@UNCBearsWBB Heads to North Dakota to Close Out Season

Saturday, March 7

Grand Forks, N.D.

1:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

North Dakota

3/4/2015 5:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Northern Colorado women's basketball heads to North Dakota Saturday

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

Northern Colorado women's basketball takes its seven game win streak to North Dakota Saturday afternoon.

Game 29
Who: North Dakota 17-12, 9-8 Big Sky
When: Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. CST (1:00 p.m. MST)
Where: Grand Forks, N.D., Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (3,330)
Series History: North Dakota 34-4, last meeting January 17, 2015 (UND, 68-58)
Game Links: Video | Audio | Live Stats
Game Notes: Northern Colorado | North Dakota | Big Sky

Bear Facts
• UNC is currently on a seven game winning streak. It is the schools longest since 2013 when the team won nine straight.
• During this current win streak the Bears have been averaging 81.0 points per game
• D'shara Strange earned her fourth Big Sky player of the year last week averaging 19.0 points 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 steals. Against NAU she scored 27 points and had a career-high tying eight assists.
• Northern Colorado set at school Division I records, shooting 63.2 percent (36-57).
• Kourteney Zadina had a great weekend as well for the Bears, averaging 16.5 points on 11-15 shooting, including 9-13 on 3-point shots. She scored a career high 22 points against Southern Utah.
• It is not just the offense that has been leading the Bears on this win streak, but the defense has been playing well too. They have allowed 61.6 points per game and forcing 15.7 turnovers a game.
• UNC matched the school's record most wins for the month of February at seven.
• The Bears have a top 25 assist to turnover ratio of 1.19.
• UNC is ranked 71st in the nation holding opponents to 59.3 points per game

Scouting North Dakota
North Dakota has been on a skid lately, losing five of its last six games, including a current three game losing streak. UND clinched a spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament last week and currently sits in fifth place. UND's offense has a variety of scorers with five players averaging eight point or more a game, including three averaging 10 points plus. As a team North Dakota is very good on the boards out-rebounding its opponents by a margin of +7.9 a game. North Dakota and Northern Colorado played against each other earlier this season in Greeley, with UND coming out victorious 68-58.

RPI Report
Northern Colorado is currently 152nd in the RPI, ranking 4th overall right now among Big Sky teams. Montana has the highest RPI for the Big Sky at 102. (As of 3/4/15)

On this Date
Northern Colorado is 0-7 all-time on March 7th. The last time the Bears played on the date was in 2013 against Southern Utah.

Month of March
Northern Colorado is 23-45 all-time in the month of March.

Conference Race Heats Up
Northern Colorado clinched a spot in the Big Sky Tournament with its win Southern Utah (2/26). The Bears currently sit in third place with the possibility of moving up to the second seed. Below are the scenarios for each seed UNC could earn.

2 Seed
Win AND a Sacramento State loss to either Southern Utah or Northern Arizona

3 Seed
Win AND two Sacramento State wins
OR
Loss AND one Eastern Washington loss

4 Seed
Loss AND two Eastern Washington wins

What's on Deck?
The Bears will head to Missoula, Mont. next week to compete in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The quarterfinal game will be on Thursday March 12 at a time TBD. University of Montana earned the right to host the tournament by winning the regular season conference title. The winner of the tournament earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.