Boise State Defeats Fresno State in Critical Mountain West Matchup

Broncos make 11 three-pointers and dominate the boards in 69-53 road victory

Published on Mar. 3, 2026

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The Boise State men's basketball team picked up its third straight win in Mountain West play on Saturday, defeating Fresno State 69-53 on the road. The Broncos made 11 three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 44-30, including 17 offensive boards. Javan Buchanan led Boise State with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Why it matters

This was a critical conference win for Boise State as they look to secure a spot in the Mountain West tournament. The Broncos were able to neutralize Fresno State's leading scorer Jake Heidbreder, holding him to just 3 points, which proved to be a key factor in the game.

The details

Boise State finished 11 of 37 (30%) from beyond the arc, while Fresno State made just 3 of their 18 three-point attempts. DeShawn Gory led the Bulldogs with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 steals. Boise State head coach Leon Rice praised the defensive effort of RJ Keene II in shutting down Heidbreder, who had been averaging around 20 points per game.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 1, 2026.

The players

Leon Rice

The head coach of the Boise State men's basketball team.

Javan Buchanan

The leading scorer for Boise State, finishing the game with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

DeShawn Gory

The leading scorer for Fresno State, finishing the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 steals.

Jake Heidbreder

Fresno State's leading scorer, who was held to just 3 points in the game.

RJ Keene II

The Boise State player who was praised by coach Leon Rice for his defensive effort in shutting down Heidbreder.

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What they’re saying

“How about the job (RJ Keene II) did on Heidbreder. That kid has been averaging about 20 a game lately, he's one of the best shooters in the league, and RJ made just as many threes as him. … RJ takes him out of the game, that really hurt them. Because to beat us, they needed him to score his average.”

— Leon Rice, Boise State Head Coach (SI.com)

“They committed a lot to taking the lane away from us. They were like 'All right, we're going to dare you,' basically. We countered that—in the first half, especially—with a lot of offensive boards, but we … got five points off the offensive boards. You've got to capitalize on that.”

— Leon Rice, Boise State Head Coach (SI.com)

What’s next

Boise State will look to continue their strong conference play as they push for a high seed in the upcoming Mountain West tournament.

The takeaway

Boise State's ability to neutralize Fresno State's leading scorer and dominate the boards proved to be the difference in this critical Mountain West matchup. The Broncos' balanced scoring attack and stifling defense showcased their potential to make a deep run in the conference tournament.