January 13, 2012

Men's Basketball hosts Eagles in 'Game of the Week'

Game #16: Eastern Washington Get Acrobat Reader

When: 7:05 p.m. (MT) Thursday, Jan. 12   
Where: Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion (2,992)   
Live stats: uncbears.com   
Radio: KFKA-AM 1310 (Troy Coverdale)   
TV: Altitude (Jerry Schemmel, Mark Randall, Maya Starks)
Coaches: UNC's B.J. Hill (26-21 overall; second season) takes on Eastern's Jim Hayford (9-8; first season)
All-time series: Northern Colorado owns a 6-5 mark in the series that started in Dec. 1971. It hasn't lost at home since Jan. 2007.

OPENING TIP

  • After sending all but one of its first six games on the road this season, Northern Colorado will end a stretch Saturday night of playing eight of 10 at home in December and January, with its two road contests in the stretch coming at then 11th-ranked Marquette and at Sacramento State.
  • Following Saturday's matchup with Eastern Washington, the Bears will play five of six games on the road, including at Montana (Big Sky second place) and Weber State (first place).
  • The Bears are looking Saturday night to avoid their first three-game home losing streak since 2007, their first year in the Big Sky Conference. That season Northern Colorado lost consecutive home games to Montana State, Montana and Idaho State from late-January to early February.
  • Northern Colorado is 6-5 all-time against Eastern Washington and has won four straight in the series and six of seven overall. The Bears haven't lost to the Eagles in Greeley since January 2007.
  • The Bears have been an exceptionally strong rebounding team over the last month or so. They have outrebounded their opponents in their last five games and 12 times in 15 games this season. In their last five games (2-3) Northern Colorado has won the rebounding battle by an average of 7.8 rebounds per game (32.4 to 24.6).
  • It's not equating to a lot of wins, though. Northern Colorado is 5-7 when outrebouding opponents this season.
  • Northern Colorado, after its loss to Marquette on Saturday, Dec. 17 (regional/ESPN3), is 10-33 all-time in televised contests and 7-9 in its last 14 TV games. The Bears game vs. Eastern Washington will be broadcast regionally and nationally on Altitude.
  • Tevin Svihovec earned his first career start against Johnson & Wales on Dec. 3, and the redshirt-freshman has been going gangbusters ever since. In the eight games since (all starts) Svihovec has averaged 9.3 points per game on 44 percent shooting and 47 percent marksmanship from beyond the three-point stripe. He put in a career-high 16 points on Saturday night, Jan. 7, at Sacramento State.
  • It should come as little surprise, but it's still worth noting: when Northern Colorado has flexed its defensive muscle over the last two seasons (Hill's tenure as its head coach), it's usually won. The Bears are 5-1 this season and 18-4 in the last two years when allowing fewer than 70 points to their opponent.
  • On the flipside, if Northern Colorado allows its foe to get to 80 points or more, it's winless this season (0-5) and 1-8 under Hill.
  • With its 1-2 record so far this January, Northern Colorado is 26-40 in January games during its NCAA Division I era (ninth season)
  • Northern Colorado, which lost Thursday at home vs. Portland State, is 8-11 under Hill following a loss, with a 4-5 mark in those situations this season.

NORTHERN COLORADO vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON

  • The Bears own a 6-5 advantage against the Eagles in a series that started during the 1971-72 season.
  • The Bears lost the first four times they played the Eagles -- but have lost to them only once since in a span of four seasons.
  • Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington first met in Dec. 1971, and the Eagles left Greeley with a 76-68 victory at Gunter Hall. The Eagles then won the teams' first three Big Sky meetings by an average margin of 6.3 points per game.
  • Northern Colorado then caught up with Eastern Washington and won two-in-a-row and six of seven since in the all-time series.
  • Bears coach B.J. Hill, in his second season as a head coach, is 2-0 against the Eagles. He led Northern Colorado past Eastern Washington on the road on New Year's Eve last year and then again in Greeley in early February.
  • Of the current Northern Colorado players redshirt-sophomore Emmanuel Addo has had the most career success against Eastern Washington. In his two games against them last season, including one start, Addo averaged seven points per game on 62.5 percent shooting (5-of-8).
  • Redshirt-junior Elliott Lloyd has played against the Eagles four times and owns a 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game mark against them.