Zadina's Career High Helps @UNCBearsWBB Clinch Big Sky Bid

Thursday, February 26

Cedar City, Utah

7:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

16-11 (10-6)

Southern Utah

12-13 (5-10)

UNCO

Southern Utah

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/26/2015 10:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Kourteney Zadina's career high 22 points helped UNC women's basketball clinch a spot in the Big Sky Tournament in March

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

CEDAR CITY, Utah— The Northern Colorado (16-11, 10-6 Big Sky) women's basketball team clinched a spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament in March with its 88-66 win at Southern Utah (12-13, 5-10 Big Sky), Thursday night.

The Bears used another great offensive game led by Kourteney Zadina's (Seward, Neb.) career-high 22 points, to earn the win. Eighteen of her 22 points came from made three-pointers as she went 6-9 from behind the arc.

As a team UNC converted 12 shots from beyond the arc, and shot 53.6 percent from the field.

Zadina was one of five players for UNC to score in double figures. She was joined by teammates Stephanie Lee (13), Kyleigh Hiser (12), D'shara Strange (11), and Savannah Scott (10). The 10 points were one shy of a career-high for Scott (Campbell, Calif.).

"We had great contribution from all over our line-up tonight," head coach Kamie Ethridge said. "It is great when we are making three's and having to spread out the defense."

For the third straight game Northern Colorado recorded 20 plus assists, this time UNC was good for 24 in the contest. Lee (Casper, Wyo.), Lindsay Mallon (Lone Tree, Colo.) and Scott led the team with four assists each.

"We are a very unselfish team and we move the ball around," Ethridge said. "Kyleigh hit some early three's and it just really got our offense going."

Hiser (Laramie, Wyo.) finished the night 3-6 from three-point range, all three coming in the first half.

It was not just the UNC offense that played well, but also its defense. The Bears forced 20 SUU turnovers, 10 of them via steals.

The Bears got out to a quick start, opening with a 10-1 run in the first three minutes and thirty seconds.

Southern Utah stayed within nine points of the Bears, until another quick UNC rally in the middle of the half. Over a two minute and thirty second time frame
Northern Colorado tallied 12 straight points to extend the lead, 40-22.

The Bears entered the half up 49-28, shooting a remarkable 58.1 percent in the first 20 minutes of action.

"It was a great first half," said Ethridge "we played great on the offensive end and shot very well."

UNC continued to nurse its lead in the second half, shooting 48.0 percent from the field, while getting 14 points from Zadina.

Having now clinched a spot in the Big Sky Tournament Northern Colorado will look to continue its six game win streak and improve its seeding for the tournament against
Northern Arizona. NAU and UNC will face-off at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 in Flagstaff, Ariz. The Lumberjacks (11-14, 9-7 Big Sky) are coming off a 72-68 win over North Dakota Thursday night.

"NAU will be a confident team after defeating us on our home court earlier this year," Ethridge said. "We have to continue to pass and move the ball the way we have been lately. We will also need to defend them well and force turnovers."