RENO - Jason Ellis enjoyed a record-setting night, and was a huge reason why Boise State remained alive in the WAC Tournament.
Ellis pulled down a WAC record 21 rebounds and scored 22 points, and he also became the first Boise State player to score 900 career points and grab 900 rebounds, sparking the Broncos to a 83-73 first-round win over Tulsa Tuesday night at Lawlor Events Center.
The win earned the Broncos (14-17) a shot at regular-season champ Nevada (24-5) Thursday night at 8:30. Tulsa finished the year 9-20.
Ellis needed just five rebounds to get to the 900 mark. He said it wasn't something he was thinking about before the game.
"I just try to play hard every night," said the 6-7 forward. The 21 rebounds broke the record formerly held by Theo Ratliff of Wyoming.
Boise State scored 51 first-half points to take control early. The Broncos hit 51.5 from the field, including seven three-point field goals.
Boise State led 16-15 with 10:30 left in the first half, and the Broncos went on an 18-5 run to take a 34-20 lead with 6:47 left in the opening half.
The Broncos were hot from beyond the arc, as Jermaine Blackburn and Franco Harris had back-to-back three pointers. After Kareem Lloyd drained two free throws and scored on a drive, Eric Lane threw down two treys. After a three by Tulsa's Chris Wallace, Lloyd scored another bucket to complete the surge.
"We wanted to get off to a good start," Lane said. "The shots were going down, and when that happens everything else falls into place."
BSU coach Greg Graham said it was the best first half since the Hawai'i game at Boise.
"We played well tonight," he said. "We were the aggressor during the game. We had our intensity up. For 40 minutes, I thought we played well."
Boise State kept the lead at 10 or above until the final minutes when the Golden Hurricane cut the deficit to nine two different times.
Blackburn finished with 15 and Lane 14. Lloyd gave the Broncos a lift off the bench with nine points. Freshman Brett McDade led Tulsa with 22, and Jarius Glenn and Wallace added 17 each.
