BOISE, Idaho -- Bismarck State men's basketball head coach Kevin Rice and Boise State assistant coach Roberto Bergersen go way back, and the two former CBA & NBA D League stars (and foes) know how strong of competitors the other is. When Bergersen greeted the Mystics during their morning shootaround, he told them exactly that: the Broncos would match the competitiveness he knew a Kevin Rice-led team was capable of.
Carter Zeller scored 12 points and Alex Proctor added eight, but the Mystics fell to Pac-12 newcomer Boise State 104-37 in an exhibition Thursday night, Oct. 29, at ExtraMile Arena. The game was the first time the Mystics men's basketball program had faced a Division I program.
The Broncos, as coach Bergersen alluded to, were highly motivated in their home opener after they were upset in their previous season's home opener by Division II Hawaii Pacific University. Boise State shot 46.2% from the field and scored 50 points in the paint, 30 second-chance points and 25 fast-break points.
First Half
The Mystics hung with the Broncos early. Proctor threw down two dunks in the opening minutes, the second off his own steal, to tie the game at 4-4 with 17:31 left. Jah Gulley's step-back jumper cut Boise State's lead to 9-6 at the 15:24 mark.
The Broncos then took control, closing the half on a 26-0 run that stretched from 22-10 to 48-10 and left BSC scoreless for 7:47. Proctor ended the drought with two free throws at the 2:10 mark, and Boise State took a 53-12 lead into the break. Proctor scored all eight of his points in the first half.
Second Half
Zeller scored all 12 of his points in the second half on 5-of-6 shooting, including a 3-pointer with 7:58 remaining. Gulley hit a 3-pointer at the 13:24 mark, and Johnathan Hawthorne Jr. scored four points in the half, including two free throws.
The Mystics saw their longest run of the game with 4:36 remaining in the second half, scoring eight unanswered thanks to a fast-break layup from Gulley, free throws from Zeller, and a late second-chance layup from Zeller with 26 seconds left. Boise State finished the game on an 11-0 run to reach 104 points.
Mystics Key Performers
Game Notes
- BSC shot 26.0% (13-of-50) from the field, 11.8% (2-of-17) from 3-point range and 90.0% (9-of-10) at the free throw line.
- Boise State shot 46.2% (36-of-78) from the field, 25.6% (11-of-43) from 3-point range and 87.5% (21-of-24) at the free throw line.
- BSC held an 8-0 run in the second half, its best of the game. Boise State's best run was 26-0.
Up Next
The Mystics head to New Town, N.D., for the New Town Tip-Off Jamboree at the 4 Bears Event Center. BSC faces California Prestige on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. and Eastern Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 3:15 p.m. BSC then opens its home schedule against Dickinson State (N.D.) on Friday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Bavendick Center. Tickets are available at BSCMystics.com/Tickets.
See the men's basketball schedule for more information on how to follow and attend the upcoming games.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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