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@UNCBearsWBB Extends Win Streak With Win Over Northern Arizona
1/26/2017 10:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNC women's basketball moved its win streak to 10 games on Thursday night with a 75-64 win over Northern Arizona
GREELEY, Colo. – The University of Northern Colorado women's basketball team continued to roll on Thursday night as they took care of Northern Arizona at home 75-64. The victory extended the team's win streak to 10-games, and move its Big Sky record to 9-0 and 17-3 overall.
How It Happened
The Bears offense that scorched the nets last week at Idaho State and Weber State, showed up once again Thursday night. UNC shot 53.8 percent in the first 10 minutes of play to hold a 21-7 lead.
Northern Colorado closed out the first quarter on a 12-0 run thanks to the trio of Courtney Smith, Savannah Smith and Savannah Scott. The three combined to score 18 of the team's 21 points in the period led by C. Smith's eight.
NAU cut UNC's lead to single digits in the second with a 6-0 run near the three minute mark. The Bears responded though, to end the half up by 12.
In the first 20 minutes of the game, Northern Colorado shot 56.5 percent, including going 4-of-8 from behind the arc.
C. Smith came out in the third quarter and slammed the door shut on any chance of a Northern Arizona comeback. She scored the team's first 14 points to begin the second half to keep the Lumberjacks at bay.
Teammate Savannah Smith helped close out NAU with a pair of threes late in the quarter as UNC was up 63-47. C. Smith finished the quarter with 16 points in those 10 minutes.
With the game in hand, Northern Colorado saw its bench get extended playing time in the fourth quarter on the way to the win.
Game Changer
For the second straight game, Courtney Smith was automatic for Northern Colorado. The sophomore center went 12-of-15 from the floor for a career-high 28 points. She also was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Her impressive performance came in just 21 minutes of play.
Notable
- Savannah Smith continued her strong play with her third straight 20-point game. Smith finished the game with 20 points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist. She hit another five 3-pointers in the game and was 7-of-10 overall from the field.
- Krystal Leger-Walker had an impressive night shooting going 3-of-4 from the field with all the attempts coming from downtown. She finished with 11 points to tie a career-high and added in four assists and a rebound.
- The Bears once again shot lights out, shooting 50.0 percent for the game. That included a 9-of-20 performance from 3-point land.
- Kianna Williams may not of recorded a point in the game, but she set up plenty of points for the team with her career-high tying six assists.
- Savannah Scott was her usual do-it-all self, with a team-leading nine rebounds to go with seven points, and an assist.
Quotable
Head Coach Kamie Ethridge
On team's offense and Courtney Smith's play
"When you can get agile posts in this league that can score facing the basket, you can have some good success. She does have the size like other bigs, like North Dakota has, but she fits well in our offense. You have to guard our guards first on the on-ball, and then when we have someone who can slip the pick and get a pass from our guards, that makes us tough to stop."
About team's approach to the streak
"I want our team to be proud there is only one team 9-0 in the Big Sky, but I also want us to have humility and know it's not easy to win every night. I love that we are just playing one senior, a couple juniors and a bunch of freshman and sophomores that are still improving every day."
Redshirt Sophomore Guard Savannah Smith
About the win streak
"We are having a lot of fun right now. This win streak has us excited. Excited for practice, excited to play, just excited for everything. Even the early morning practices we are excited for."
Freshman Guard Krystal Leger-Walker
On her play tonight and recently
"My shooting has come a long way. Our team has been clicking really well. Our ball movement has been great and it's not just with me, it's with the whole team. If you look, Savannah Scott and Savannah Smith are picking up a lot of assists for the team too."
About Courtney Smith
"Courtney is great. She understands the game so well. She is scoring, but she does so much more than that in setting screens, tipping rebounds, just the little things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet. If you watch the games and are here you see all that she does for us."
The home stretch continues on Saturday when Southern Utah comes to town. The Thunderbirds are still seeking their first Big Sky win of the season after falling at North Dakota 75-70 Thursday night.
