@UNCBearsWBB First Big Sky Win Comes in Thrilling Fashion

Thursday, January 7

Greeley, Colo.

7:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

6-7, 1-2BSC

Idaho State

7-6, 0-2BSC

Idaho State

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

1/7/2016 11:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Northern Colorado women's basketball had a 14 point comeback over Idaho State Thursday night

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Kourteney Zadina made two baskets on Thursday night for the Northern Colorado women's basketball team, but that second bucket was the most important of the game. With 1.9 seconds left on the clock Zadina hit a six foot jumper to give UNC a 48-47 win over Idaho State.

"We ran the play just the way it was drawn up. The ball was to be inbounded to Kianna Williams, who would drive baseline and have the options to go to the basket, dump it off in the paint or kick it out to the corner for a three," Zadina said about the game-winning shot.

The basket and victory snapped the Bears (6-7, 1-2 Big Sky) five-game losing streak, and gave the team its first Big Sky win of the year.

For the night Zadina finished with five points and four rebounds.

The team's win was a part of the second biggest comeback in the program's Division I history.

With 1:21 left in the first half, ISU held its biggest lead over the Bears at 14.

Idaho State held a 34-22 lead at the half behind solid defense, rebounding and good ball movement. Rebecca Howell led the Bears in the first half with eight of her game-high 14 points.

The Bengals out-shot (53.8% to 38.5%) and out-rebounded (19-11) UNC in the first 20 minutes, but in the third quarter everything changed into UNC's favor.

Northern Colorado opened the second half on a 6-0 run, and started to clean up the glass grabbing 10 of the first 12 rebound opportunities.

Idaho State ended the quick run out of the half with a basket at the 5:42 mark by Apiphany Woods. That would be the team's only points in the third quarter though. UNC ended up outscoring ISU 11-2 to cut the score to 36-33 Idaho State after three quarters.

During the quarter the Bengals went 1-for-12 from the field.

"In the third quarter we had a lot of good stops. It felt like we came out with an edge in that quarter knowing we had to get those stops to get back in the game," Zadina said.

Northern Colorado's defense continued to stifle Idaho State to begin the fourth quarter. The Bears took the lead for the first time in the game on a Kyleigh Hiser 3-pointer with 9:12 left and the score at 38-36.

By the time ISU scored again, UNC had just capped off a 21-2 run to lead by seven points.

"It took us awhile to adjust to Idaho State's style of play in the first half allowing them to get out to a lead. Once we got settled in on defense it showed and helped us start the comeback," said head coach Kamie Ethridge.

The Bengals wouldn't go away easy though going on a 9-1 run from 2:57 to the 0:05 mark on the clock.

That's when Ethridge called a timeout to draw up the game-winning play for Zadina from teammate Kianna Williams. Williams ended the night as the team's second leading scorer with 12 points to go with three rebounds and three assists.

Overall for the second half, Northern Colorado stopped Idaho State in 24 of their 31 possessions to help earn the hard fought victory.

UNC will look to carry the momentum of the thrilling comeback victory into Saturday afternoon when they host Weber State. The Wildcats are coming off a 62-56 victory at North Dakota Thursday night. Tip-off the game is set for 2:00 p.m. MST.