Javan Buchanan scored 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting, Tyson Degenhart reached the 2,000-point mark for his career and Boise State advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown with a 100-93 win over Butler on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Boise State (26-10) shot 60.3 percent from the floor — including 63 percent in the second half (17-for-27) — and will face Nebraska on Saturday. The Cornhuskers beat Georgetown 81-69 later Wednesday night.
Degenhart already held Boise State’s single-season scoring record but entered the game 10 points away from becoming the first 2,000-point scorer in program history. He finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Alvaro Cardenas scored 19 and Andrew Meadow had 14 for the Broncos.
Butler (15-20) fell despite Finley Bizjack compiling a career-high 30 points and seven assists. The Bulldogs shot 57.6 percent overall yet couldn’t keep up.
Evan Haywood and Boden Kapke scored 14 apiece and Patrick McCaffery added 13.
Bizjack started the game 5-for-5 with four 3-pointers, but Butler struggled to keep pace with the Broncos. With the game tied at 23, Boise State embarked on a 10-0 run bookended by triples from Julian Bowie and Cardenas.
Butler got as close as four, but Buchanan made three straight baskets for Boise State and Degenhart added a layup to hit the 2,000-point milestone and make it 48-38 at the half.
The Bulldogs twice crawled within five early in the second half. But after back-to-back baskets plus two free throws by Buchanan, Pearson Carmichael connected on a 3 for a 79-63 lead, the Broncos’ largest of the game, with 9:17 to play.
Butler had one last push as it made five straight field-goal attempts to get within 90-82 at the 3:46 mark.
After Cardenas hit two free throws, Meadow made a triple with 3:08 left for the dagger.
–Field Level Media
