BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…March 11, 1987:
Before what is still considered to be the loudest crowd ever in what is now ExtraMile Arena, Boise State beats Utah, 62-61, in its first NIT appearance. This was the Broncos’ breakout campaign under coach Bobby Dye, and fans could sense it from the start. Despite coming off a 12-16 season, Boise State drew a crowd of 6,120 for its Opening Night win over College of Idaho, and the fever grew from there. The Broncos finished second in the Big Sky but were stunned 78-77 by Idaho State in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament.
The Bengals went on to win the Big Sky tourney and advance to the NCAA Tournament, the last time they’ve been there. But Boise State was able to earn an NIT bid—at home no less, and against Utah no less—and sold 10,003 tickets in three days. The dynamic in the stands had changed that season, as fans made noise on every defensive possession, making the BSU Pavilion one of the toughest places to play in the West. It certainly showed up versus the Utes.
Boise State played a solid game, but instead of putting the game away in the final 42 seconds, the Broncos missed a dunk and three free throws. The lead was one point with seven seconds left when Albert Springs headed to the hoop on a breakaway. Arnell Jones caught up with him and knocked the ball out of his hands—and was called for a foul in the process. With one second left, Springs stepped to the free throw line for two shots. Dye substituted twice in an effort to ice him, and the noise seemed to increase exponentially. Springs then missed both free throws to preserve Boise State’s victory.
The Broncos drew a second round matchup with Washington five days later at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. Boise State led by three at the half but ended up being called for a staggering 31 personal fouls in the game and were edged by the Huskies 73-68. Jones, Jeff Kelley and Greg Dodd all fouled out, hurting the Broncos down the stretch. Chris Childs led the Broncos with 21 points as the season finished at 23-7—the best in school history to that point.
(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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