.4. The sellout crowd was in full celebration mode on “Blackout The Madhouse” day.
Then this happened: Mikey Thompson made a pair of free throws to cut the margin to 63-56. Winston Shepard missed a pair of free throws, and Nick Duncan hit his first three-pointer of the game with 48 seconds to play, making it 63-59. Jeremy Hemsley missed two more free throws. Then Paris Austin was fouled and converted a pair from the line, and it was 63-61. Trey Kell missed more two free throws, and Duncan canned the go-ahead three-pointer with 23 seconds left. Then came an Aztecs turnover, two Anthony Drmic free throws with 1.5 seconds to go, and a miraculous Boise State victory.
The night made history at San Diego State as well. The Aztecs had won 164 consecutive games when leading with five minutes to go, and they led at the five-minute mark in this one. It was one of the most amazing streaks in sports, and it had lasted more than six years. The Broncos also became the first Mountain West team to win back-to-back games at Viejas Arena since BYU did it in 2010 and 2011.
With James Webb III sidelined, Boise State got two step-up performances in particular in this game, both of them necessary if the Broncos were to have any chance to win. Sophomore Chandler Hutchison, who had gone nine straight games without scoring in double figures, put up 16 against San Diego State, his most ever versus a Division I foe. Hutchison, who would break out as a junior and go on to be a first-round NBA Draft pick, went 8-for-11 from the field and slammed home three dunks. That would have been impressive even for Webb.
Then there was Duncan. The junior Australian, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, posted his first double-double of the season and only the third of his career. Stat of the night: In the first 79 minutes of game action against the Aztecs that season Boise State was 2-for-28 from three-point range (1-for-17 in Taco Bell Arena the previous month). Duncan was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the final 48 seconds at Viejas.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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