University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Saturday, December 10
Colorado Springs, Colo.
2:30 pm
University of Northern Colorado
6-2
71
at
44
Air Force
2-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | 15 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 71 |
| Air Force | 10 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 44 |
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
PG
/ Women's Basketball
G/PG
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
NC
AF
FG%
.482
.306
3FG%
.286
.200
FT%
.867
.600
RB
45
26
TO
20
21
STL
7
8
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Well Rounded Game Leads @UNCBearsWBB Past Air Force
12/10/2016 8:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNC women's basketball played a complete game Saturday in the 71-44 win over Air Force
USAFA – Northern Colorado women's basketball used a strong overall game to earn a win over Air Force Saturday afternoon 77-41.
How it Happened
Krystal Leger-Walker opened up the scoring for Northern Colorado, producing the first five points of the game for the team. As the first quarter progressed, both offenses struggled putting the ball in the hoop, but the free throw line proved to be key.
The Bears entered the game as the 11th best free throw shooting team in the nation, and hit all eight of its tries in the first quarter. Those free throws would be important for UNC as it shot only 21.4 percent in the quarter, but led 15-10.
It was both strong offense and defense that led to a big second quarter for Northern Colorado. The team shot 71.4 percent and forced eight turnovers.
With the strong effort came a 12-2 run by the Bears over a four minute stretch. The duo of Courtney and Savannah Smith led the team during the run with four points each. The rally pushed the UNC lead to 15.
By halftime, the Bears had doubled up the Falcons 36-18.
Northern Colorado used another run, this time 7-0, to extend its lead in the beginning of the third to expand the advantage to 23. UNC held at least a 20-point lead throughout the rest of the quarter.
Being up by 23 going into the fourth, UNC was able to use its bench depth. The freshman trio of Abby Kain, Bridget Hintz and Mandy Karako played the majority of the fourth, all coming away with career-highs in scoring. They had five, 10 and 11, respectively as the Bears made their way to a 71-44 victory.
Game Changer
While the youngsters got plenty of playing time, it was still the veteran leadership of Savannah Scott that led the way for the Bears. She finished the game recording her second career double-double with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. She was hard to stop shooting, going 7-for-10 from the field, hitting one 3-pointer.
Notable
- The large lead in the second half allowed Kamie Ethridge to use her bench and get some quality playing time for the younger players Saturday afternoon. All 11 of the UNC's players saw at least seven minutes of action.
- Northern Colorado controlled the paint all game, outscoring the Falcons 40-26 in that area and outrebounding them, 45-25.
- The team had a season-high in assists with 21 on 27 made baskets.
Quotable
Junior Guard Savannah Scott
On her and team's play in the game:
"It was a hard game to get started with a long travel day. We knew we could push them in transition, so whenever I got the rebound I was just thinking, 'get the ball up the floor.' We also did a good job of just passing it around and getting good shots."
About first quarter struggles:
"They were really overplaying us early on and that caught us off guard, but as we started to back cut and get to the basket it opened it up for our offense."
Head Coach Kamie Ethridge
Overall thoughts on game:
"I was happy with the way we bounced back after a disappointing game against Colorado State. We were a young team that was learning to play a game where we are in a favorable matchup. Our goal walking into the gym was to string together multiple quality possessions in a row. We did that really well in the first half, getting good looks on offense and playing solid defense against Air Force. In the second half, we weren't as sharp with that, but it's understandable when you are playing a bunch of different young players in different rotations. Overall, I am very, very happy with the way we played."
Play of younger players:
"We are really happy with getting Bridget (Hintz) and Abby (Kain) some well-deserved minutes today. They played well against a quick and athletic team on both ends of the floor, and I just loved getting them some quality playing time. Mandy (Karako) coming off the bench gave us some good scoring, which is great to see that we can get production in points off our bench. I loved how the subs came in and competed, continuing to build the lead instead of losing it."
Preparing for CCU:
"I want our team to remember we lost to them a year ago. We do have one of their weapons in our gym now though in Ali Meyer. It is another opportunity for us to be better on the offensive end against a zone, which we didn't do well against Colorado State. It's just another great opportunity for us to compete against a hard working team and a team that plays a system really well. It will give us a chance to prove ourselves in an offense where we haven't shown we are really good at yet. I don't overlook anybody, but just want our offense and defense to improve. It's good for our young players to learn they have come out and compete every day, not just on gamedays."
What's Next?
The Bears return home for the first time in two weeks when they host Colorado Christian at 7 PM on Tuesday night.
How it Happened
Krystal Leger-Walker opened up the scoring for Northern Colorado, producing the first five points of the game for the team. As the first quarter progressed, both offenses struggled putting the ball in the hoop, but the free throw line proved to be key.
The Bears entered the game as the 11th best free throw shooting team in the nation, and hit all eight of its tries in the first quarter. Those free throws would be important for UNC as it shot only 21.4 percent in the quarter, but led 15-10.
It was both strong offense and defense that led to a big second quarter for Northern Colorado. The team shot 71.4 percent and forced eight turnovers.
With the strong effort came a 12-2 run by the Bears over a four minute stretch. The duo of Courtney and Savannah Smith led the team during the run with four points each. The rally pushed the UNC lead to 15.
By halftime, the Bears had doubled up the Falcons 36-18.
Northern Colorado used another run, this time 7-0, to extend its lead in the beginning of the third to expand the advantage to 23. UNC held at least a 20-point lead throughout the rest of the quarter.
Being up by 23 going into the fourth, UNC was able to use its bench depth. The freshman trio of Abby Kain, Bridget Hintz and Mandy Karako played the majority of the fourth, all coming away with career-highs in scoring. They had five, 10 and 11, respectively as the Bears made their way to a 71-44 victory.
Game Changer
While the youngsters got plenty of playing time, it was still the veteran leadership of Savannah Scott that led the way for the Bears. She finished the game recording her second career double-double with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. She was hard to stop shooting, going 7-for-10 from the field, hitting one 3-pointer.
Notable
- The large lead in the second half allowed Kamie Ethridge to use her bench and get some quality playing time for the younger players Saturday afternoon. All 11 of the UNC's players saw at least seven minutes of action.
- Northern Colorado controlled the paint all game, outscoring the Falcons 40-26 in that area and outrebounding them, 45-25.
- The team had a season-high in assists with 21 on 27 made baskets.
Quotable
Junior Guard Savannah Scott
On her and team's play in the game:
"It was a hard game to get started with a long travel day. We knew we could push them in transition, so whenever I got the rebound I was just thinking, 'get the ball up the floor.' We also did a good job of just passing it around and getting good shots."
About first quarter struggles:
"They were really overplaying us early on and that caught us off guard, but as we started to back cut and get to the basket it opened it up for our offense."
Head Coach Kamie Ethridge
Overall thoughts on game:
"I was happy with the way we bounced back after a disappointing game against Colorado State. We were a young team that was learning to play a game where we are in a favorable matchup. Our goal walking into the gym was to string together multiple quality possessions in a row. We did that really well in the first half, getting good looks on offense and playing solid defense against Air Force. In the second half, we weren't as sharp with that, but it's understandable when you are playing a bunch of different young players in different rotations. Overall, I am very, very happy with the way we played."
Play of younger players:
"We are really happy with getting Bridget (Hintz) and Abby (Kain) some well-deserved minutes today. They played well against a quick and athletic team on both ends of the floor, and I just loved getting them some quality playing time. Mandy (Karako) coming off the bench gave us some good scoring, which is great to see that we can get production in points off our bench. I loved how the subs came in and competed, continuing to build the lead instead of losing it."
Preparing for CCU:
"I want our team to remember we lost to them a year ago. We do have one of their weapons in our gym now though in Ali Meyer. It is another opportunity for us to be better on the offensive end against a zone, which we didn't do well against Colorado State. It's just another great opportunity for us to compete against a hard working team and a team that plays a system really well. It will give us a chance to prove ourselves in an offense where we haven't shown we are really good at yet. I don't overlook anybody, but just want our offense and defense to improve. It's good for our young players to learn they have come out and compete every day, not just on gamedays."
What's Next?
The Bears return home for the first time in two weeks when they host Colorado Christian at 7 PM on Tuesday night.
Tuesday, March 24
Friday, March 20
Tuesday, March 17
Tuesday, March 03
