PORTLAND, Ore. — Despite a gritty second-half effort, the Boise State men's basketball team fell 64-53 to Memphis on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center in Portland.
After the first 20 minutes, the Broncos trailed the Tigers 38-19. Boise State was 29.2% from the field in the first half, while Memphis (22-10, 13-5 AAC) made 57.1% of its shots on its way to a 19-point halftime lead.
In the second half, Boise State (27-8, 15-3 MW) buckled down defensively and used spirts of momentum to crawl back into Thursday's game.
The Broncos' late-game charge was led by Boise State standout forward Abu Kigab. The senior -- who is the Broncos' leading scorer with an average of 14.7 points per game -- did not score in the first 20 minutes across four shots.
In the second half, Kigab found his footing and scored 20 points. Boise State's resurgence was also sparked by the Broncos' offensive physicality and increased drives to the basket.
The NCAA Tournament West region's No. 8 seed Broncos only made one of their six free throw attempts in the first half, but drilled 13 of their 19 free throws in the second frame.
Although head coach Leon Rice's history-making squad battled back in admirable fashion Thursday in Portland, Memphis' presence in the paint often slowed down the Broncos' moments of momentum.
Memphis -- the West region's No. 9 seed -- out-rebounded Boise State 39-30, led by the Tigers' freshman center Jalen Duren's 11 rebounds. The projected NBA lottery pick finished with a double-double after scoring 10 points.
The Tigers' senior forward DeAndre Williams led Memphis with 14 points and shot 7-8 from the field (87.5%).
Memphis also dished 5 more assists than the Broncos (12-7), although Boise State grabbed 9 steals and had 10 turnovers compared to Memphis' 15.
As they did all year, Boise State showed grit and perseverance in the loss. The Broncos' 2022 squad goes down in program history for the most wins in a single season and the first team to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Memphis advances to face the winner of No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 16 Georgia State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's West region.
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