Degenhart hits 2K and Broncos secure $50k as Boise State hoops drops 100 points on Butler

LAS VEGAS (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State basketball celebrated some big numbers Wednesday night following the Broncos’ 100-93 win over Butler in the College Basketball Crown.

The win guarantees at least $50,000 for the players to share in Name, Image and Likeness money. And late in the first half, senior forward Tyson Degenhart became the first Bronco in program history to hit 2,000 career points.

“… He did it in legit four years. People are breaking records now, but he’s so humble and unselfish,” senior guard Alvaro Cardenas told KBOI radio.

Degenhart finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. The Broncos also saw double-digit scoring from junior forward Javan Buchanan (27), Cardenas (19) and sophomore forward Andrew Meadow (14).

Boise State became the first team to book its spot in the College Basketball Crown semifinals in Las Vegas. The tournament is the first of its kind, rewarding NIL money based on how far teams go: $50,000 for making the semifinals, $100,000 for reaching the championship game and $300,000 for winning the tournament.

“Once you’re in the game, that’s not what you’re thinking, you’re just playing basketball,” Cardenas said. “And I think we’re all super competitive guys, so the only thing we’re thinking about is winning. In my mind, I’m not thinking, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get (a share of) $50,000.’ But I’ll take it.”

One of the keys to the game for Boise State (26-10) was to keep Butler (16-20) from getting open shots at the perimeter. The Bulldogs entered Wednesday night with the 40th-best 3-point shooting mark in the country (36.8%). The Broncos didn’t achieve that goal, allowing Butler to go 13-for-31 (41.9%) from beyond the perimeter.

A significant part of that effort came from Bulldogs guard Finley Bizjack, who shot 6-for-9 from three and finished with a game-high 30 points. But it didn’t matter, because the Broncos responded with an equally impressive shooting night to keep the Bulldogs at arm’s length.

The closest Butler got to Boise State in the second half was five points with 16 minutes remaining. Boise State shot 35-for-58 (60.3%) from the field and 11-for-24 (45.8%) from three. It was the Broncos’ best 3-point shooting percentage since a 13-for-26 (50%) effort against Wyoming in January.

“There’s no way that team should have put up 93 on us, and that’s not being disrespectful, that’s just they’re missing their best player,” Cardenas said. “But I think we did a good job of running the transition when we did get some stops and finding our open shooters.”

Butler’s top scorer this season, senior forward Jahmyl Telfort, opted out of the tournament to avoid injury ahead of aspirations of going professional.

Degenhart led the Broncos from beyond the arc, hitting three of his six attempts. But the historic bucket that gave him 2,000 points was an open layup after receiving the ball under the basket from redshirt junior guard R.J. Keene.

Degenhart entered the game needing 10 points to hit the landmark and looked like he’d get there quickly, scoring eight of the Broncos’ first 10 points in the opening three minutes. But it took 15 minutes for him to get those final two points, scoring the last bucket of the first half to give the Broncos a 48-38 lead at the break.

But for as good as the 3-point shooting was, the Broncos still could have lost if not for Buchanan. The junior forward’s 27 points are the second-most of his career, and he got there by shooting 11-for-13 from the field, with just one of those baskets coming from beyond the arc.

“I’ve been struggling the past four games, just battling through some things, some injuries, some stuff here and there,” Buchanan said on the Fox Sports 1 postgame show. “But just pouring into my teammates really just gave me that game.”

Buchanan had scored just 10 points in his final four games heading into the Crown. He scored 11 in the first round against George Washington and followed that with Wednesday evening’s 27.

The Broncos will now have a chance to secure at least $100,000 in NIL. Boise State will play Nebraska in the semifinals at 11:30 a.m. Saturday on FS1. The winner moves on to the championship game and a shot at $300,000.

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