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This Day In Sports: 26 freebies, and they all go in

2013: Free throws are sometimes an adventure for Boise State. Last season, for example. But on one night a decade ago, there was never a doubt.
Credit: Matt Cilley/AP Photo
Boise State's Derrick Marks goes up for a shot against Fresno State, Jan. 23, 2013, in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won 74-67, going 26-for-26 from the free throw line.

BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…January 23, 2013, 10 years ago today:

Boise State sets a school and Mountain West record by going 26-of-26 from the free throw line in a 74-67 win over Fresno State at Taco Bell Arena. Sophomore Derrick Marks made all 12 of his free throws on his way to a game-high 30 points. It was the best performance from the charity stripe in college basketball in four years (although Oklahoma would top it later that season). The Broncos came close to matching the mark on New Year’s Eve, 2020, hitting all 25 of their freebies in a 106-54 rout of San Jose State.

Boise State has been perfect four times in the Mountain West era when attempting 10 or more free throws. The Broncos were 13-of-13 against Colorado State in 2014 and 12-of-12 versus Air Force in 2018. There’s a three-way tie for the NCAA Division I record for most made free throws in a game without a miss. Going an amazing 34-for-34 were UC Irvine against Pacific in 1981, Samford versus UCF in 1990, and Oklahoma against Iowa State in 2013.

A year ago, with three victories still to go in their school-record 14-game winning streak, Boise State was near the bottom of Division I in season free throw shooting at just 59 percent. This season, the Broncos are shooting just under 72 percent from the stripe, led individually by Max Rice at just under 92 percent. There are lots of close games to come in a very intense Mountain West season, and those things are going to count.

(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)

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