@UNCBearsWBB Battle Past North Dakota in First Round of Big Sky Tournament

Wednesday, March 11

Missoula, Mont.

1:30 pm

University of Northern Colorado

19-11

North Dakota

17-14

North Dakota

Northern Colorado

3/11/2015 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Northern Colorado women's basketball defeated North Dakota 72-64 Wednesday afternoon to move on to the next round of the Big Sky Tournament

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Northern Colorado women's basketball team faced North Dakota for the second time in five days, producing the same result as the first time, a UNC win. Today the Bears won 72-64 in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament.

It was a close game that produced 11 lead changes and three ties.

"It was an unbelievably hard fought game after just playing North Dakota a few days ago," head coach Kamie Ethridge said. "This game felt like a trap game for us coming in with a hot streak. I thought we might feel a little pressure in this game and I did too. Give North Dakota credit for how hard they played and how much they changed to combat what we did just a few days ago."

UNC once again had four players finish in double figures scoring, with Stephanie Lee (Casper, Wyo.) leading the way with 24 points. Lee also had five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Lindsay Mallon (Lone Tree, Colo.) was another one of the Bears in double figures with 11 points on top of her eight rebounds and eight assists. This is the second game in a row she has had eight assists and third time this season she has reached the mark.

Freshman Savannah Scott (Campbell, Calif.) didn't show any nerves playing in her first Big Sky Tournament game hitting the first two shots of the game, giving UNC an early 5-2 lead.

The teams continued to trade baskets through the first eight minutes of the action, before UNC went on a 9-2 run behind the senior trio of Lee, Mallon and D'shara Strange (Fountain, Colo.) taking a 23-17 advantage with 8:18 remaining in the first half.

Strange finished the game as the team's leading rebounder with nine, to go with her 12 points and four steals.

"You saw three seniors in Steph, D'shara, and Lindsay not wanting to have their career end and just fight the whole game," said Ethridge.

North Dakota responded though behind the shooting of Megan Lauck to draw within two of UNC, 27-25.

Lee and Strange, came right back for Northern Colorado each scoring four points apiece during an 8-0 streak, stretching the run out to 10 points. That lead was short lived however after Lauck stayed hot for UND creating her own 8-0 run to make the score, 35-32 in favor of UNC with 1:33 left in the first half.

Stephanie Lee stopped North Dakota scoring with a bucket at 1:24, giving UNC the 37-33 lead going into the half.

The second half was a story of runs for each team.

It started out with North Dakota going on a 7-0 run to take a lead, 40-39 before the first media timeout of the half.

"Basketball is a game of runs, you know a team is going to make a run," Strange said. "That is what North Dakota did. Coach always says we like chaos and we are okay with it and can adapt with it."

The teams were tied at 49-49 with 11 minutes remaining in the game when UNC rallied, this one of the 12-4 variety. Kyleigh Hiser (Laramie, Wyo.) hit one of her three second half 3-pointers to spark the run.

Hiser finished the game with 16 points and four rebounds.

UND wasn't done yet, fighting all the way back to get within three points, with just over three minutes remaining in the contest.

The senior duo of Lee and Strange closed it out from there. Lee had six of her fourteen second half points in the final three minutes of play.

"When [Emily] Evers was out coach was calling some plays to get some isolations down low and my teammates did a great job of getting me the ball in good position," Lee said.

Northern Colorado moves on to Friday's semifinals facing Sacramento State at 11:00 a.m. in Missoula. The Hornets defeated Montana State earlier on Wednesday, 78-62.