3/19/2021 basketball Edit

Boise State edges SMU 85-84 in NIT opener

FRISCO, Texas (AP) Devonaire Doutrive scored on a putback with 10.1 seconds to play and Boise State defeated SMU 85-84 in a first-round game of NIT on Thursday night.

Boise State guard Derrick Alston Jr. shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against SMU in the first round of the NIT, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mladen Armus, who made the play to keep the ball alive for Doutrive, also made the defensive play on the other end that forced a turnover.

Boise State will play the winner of Saturday's Memphis-Dayton game in the quarterfinals next Thursday.

Armus scored 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Broncos (19-8), who hit a season-high 14 3-pointers with 21 assists, their second best. Emmanuel Akot hit a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 17 points to go with a career-high nine assists. Marcus Shaver Jr. and Derrick Alston both added 13 points and Doutrive had 10 with eight assists.

Boise State guard Devonaire Doutrive loses control of the ball ahead of SMU forward Isiah Jasey, rear, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the NIT, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Frisco, Texas. Boise State won 85-84. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Kendirck Davis scored 23 points with 12 assists and seven rebounds for SMU (11-6). Tyson Jolly added 17 points and Emmanuel Bandoumel 16. All three went 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

Boise State, in its seventh NIT, was 14 of 29 behind the arc and shot 50.8% overall while SMU, in its fourth NIT, made 10 of 17 3-pointer and shot 55.4%.

Boise State led 48-42 after a wild first half.

The Broncos scored the first 14 points of the game and led 30-9 after a Doutrive 3-pointer. At that point, the 11:04 mark, BSU was 11 of 15 and SMU, whose conference tournament loss six days earlier was its first game since Feb. 8, was 3 of 11. However, the Mustangs went on 20-5 run, at one point making six-straight shots, and after back-to-back 3s by Davis and Jolly, only trailed 42-40.

The tournament, limited to 16 teams instead of 32 this season, is taking place in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area at the University of North Texas Coliseum in Denton and at the Comerica Center in Frisco.

Boise State guard Devonaire Doutrive, left, drives to the basket over SMU forward Ethan Chargois (25) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the NIT, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)