@unco_mbb Has Final Tune Up Before Big Sky Play with Mississippi State

Wednesday, December 23

Jackson, MS

6:00 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

Mississippi State University

Photo by: Rob Trubia

12/22/2015 11:31:00 AM | Men's Basketball

The Bears and the Bulldogs will play in Jackson, Mississippi at the Mississippi Coliseum on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 5:00 p.m. (MT).

By: UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado (3-8) has one final tune up before Big Sky play begins on New Year's Eve, playing Mississippi State (5-5) on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 6:00 p.m. (MT). The game will be played at a neutral site in Jackson, Mississippi at the Mississippi Coliseum with MSU being designated as the home team.

For all information regarding the game, please visit our GAMEDAY CENTRAL.

Scouting The Bears (Game Notes) (Big Sky Notes)
- The Bears are coming off back-to-back losses against Denver (81-77) and most recently Jacksonville State (79-76).
- Junior guard, Dallas Anglin has been a breath of fresh air for the team, scoring 19, 18, and 23 points since becoming eligible to play.
- Northern Colorado is 0-4 all-time against SEC schools. The last time they played someone from the conference came in the 1969-70 season at Texas A&M, falling 63-54.
- UNC is coming off its best shooting game of the season in the loss at Jacksonville State. The team finished 53.8% (28-of-52), but finished tied for its worst three-point effort of the year, shooting just 4-of-12 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.
- Out of the 75.0 points a game the Bears are averaging, 50.7 of those points are from the hands of junior guards, Dallas Anglin, Anthony Johnson and Jordan Wilson.
- This is the third Power 5 conference that the Bears have faced this season, already playing at Kansas (Big 12) and Colorado (Pac 12).

Scouting The Bulldogs (Game Notes)
- Mississippi State is an even 5-5 on the year after coming off a win against Tulane, 69-59. MSU is 4-1 on the season at home, but the game against UNC will be at a neutral site in Jackson, Mississippi at the Mississippi Coliseum where the Bulldogs will be the home team.
- MSU is led by Gavin Ware who is averaging close to a double-double on the season with 17.7 points and 7.7 boards. Ware has already posted three double-doubles on the season and has been the team's leading rebounder in 7 of the 10 games thus far.
- Ware has been lights out through 10 games, shooting an outstanding 69.4% from the field, which ranks him 5th in the Nation in FG%.
- The Bulldogs make it count at the charity stripe, averaging 74.3% as a team, ranking them 31st overall in the NCAA.
- Mississippi State has already played another Big Sky opponent this season in Eastern Washington. MSU downed the Eagles 106-88 to open the season.

Final Tune Up
- After the Mississippi State game UNC returns home to host Big Sky Conference play beginning on Dec. 31 with reigning league champs Eastern Washington. The Bears then welcome Idaho to Bank of Colorado Arena on Jan. 2.
- This is the first meeting between MSU and Northern Colorado and just the fifth time the team has played an SEC opponent and the first matchup with the conference in 45 years.
- The Bears will either end non-conference play 4-8 or 3-9. In head coach B.J. Hill's tenure, his teams have finished 4-7 (2010-11), 3-8 (2011-12), 2-7 (2012-13), 6-3 (2013-14), and 5-6 (2014-15) in non-conference action.
- This is the third Power 5 conference that the Bears have faced this season, already playing at Kansas (Big 12) and Colorado (Pac 12).

The Streak Continues
-Junior guards, Dallas Anglin, Anthony Johnson and Jordan Wilson all reached double figures in the loss at Jacksonville State, scoring 23, 10 and 12 points, respectively.
- Wilson has now scored at least 10 points or more in all 11 games this year, approaching the Division I record of 17 games straight in double digits, set by former guard, Will Figures.
- Johnson has scored the same mark in 10 out of the 11 games this season with his only single digit performance coming against UC-Riverside where he notched just 5 points.
- Anglin has provided some much needed offense for the team now scoring, 19, 18 and 23 points in first three outings since becoming eligible to play.
- Out of the 75.0 points a game the Bears average, the trio is producing 50.7 of them.

Offense And Defense
- UNC has been shooting lights out on the offensive end of the court, but that has taken its toll on defense. The Bears are averaging 43.8% from the field, including 38.9% from beyond the arc.
- Defense is a different story for Northern Colorado as teams are averaging 46.7% from the floor and 39.7% from three point land.
- UNC ranks 43rd in the NCAA in 3FG% and 181st in FG%, but are 330th and 304th on defense in those categories.

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