NCAA Tournament Opening Round Game 4

Boise State Broncos

La Salle Explorers

 VERSES

       The fourth and final Opening Round Game pins the La Salle Explorers (21-9) against the Boise State Broncos (21-10).

        The Explorers are on a 2 game losing streak entering the NCAA Tournament after being upset  in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Conference by the Butler Bulldogs. They were the fourth seed entering that tournament after losing their last regular season  game to eventual A-10 Champions St. Louis Billikens.
     
        The explorers top 2 leading scorers average 32 points per game combined. Ramon Galloway averages 17 points and nearly four assists per game, while Tyreek Duren averages 15 points and three assits per game.

        The Broncos lost to the San Diego State Aztecs in the second round of the Mountain West Conference tournament. They beat SDSU in the final game of their regular season a few days prior to that.

       The Broncos leading scorers average almost 34 points per game. Anthony Drmic averages a little more than 17 points (17.3) and two point four assists per game, while Derrick Marks averages 16.4 points and four assists per game.

       Overall this game looks to be really tight between the two. The Broncos have played 4 games against ranked teams going 1-3 overall and the Explorers have played 3 going 2-1. The Broncos only average one more point per game (73.3 to 72.4) while giving up one less point per game (65 to 66).
 
       The winner of this game plays Kansas State Friday 2:10 CT in Kansas City, Missouri.

        I think this will be an overtime thriller. Boise State will come out strong but the Explorers of La Salle will tame the Broncos 72 to 71.