Boise State guard Max Rice (12) battles against the defense of Utah State guard Josh Uduje (14) and forward Great Osobor (1) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. Utah State won 90-84. (AP Photo/Steve Conner) BOISE – No matter the obstacle, no matter the opponent, it seems Utah State is capable of willing itself to victory. It’s latest dissertation on the subject, a 90-84 overtime triumph at Boise State. A win rife with cold stretches and moments of despair late in regulation, but also clutch shots and key stops. “All I can say is that’s a fun game,” USU center Isaac Johnson said. “We like to say that the Spectrum is the number one arena and the number one fans. But the Mountain West is just crazy. (ExtraMile Arena) was crazy. It was so fun.” Prior to leaving for Boise, USU head coach Danny Sprinkle spoke to the media and identified several key statistical markers he wanted to see his team hit — noting that victory would be hard or impossible if they didn’t reach those figures. One, was to have 10 or fewer turnovers, a longstanding benchmark that

A week off has given Utah State a chance to rest, get healthier and as head coach Danny Sprinkle put it “be able to watch everybody else beat up each other.” Now the squad is travelling to Boise State to take on the Broncos. The winner will claim sole possession of first place in the standings heading into February. Both these teams actually share a most recent opponent. The Aggies hosted Fresno State last Saturday with the Broncos travelling to Fresno to take on the Bulldogs. USU had a much easier time, rolling to a 21-point victory while the Broncos escaped their road game with a four-point win, rallying in the last 90 seconds after blowing a double-digit lead. Boise State’s home record is nearly untarnished. Up until earlier this year, the Broncos had won 22 straight games at home, spanning nearly all of last season (including all of conference play) and up until Jan. 16 when it lost to UNLV. The list of teams that have lost at ExtraMile Arena is a fairly impressive one, including Colorado State, San Diego State and San Francisco. It’s a tough venue to get a win in. The Broncos put forth a slate