BOX SCORE: Weber State

GREELEY, Colo. - A balanced attack and smothering defense helped the Northern Colorado women's basketball team to a 12-point victory over Weber State on Sunday afternoon and gave the program its 500^th overall win. The Bears 66-53 win gives them a 7-7 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Big Sky Conference play, while the Wildcats move to 5-8 on the year and 0-1 in league action.

Junior guard Whitley Cox led three Bears in double figures in points with 19, but all eight players who saw action scored at least two points. Sophomore guard Courtney Stoermer scored 14 and for the second-straight game, sophomore forward Kate Kevorken added 10. Freshman center Courtney Kranz came off the bench to lead the team with eight rebounds, while three others each had five. Kevorken also led the club with four assists and a career-best three blocked shots, while junior guard Lizzie Cooper tied her career-high with three steals.

"I thought the whole team played with more confidence tonight," said Head Coach Jaime White. "We played very well in transition and Kate is really starting to take over out there with rebounding and passing the ball. Courtney Kranz is also doing a good job of blocking out and getting the rebounds."

Forward Caitlin Anderson led the Wildcats with 13 points, while center Joey O'Neill had a game-high 10 rebounds and guard Tonya Schnibbe led all players with five assists and four steals.

Northern Colorado's defense was big in the contest, as Weber State shot just .279 from the field and .222 from beyond the arc. The Bears shot .471 from the field and .353 from the three-point line, making three triples in each half.

Though the score was tied 12 times and there were 12 lead changes in the game, the Bears stayed tough, never letting the Wildcats lead by more than two points, while they held their largest lead of 13 with 15 seconds remaining in the game.

With the victory, Northern Colorado hits the huge milestone of win 500 in program history, as the team is now 500-491 since play began in 1974.

The Bears step back out of conference play and head to New York City to take on Columbia out of the Ivy League on Sunday. Opening tip is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Eastern (11:00 a.m. Mountain).