San Jose State at Boise State on Saturday night

SJSU is in Boise on Saturday evening for the final game of the regular season for both teams. Will it be another endurance contest like the last get-together? Four overtimes. 102-101. Remember that? The orange basketball and friends rim and backboard were thisclose to demanding extra pay while the players were beyond huffing and puffing and probably into moaning and groaning (at least the next morning). Justin Graham, who rumor has it as replacing Robert Downey Jr. in the next edition of "Iron Man III," played all 60 minutes.

It's worth noting that the 18-11, 9-6 Broncos are on a four-game conference win streak, six straight counting non-league contests.

Boise State enjoyed its Senior Night earlier this week in a game against Cal State Bakersfield. The reason? Coach Leon Rice recalled that, while being an assistant at Gonzaga, center Ronny Turiaf went scoreless after the pre-game senior-honoring ceremony. Apparently, superstition is going to rule the day, make that the night. But look for something to take place anyway since the Broncos have seven seniors and, more than likely, all the parents could not make it for the earlier, during the week, event.

Here's our game report from the January 6 matchup of these two squads:

Spartans fall 102-101 in four overtime

Based on Robert Arnold's first half offensive output (14 points) and a very solid entire game by point La'Shard Anderson, it looked like Boise State had put the game away. But that was before a streak of poor foul line shooting by the Broncos and a 22-7 Spartan scoring run pushed the matchup into overtime. Then, the game remained tied, forcing a second OT. A last-second San Jose State trey produced a third overtime. Then, a too late BSU shot went in but was disqualified, creating a fourth extra period.

In that fourth five minutes, Boise missed its first shot attempt and SJSU rebounded but also misfired. BSU again was inaccurate but the Spartans committed a turnover. Fatigue was beyond setting in. Finally, La'Shard Anderson scored on a step back jumper. Calvin Douglas countered with an and/1 three-point play, edging the Spartan ahead by one.

Justin Graham missed on a trey attempt but Robert Arnold did likewise. SJSU missed next and Anderson was subsequently fouled. He went to the foul line with his team behind by two, 101-100. Anderson sank the first to tie the game and nailed the second to put the Broncos up by one. The Spartans played to win it with the last possession but BSU nabbed a steal and ran out the clock, winning 102-101.

Anderson scored first in overtime #3, making it 92-90. San Jose State then missed but so did the Broncos. Douglas was fouled and tied up the score. Subsequently, Tre Nichols was fouled on a shot and hit one of two free throws.

Graham was fouled and put in both free throws

Anderson then sank a three-pointer.

Graham drew another foul, hit the first but missed the second -- the score 96-95.

Paul Noonan hit a runner, pushing Boise up by three but Douglas countered with a trey to tie the game.

Anderson then nailed a three-pointer right around the buzzer but did it count? Meaning, was it attempted before the shot clock expired? There was a .9 differential between the shot and game clock.

No.

Come the second five minutes, SJSU missed a shot after winning the jump and Boise then did the same.

Aalim Moor nailed a 10-foot jumper (he didn't play until the second overtime) and Anderson followed with a basket, making it 82 apiece. BSU got a steal and Anderson was fouled on a dribble-drive shot. He was good on both, pushing the Broncos up by two at the 2:19 mark.

Douglas then drained a trey, pushing the Spartans back ahead, 85-84.

On the clock was 1:44.

Nichols hit a 10-foot baseline jumper to make it 86-85 Broncos.

After a missed shot by Anderson, he got his own rebound and then was fouled with 28 seconds remaining. He was good on the first and the second, putting the Broncos up by three.

Graham then blew by everyone and scored on a layup with 21 seconds remaining, making it 88-87.

Noonan was fouled with 12 seconds left.

The senior drained the first and then the second. BSU led by three, 90-87.

With just a second remaining, Douglas fired up a trey out of the corner and it found net, tieing the game.

In the first overtime, Brylle Kamen scored inside to give SJSU a long-sought, hard fought lead. Wil Carter then made one of two free throws.

Nichols countered with a trey to tie.

Graham nailed an in-the-paint jumper to make the lead two. After a steal, Kamen went to the foul line with 56 seconds remaining. He missed the first but made the second to make it 80-77.

Boise's Anderson was then fouled with 36 seconds left. He nailed both to cut the Spartan lead to one.

26.9 seconds remained.

But Westly Perryman stole an inbounds pass and was fouled on a drive to the basket. He put in the first, missed the second and the game was tied.

Kamen missed down low, leaving the score 80-80. and another five minutes

It was 45-39 at the 15:44 mark but the Broncos stretched it to 50-39 with 14 minutes remaining.

Then Boise State went up 55-40 on an 18-8 after halftime Bronco run based on 7-14 shooting -- while the Spartans went 3-14.

Graham's pair of free throws cut the deficit to 59-51 but BSU countered with two from the charity stripe. Carter then nailed two from the foul line but the Broncos Nichols countered with a driving layup. Carter returned to the charity stripe, missed the first and made the second to cut the lead to nine. Noonan's set of free throws pushed it back to 11 with six minutes remaining.

A short Anderson jumper made the lead 13 but Douglas countered with a trey to reduce it to 10 at 67-57.

Nichols hit a second driving jumper making the lead 12.

With 3:59 showing, Daequon Montreal settled in for two free throws. He missed the first and nailed the second, making it 70-57.

Adrian Oliver scored on a layup but was called for an offensive foul -- his fifth -- putting him out of the game. Carter promptly scored on a rebound putback, was fouled, and put in the free throw, making the point difference just eight.

3:59 showed on the clock.

Boise's Noonan missed a jumper and Graham was fouled. He made the first, missed the second and the deficit was seven.

Anderson made a nifty dribble-drive but charged on the play, negating the basket.

Keith Shamburger missed on a long jumper as did Nichols. Then Graham misfired from three-point range.

Anderson was fouled and made one of two from the charity stripe, making it 71-63.

Graham missed on a drive but tipped in his own shot.

Montreal was fouled with 1:05 remaining, missed his first attempt but made the second.

Trailing 72-65 and 0:58 on the clock, Calvin Douglas barely missed his shot attempt but was fouled. He was accurate on both putting the Spartans down by just five, 72-67.

Ryan Watkins then missed both his free throws and Graham nailed a driving layup, making it 72-69.

Anderson was fouled, missed his initial attempt but nailed the second.

With 29 seconds left, Carter nailed a three out of the corner. The score: 73-72

Noonan was fouled, he missed badly on his first but nailed the second, making it 74-72..

27 seconds remained.

On a clearout, Graham nailed an 18-footer to tie the game with 2.9 seconds showing.

It was 37-31 in Boise's favor at the half -- the Broncos shot 54% to 39% for SJSU. Adrian Oliver missed time in the initial 20 minutes after picking up his second foul with 15:54 remaining. The Spartans jumped out to a 6-0 lead on three-pointers by Oliver and Graham but Leon Rice's squad then scored nine straight points. It was 23 all but then BSU began edging ahead.


Leon Rice's Starting Five

Count on Anderson, Arnold and Montreal as sure-fire starters against the Spartans. The other two spots will depend on what the BSU coaching staff deems the best matchups.

* La'Shard Anderson 6-1 170 senior -- he's gaining some recognition for MVP status and was just named the WAC Player of the Week, he is next to impossible to stop on the dribble drive, is scoring 16.7 points while passing for 4.5 assists a game, he must play well for the Broncos to win and he certainly has been doing so

* Jeff Eliorraga 6-2 180 freshman -- he started the last five games despite his frosh and walk-on status, Rice like his steadiness and hustle

* Robert Arnold 6-6 176 senior -- has the ability to go en fuego but is shooting just 37% and 30% respectively in WAC action, averaging 10.7 points and 4.1 rebounds a game, is very athletic, will he be the matchup for AO?

* Darquon Montreal 6-8 230 senior -- very athletic, he's averaging 11.5 points and a team-leading 4.9 rebounds a contest, an inside the paint player

* Ryan Watkins 6-8 247 freshman -- he doesn't play that many minutes but has 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds a game averages, is an inside scorer

Off The Bench

* Paul Noonan 6-7 210 senior -- the best catch-and-shoot distance shooter on the team, 77 of 111 shot attempts have been treys, averaging 10.2 ppg.

* Westly Perryman 6-1 180 junior -- he's not shooting all that well this season

* Zack Moritz 6-10 239 senior -- shooting 50%, more than half his rebounds have been offensive

* Sean Imadiyi 6-7 215 senior -- athletic but with limited skills and shooting range

* Thomas Bropleh 6-5 203 freshman -- not a big minutes guy but he has been earning more and more PT, shooting 45% overall and 43% from long distance

* Tre Nichols 5-11, 168 junior -- a backup at the point,

The BSU WAC schedule

Dec 29 Louisiana Tech 71 - 60 (W)
Dec 31 New Mexico State 81 - 78 (W)
Jan 06 @ San Jose State 102 - 101 (W) 4OT
Jan 08 @ Hawai'i 79 - 55 (W)
Jan 13 Utah State 59 - 68 (L)
Jan 15 Nevada 67 - 69 (L)
Jan 22 @ Idaho 70 - 67 (W)
Jan 27 @ New Mexico State 87 - 96 (L)
Jan 29 @ Louisiana Tech 60 - 70 (L)
Feb 03 Hawai'i 66 - 73 (L)
Feb 05 @ Utah State 49 - 77 (L)
Feb 10 Fresno State 75 - 61 (W)
Feb 12 Idaho 69 - 63 (W)
Feb 19 @ UC Santa Barbara 78 - 76 (W) OT
Feb 24 @ Fresno State 70 - 56 (W)
Feb 26 @ Nevada 72 - 66 (W)
Mar 02 Cal State Bakersfield (W) 95-59

The Bronco roster (alphabetized & by position)

La'Shard Anderson G 6-1 170 Sr.
Jeff Elorriaga G 6-2 180 Fr. (walk-on)
G.A. Hill G 5-9 150 Fr. (walk-on)
Tre Nichols G 5-11 168 Jr.
Westly Perryman G 6-1 180 Jr.
Justin Salzwedel G 6-2 182 Sr. (walk-on)
Drew Wiley G 6-7 215 Jr. (is redshirting)

Robert Arnold F 6-6 176 Sr.
Thomas Bropleh F 6-5 203 Fr.
Sam Hicks F 6-9 248 Fr.
Sean Imadiyi F 6-7 215 Sr.
Daequon Montreal F 6-8 230 Sr.
Paul Noonan F 6-7 210 Sr.
Isaac Oeltjen F 7-0 224 Fr. (walk-on)
Ryan Watkins F 6-8 247 Fr.

Zach Moritz C 6-10 239 Sr.