February 17, 2012

Bears welcome in Cal Poly on ‘BracketBusters Saturday’

Game #26: Cal Poly Get Acrobat Reader

When: 7:05 p.m. (MT) Saturday, Feb. 18  
Where: Greeley, Colorado -- Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion (2,992)
Live stats: uncbears.com   
Radio: KFKA-AM 1310 (Troy Coverdale)   
TV: Web Cast -- Big Sky TV (Troy Coverdale)
Coaches: UNC's B.J. Hill (29-28 overall; second season) will take on Joe Callero (42-46 at Cal Poly, third season; 181-175 overall; 13th)
All-time series: These two have met three times since Dec. 1963, when Cal Poly went by "Cal Poly-Pomona." The Bears lead 2-1.

OPENING TIP

  • Northern Colorado Basketball steps out of Big Sky Conference play on Saturday night for a Sears ESPN BracketBusters game against the Cal Poly Mustangs at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.
  • The Bears and the Mustangs have met three times previously (when Cal Poly was known as "Cal Poly-Pomona"), and Northern Colorado owns a 2-1 mark in the series. The Bears are 2-0 at home vs. Cal Poly.
  • The meeting will be the first between the Bears and Mustangs in 20 years, since the 1991-92 season.
  • Northern Colorado comes into Saturday's game having played just six February nonconference games since 1980. The Bears are 6-0 in that span, having knocked off Johnson & Wales three times, and Southern Colorado, New Mexico State and North Dakota one time apiece.
  • The Bears have lost eight home games this season (4-8) and have two games remaining at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Northern Colorado has lost double-figure games at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion just once in the 38 years it's played in the building (10 losses during the 1990-91 season).
  • Northern Colorado hasn't lost more than four games at home since the 2006-07 season, when they fell nine times in Greeley.
  • If the Bears are to make a return trip to this year's Big Sky Conference Championship, they likely need to win both of their remaining two Big Sky Conference games (vs. Weber State, at Portland State).
  • If the Championship were to start today, Northern Colorado would be on the outside, looking in. The Bears come into this weekend's nonconference break with a 5-9 league mark and in sole possession of seventh place in the Big Sky standings. They are one game back of Montana State (6-8) for sixth place, which is the final spot given a Championship berth.