January 14, 2006
With the 74-63 loss, Northern Colorado falls to 2-18 on the season while Texas-Pan American improves to 4-13.
Texas-Pan American now leads the all-time series 2-1, having won both games on their own home court. The Bears and Broncs will have the re-match in 16 days in Greeley. Game time is set for 7 p.m. MT.
For the third consecutive game and seventh time this season, Northern Colorado used a starting lineup of Matt Kline, Sean Taibi, Dwayne Birden, Erik Olson and Kirk Archibeque.
Taibi opened the game with a 3-pointer and after hitting a 2-pointer a minute later, the Bears led 7-2. But Texas-Pan American used a 6-0 spurt that extended to a 12-2 run to lead 14-9. The Broncs would lead by as many as eight at 24-16 before Archibeque hit two free throws and added a bucket as part of a UNC run that saw Archibeque scored six straight and eight of 10 points for the Bears.
UTPA led 29-24 at the half. They led by a nearly identical score, 28-24, last season in Edinburg. Northern Colorado was led by 12 points from Archibeque while Darren Jefferies added four rebounds, which matched his season-high at the break. Colin Lien led UTPA with 10 points and four rebounds in the first half.
Northern Colorado shot only 36% from the field, including 1-of-9 (11.1%) from 3-point range in the first half. UTPA hit 56% from the field and attempted only one 3-pointer, which they missed.
The Bears quickly scored the first four points of the second half, on a bucket by Kline and a pair of free throws by Archibeque. But the Broncs responded with an 8-0 run to grab a 37-28 lead, its largest of the game to that point.
After making its first 3-point attempt of the game, the Bears missed their next 12 3-point attempts before Taibi finally connected with 8:30 to play in the game.
UTPA would shoot 53.6% in the second half and finish at 54.7% for the game. The Bears hit 48.4% in the second half and finished at 42.9% for the game.
Kano Edwards led UTPA with 20 points, while Colin Lien added 18 points and nine rebounds. Larry Sheppared scored 15 and had 12 assists.
Archibeque scored a game-high 30 points on 12-of-13 shooting. The 30 points matched his career-high set last season in a double-overtime victory over Texas State (Dec. 22). It marked the first time in his career at Northern Colorado that he has three consecutive games of 20 or more points.
Taibi hit 3-of-10 3-pointers, extending his streak of hitting at least one 3-pointer in every game this season. He leads the team with 51 and has 14 multiple trifectas games this season.
Taibi shared the team lead of six assists with Kline.
The Bears hit 11-of-13 (84.6%) from the free throw line, the third straight game they have hit 75% or better from the charity stripe. They had not hit 75% or better in seven of their last eight games prior to this streak.
Northern Colorado completes its two game Texas swing with a Monday night match-up at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (11-6). Game time is set for 6 p.m. MT.
Texas-Pan American Post Game Notes
Jan. 14, 2006
