BOISE, Idaho — Ahmet Gueye wanted to do well against his "second basketball family" and, for the most part, he did.

Gueye led the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and six rebounds, although it came in a 73-62 loss at Boise State.

"I thought we fought hard and executed," Gueye said. "Unfortunately, it didn't go our way."

Gueye, a 6-foot-8 senior center, appeared to be on the way to an even bigger game, but an ankle injury helped shut him down in the second half.

He had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed all six of his rebounds in the first half. But in the opening minute of the second half, he landed awkwardly on the foot of a Boise State player, and twisted his left ankle.

Gueye, who already plays with a brace on his surgically repaired right knee, had to be assisted off the court.

"I'll be fine," Gueye said. "I just hope it doesn't swell up later."

When Gueye was taken off the court, Hawai'i trailed 34-31. Boise State immediately went on a 9-2 run to increase the lead to 43-33.

"That was a key stretch there," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "We weren't getting anything inside and they were doing what ever they wanted without Ahmet in there."

Boise State head coach Greg Graham said: "We wanted to work it inside all night, and when Ahmet went down, we thought we had a big advantage."

Graham and the other Boise State coaches are familiar with Gueye. They tried to recruit him when he was a sophomore at Salt Lake Community College (Utah).

"We still keep in contact," Gueye said. "They are truly good people, like my second basketball family after Hawai'i. They really wanted me to go there, but I loved Hawai'i."

Gueye eventually returned to the game with 11:50 remaining, but he could not help the 'Bows rally.

"I was frustrated because I thought I was having a good game," Gueye said. "I really wanted to get back in there, but when I came back in, it was hard to get back on track."

He fouled out with 52.4 seconds remaining in the game.

When Gueye was out of the game, the 'Bows tried several different lineups, including shifting 6-6 Bobby Nash to power forward.

"When Ahmet's not there, you lose a big body, a shot blocker, a big presence in there," said Nash, normally the small forward.

The Broncos out-rebounded Hawai'i, 36-32, including 20-13 in the second half. Boise State also scored 42 points in the paint to Hawai'i's 22.

"When Ahmet's not in there, we need to find somebody else to get us that tough rebound," Wallace said. "But even when he was in there in the first half, (Boise State) was scoring inside. We just have to work at getting better defensively."

FOOTBALL FIESTA

The sellout crowd of 10,190 at the Taco Bell Arena was the largest for a Boise State home game in seven years.

Many of the fans came to honor the Boise State football team, which went undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl.

The largest cheers of the night came at halftime when the football Broncos made their way to the court.

LOWENTHAL REJECTED

Hawai'i freshman reserve guard Todd Lowenthal was not allowed into the game in the closing seconds because Boise State's official scorer did not have him listed on the roster.

Boise State officials apparently erred in leaving Lowenthal off the official roster.

HOME SWEET HOME

Hawai'i is scheduled to return to Honolulu this afternoon after six nights in Idaho.

The 'Bows will play just one Western Athletic Conference game this week — Thursday against San Jose State at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.