Broncos hit 15 three-pointers, rout SMU 89-50

Having played a WAC-high 12 games decided by five points or lessthis season, including three overtime contests in their last fiveoutings, the SMU men’s basketball team looked to turn arounda two game losing streak when the Boise State Broncos visited MoodyColiseum on Thursday night.

The Broncos (18-8, 10-6 WAC) would build upon a team hot streak,winning six of their last seven leading up to the game, as theydefeated the Ponies in grand fashion, 89-50 on “MoodyMadness” night at the Coliseum.

With the loss, SMU’s record fell to 10-15 (4-11 WAC).

The game began favorably for the Mustangs, as junior forwardPatrick Simpson grabbed the opening tip-off to give SMU the firstpossession.

The Broncos took off from there, and Boise State jumped to a21-4 lead with just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half.Boise State’s Franco Harris had the hot hand for the Broncos,as the junior guard seemed unstoppable from beyond the 3-pointarc.

Harris had accumulated 12 points on four 3-pointers by halftime.He would finish with 15 points, nailing five of seven from behindthe arc.

The difference in the game was shooting, as SMU found itdifficult to put the ball in the basket with a 38.8 percent fieldgoal percentage, a minuscule figure in comparison to BoiseState’s 55.2 percent.

One of the bright spots for the Ponies was sophomore forwardDonatas Rackauskas, who helped defensively with three blocks andtwo rebounds. The Lithuania native also chipped in six points, twoshy of the team lead, shared by guards Voc Atkins and BryanHopkins.

Hopkins opened the second half with a 3-pointer that pulled theMustangs a bit closer to the Broncos, but Boise State would notrelinquish their early lead. Hopkins led the team with five assistsand a pair of 3-pointers.

Boise State, though, shot 15-of-24 form behind the arc.

For the Broncos, defensive help came from Harris, who finishedwith three steals and four rebounds. Senior forward Aaron Haynesled the Boise State charge with eight boards.

An exciting slam-dunk by freshman Devon Pearson in the finalminutes of play was not enough for the Mustangs, as Boise Stateforward Richard Fried nailed a free throw with 34.1 seconds left onthe clock to place the final nail in the coffin of an 89-50 Broncovictory.

The win gives Boise State the edge in the series between the twoteams, 4-3, and propels the Broncos past Hawaii for fourth place inthe WAC standings.

As for the Mustangs, the loss extends their losing streak tothree games, and solidifies their eighth-place position in the WACstandings.

SMU will host the first-place UTEP Miners on Saturday night at 7p.m. in Moody Coliseum.

Broncos hit 15 three-pointers, rout SMU 89-50