LAS VEGAS — Ryun Williams was surprised to hear McKenna Hofschild played all but 46 seconds in leading Colorado State past a tricky quarterfinal matchup with Boise State.

The Rams’ coach figured she played all 40 minutes.

“I took her out?” he said. “I better get on my assistants for that.”

Hofschild was needed for every bit of that in a difficult 59-52 victory for the third-seeded Rams over No. 6 Boise State in the late game in Monday’s quarterfinals at the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game was tied seven times and the Broncos led by five with 1 minute remaining in the third quarter before the Rams, behind their team defense and the Hofschild-led offense, pulled away.

The win puts Colorado State (20-10) in a semifinal against its archrival, No. 2 Wyoming (21-9), at 8:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

Hoffschild, the Mountain West Player of the Year, scored or assisted on 17 of Colorado State’s 22 field goals. The 5-foot-4 jitterbug finished with 17 points, 10 assists and scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

The fact that she logged so many minutes and took a physical beating didn’t concern Williams, despite the tournament’s format that would require the Rams to win three games in three days to capture the title.

“You know, she’s just wired to play,” Williams said. “Yet, she got a little tired there. I mean, they were quite physical with her, but she’ll get an ice bath tonight and she’ll be ready to go tomorrow. We don’t even think about that. I mean, we’ve seen this young lady compete for 40 minutes a night for three years now. We know what we’re going to get. That’s a tough cookie right there.”

Williams pointed to last year’s Mountain West Tournament, when the Rams didn’t have the luxury of a first-round bye and played four games in four days as they finished as the tournament runner-up. Hofschild played 39 or more minutes three times in those four days and progressed in scoring from 16 apiece in the first two games to 18 in the third to 27 in the championship game.

So, she’s done this before.

And the team was certainly there to help out on Monday. Boise State (17-16) made just 3 of 15 fourth-quarter shots against the Rams’ defense as the game was decided in the final 10 minutes.

“I think every game we go into defense is such a priority for us, and we look to get stops because I think that’s when we can turn and play our best offense,” Hofschild said. “When we get out, run, push in transition, that’s when we get the best.

“I think defense is always our top priority, and tonight just kind of proved that.”

And Hofschild and the Rams will be back after a rest of 22 hours or so to try it again.

“You’re tired and you’re beat up, but you still got to go, and you still got to find a way to win,” Williams said. “McKenna, that’s what she’s all about, so she’ll be ready to go.”