@UNCBearsWBB Aims For Road Split in Saturday Matinee

Saturday, January 16

Bozeman, Mont.

2:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

Montana State

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

1/15/2016 2:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball

UNC looks to go 1-1 on its trip to Montana when they face Montana State Saturday afternoon

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado women's basketball will look to pick up a weekend road split when they travel to Montana State for a Saturday matinee. The Bears are coming off a 58-46 loss to Montana on Thursday night, while MSU is 5-0 in Big Sky play after defeating North Dakota 69-61.

For all the information on how to follow the game visit GameDay Central.

Game Notes: Northern Colorado | Montana State

The Matchup
Northern Colorado is still seeking its first conference road win of the year when they go into Bozeman Saturday afternoon. UNC is coming off a 58-46 loss at Montana Thursday night. The Bears struggled shooting in the game going 38.6 percent.

Montana State is still undefeated in Big Sky play, 5-0, after defeating North Dakota 69-61 on Thursday. Reigning Big Sky Player of the Week Jasmine Hommes had 20 points and six rebounds in the Bobcats win over the Fighting Hawks.

Scouting the Bobcats
Montana State is a veteran, talented team that is at the top statistically in both offense and defense in the conference. The Bobcats rank second in both scoring offense (75.2 ppg) and defense (59.7 ppg) along with being first in both field percentage offense (44.4%) and defense (34.1%)

Senior Jasmine Hommes is MSU's go to player. She is leading the team in scoring iwth 15.2 points a game and 5.1 rebounds. Since conference play began on New Year's Eve, she has been averaging 17.6 ppg and 7.0 rpg.

Besides Hommes, Montana State has two other players averaging double figures scoring on the year. They are Peyton Ferris (13.8 ppg) and Riley Nordgaard (11.1 ppg).

Nordgaard is also the team's leading rebounder with 6.9 a game.

In the team's first five Big Sky games, MSU is averaging 85.4 points a game.

Last Time Against Montana State
Northern Colorado hopped on the D'shara Strange train last time they took on Montana State and rode it to an 84-63 win in Bozeman.

Strange had a career day setting highs in both points and rebounds with 31 and 17, respectively.

As a team UNC shot well going 34-for-61 from the field on the way to the victory.

MSU was led by Jasmine Hommes 18 points.

Last Time Out
The Bears traveled to Montana Thursday night and fell to the Griz 58-46. UNC kept the game through the middle of the third quarter, before Montana went on a run to beginning the fourth quarter and put the game away. Kourteney Zadina and Rebecca Howell combined for 22 of the team's 46 points.

Against the Big Sky
UNC is 96-119 all-time against Big Sky opponents. Since joining the conference in the 2006-07 season, the Bears are 86-83 all-time. Last season the Bears went 12-6 in the conference to finish third.

On This Date
It was just two years ago when Northern Colorado last played on January 16, and it was also against Montana State. The Bobcats would end up winning that game 68-55 in Greeley. Overall, UNC is 3-7 all-time on the date. The las win came back in 1999 vs South Dakota State.

Month of January
Northern Colorado is just a bit below .500 in the first month of a new year. The Bears have accumulated a 174-178 mark in January. Under current head coach Kamie Ethridge the team is 6-7.

Road Woes
UNC has struggled on the road this season going 1-6 in true road games. The Bears are averaging 54.1 points a game way from Bank of Colorado Arena and allowing opponents to score 61.7. In the team's first seven road games, opponents have outshot UNC .435-to-.366.

Comeback Week
The Bears had a pair of comeback victories last week inside Bank of Colorado Arena. On Thursday night UNC recorded its second largest come-from-behind win in the programs DI history vs Idaho State. The 14 points were four shy of the record. On February 2, 2012 UNC trailed by 18 in the first half vs Sacramento State, but came storming back to win 64-56. Kourteney Zadina hit the game winning shot with 1.9 seconds left.

On Saturday it was another double digit comeback for Northern Colorado, this one of the 12 point flavor. After leading the majority of the game and even by 11 points at one points the Bears ended up down 12 to Weber State early in the fourth quarter. Savannah Scott hit the game-winning jumper as time expired to give UNC the 65-63 win and cap off a 19-5 run during the final 7:02 of play.

Finding Their Roles
Northern Colorado seems to be settling into its roles on the team as conference play has started. While Kourteney Zadina and Kyleigh Hiser are looked at as sharp shooters, Savannah Scott and Kianna Williams have stepped up as stat sheet stuffers. Another couple roles that have been well defined for the team are the solid inside presence of Rebecca Howell and Courtney Smith on both ends of the court.

D-D-D-Defense
The Bears has really stepped it up defensively as Big Sky play has started. In the team's first five Big Sky games, Northern Colorado is holding teams to just 58.6 points a game.

UNC put the clamps down on defense last Thursday night in the second half. For the half the Bears made a stop on 24 of Idaho State's 31 possessions. They also held ISU to just two points in the third quarter and 1-of-12 shooting. The Bengals were held scoreless for an 11:06 period allowing UNC to come back and take a seven point lead.

Kiwi Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Kianna Williams has taken off in her sophomore season doing it all for the Bears. She ranks fourth on the team in scoring (8.1 ppg), second in assists (2.5 apg), first in rebounds (4.5 rpg) and first in steals (1.9 spg).

Swaggy Z Hitting Her Stride
Kourteney "Swaggy Z" Zadina had a slower than usual start to the season, but has turned it on since Thanksgiving. In UNC's games post-Thanksgiving she is averaging 12.1 points a game, shooting 41.4 percent and 37.7 percent from 3-point land. In Big Sky games she is the team leader averaging 12.0 points on 37.5 percent shooting and hitting 41.9 percent of her 3-pointers.

70 is the Mark
Coach Ethridge always preaches to her team that if they score 70 points they are in a good position to win. This season that has happened in four of the teams seven wins.

From Downtown
The Bears have been feeling it from behind the arc this season averaging 8.3 made threes a game. That ranks for 19th best in the nation, but only third best in the Big Sky. Both Idaho (3rd) and Sacramento State (1st) are ahead of UNC.

Stuck Like Glue
After the game against South Dakota State, Kamie Ethridge called Savannah Scott, "the glue that keeps the team together." Scott has had a strong start to her sophomore season. She has stuffed the stat sheet with her play averaging 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals a game.

Valuing the Ball
Once again this year UNC is valuing the rock, and forcing teams into turnovers. They rank 15th in the country and second in the Big Sky with a 1.25 assist-turnover ratio.

Youth is Served
With the graduation of four key seniors from last year, youth will definitely be a big part of the team this season. So far, 50.0 percent of the team's scoring is coming from underclassmen and 43.5 percent of the rebounds.

RPI Report
UNC is ranked 163 as of 1/15, third best in the Big Sky. Idaho is the highest at 117.

What's on Deck?
Northern Colorado returns home for two games next week inside Bank of Colorado Arena. The homestand starts on Thursday, January 21 vs Southern Utah at 7 p.m.