University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
22-12
South Dakota
26-8
@UNCBearsWBB Battles and Survives Against South Dakota at Home
3/22/2015 8:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Northern Colorado women's basketball set a school record with its 22nd win of the season.
GREELEY—It was a record setting day for Northern Colorado women's basketball as they defeated South Dakota Sunday evening 59-58. The victory sets school record for wins in a season with 22 and it is the furthest the program has every advanced in any Division I postseason tournament.
Just like in the first round of the WNIT, Northern Colorado (22-12) had to comeback for the victory. With 7:37 left in the game South Dakota led UNC 51-47.
Kyleigh Hiser (Laramie, Wyo.) started the Bears comeback with a jumper and 3-pointer to give the team a 52-51 lead with 6:44 left in the game.
Hiser was one of three UNC players to finish in double-figures with 10 points, she also added in three assists.
USD responded with a 5-0 run of its own to go up 56-52 with the clock reading 5:09. That would be the last time the Coyotes scored until one second remained.
From that point on Northern Colorado's defense clamped down, forcing six South Dakota turnovers. They finished with 16 overall, including 11 in the second half.
"We guarded pretty hard and pretty well tonight and it was big for us," head coach Kamie Ethridge said.
The biggest turnover came with seven seconds left and UNC up by one. Senior Lindsay Mallon (Lone Tree, Colo.) slid in front of Nicole Seekamp to draw the charge and give
the ball back to the home team.
"Lindsay drawing the foul was a game changer, and huge for us," Ethridge said. "There is nothing like a senior point guard with a high IQ which is what she is."
Mallon finished the game with no points, but her eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, heart and leadership were big for the Bears.
"As a senior we are playing in front of the home crowd and my mindset is there is no way we are going to lose this game at home," Mallon said. "I knew I needed to step up and do my job. That doesn't mean I need to score, but to know my role and play good defense and step up when my team needs me."
D'shara Strange (Fountain, Colo.) sank two free throws to extend the lead to three, before USD hit a late jumper to make it the final tally of, 59-58.
Strange finished the game as UNC's leading scorer with 14 points to go with eight boards an assist and a block.
She also became the school's all-time leading scorer (1,879 points) passing Missy Burel (1999-2003).
Northern Colorado got big contributions from its bench with 20 points and eight rebounds. The duo of Amber Van Deudekom (Brea, Calif.) and Rebecca Howell (Denver, Colo.) combined for 10 of those points and six of those rebounds.
Their numbers turned out to be big as Stephanie Lee (Casper, Wyo.) battled foul trouble during the first half, playing only five minutes. Despite missing most of the half, Lee still finished with 11 points.
"Seniors generally make plays in big games, and all of our seniors did so for us tonight," said Ethridge.
The whole game was played within a 15-point range as neither team led by more than eight points. USD's largest lead was eight early in the first half, while UNC's was seven early in the second.
The Bears win now advances them to the third round of the WNIT where they will face UCLA in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m. mountain time.
"UCLA is a very athletic team and that will be a challenge for us," said Ethridge. "We will have to make sure we play within our game and make them work for all of their points."
