BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…Dec.1, 2017, five years ago today:
Probably the most electric buzzer-beater in Boise State hoops history, as Lexus Williams hits a half-court shot at the horn to end Oregon’s 46-game home winning streak, the longest in the nation. Williams, the graduate transfer from Valparaiso who’s currently a member of the Broncos’ coaching staff, still had a foot in the “O” at center court at Matthew Knight Arena when he launched the shot—and it swished. The 73-70 victory was only the Broncos’ fourth all-time road win against a Power Five conference opponent.
Chandler Hutchison was largely responsible for getting Boise State to that point. Hutchinson, a future first-round NBA Draft pick who just Thursday announced his retirement from basketball, had suffered a concussion against Iowa State less than two weeks earlier. But he got his mojo back in Eugene, scoring 16 of his 20 points after halftime and pulling down 10 rebounds in the resume-building victory. Then in a 77-54 victory over Portland in Taco Bell Arena two days later, Hutchison put up the first recorded double-double in Boise State history: 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
The game against the Ducks was a tug-of-war. Neither team led by more than eight points, and there were 14 ties. Williams’ dramatic shot broke the final one. Speaking of three-pointers, they played a big part in this one for the Broncos. They went 7-for-11 from deep in the second half, including a 5-for-7 performance from Justinian Jessup. And big man Zach Haney produced one of the best games of his career, with 17 points and seven boards.
For Oregon, it was the first home loss since one to Arizona in January of 2015. Boise State also became only the third non-conference team ever to win in Matthew Knight, which opened in 2011. The Ducks athletic program found out two days later it wasn’t done with the Broncos. The schools’ football teams would be paired against each other in the Las Vegas Bowl. Boise State won that game, too, 38-24.
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.
