@unco_mbb Takes on Big Sky Leader North Dakota

Saturday, February 25

Greeley, CO

7:00 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

University of North Dakota

Tickets

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/23/2017 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Kobee Stalder, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado (9-17, 5-10 Big Sky) begins the final three games of the 2016-17 season with a visit from Big Sky leader, North Dakota (17-8, 12-3) on Saturday, Feb. 25. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will start a three-game homestand for the Bears.

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Scouting Northern Colorado (Game Notes)
- UNC snapped its four-game losing streak last weekend defeating Idaho State on the road 87-81.
- 42 of the Bears 87 points came from beyond the arc as the team ended the night 14-of-29 (48%). The 14 made 3FGs tied UNC's season-high for a single game.
- Sophomore guard, Jordan Davis ended his streak of consecutive games in double figures at 30. Davis finished the game at ISU with just five points. The 30 games sets a new Division I program record for consecutive games with 10 points or more.
- Northern Colorado ends its Big Sky road record with a 4-5 mark, one of the best conference records on the road UNC has had in the Division I era.
- The Bears will end the season with three straight home games. After UND, they will face Portland State (Mar. 2) and Sacramento State (Mar. 4). Both games are set for 7:00 p.m. tips.

Scouting North Dakota
- There is a new Big Sky leader in the conference standings and it is the Fighting Hawks. UND took down Weber State on the road last week to take over sole possession of first place with a 12-3 league record and 17-8 overall record.
- Since beating UNC in overtime, North Dakota is on a five-game winning streak.
- UND's offense revolves around Quinton Hooker and Geno Crandall. Hooker ranks sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 19.0 ppg, while Crandall sits 12th, averaging 15.8 ppg.
- The Fighting Hawks are currently the second-best shooting team in the Big Sky, averaging 48.6% from the field per game.
- In addition, they have great ball movement, averaging 15.1 assists per game. Only Portland State has a better average in the conference at 16.0 apg.

Bears' Last Time Out
- Northern Colorado had a three-point bonanza at Idaho State on Saturday night. The Bears cashed in on a season-high tying 14 makes from downtown in the 87-81 victory.
- Glotta went on two runs of 6-0 and 7-0 by himself throughout different stages of the first half, ballooning the Bears lead to as much as 13 points (30-17) midway through the period.
- After the first half was all said and done, UNC had poured in eight makes from beyond the arc and held a 43-31 lead over the Bengals.
- It was more of the same for Northern Colorado as they connected on five more threes in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Glotta, Radebaugh and junior guard, DJ Miles all went to work outside the perimeter for the Bears to keep their lead in double figures, 63-51.
- Jonah Radebaugh and Jon'te Dotson both finished with career-nights. Radebaugh led UNC on the night with 23 points on 6-of-8 shooting from three-point land, and had six assists and six rebounds. Dotson produced a career-high 12 points and went a solid 5-of-5 from the free throw line.

The Return
- For the first time since Jan. 14, redshirt sophomore forward, Ibrahim Sylla will suit up and be available for game day.
- Sylla had been sidelined with health precautions, but after a month of rehabilitation he's been cleared to play.
- Prior to the setback, Sylla had started 16 of 17 games he'd played and in and was averaging 6.7ppg and 5.0 rpg.
- Sylla had reached double figures in scoring in four games on the year and rebounding in one game.

Splash Bros.
- Redshirt sophomore guard, Chaz Glotta and junior guard, DJ Miles have both notched 70 threes on the season.
- There is currently no other team in the Big Sky Conference that has two players with 70 or more made threes on their rosters.
- Jeremy Senglin and Tyler Hall each lead the conference in treys made with 102 and 101, respectively.
- Miles currently ranks 32nd in the NCAA in 3FG percentage, averaging 41.7% from beyond the arc on the year, while Glotta is ranked 100th at 34.8%.
- Glotta ranks 5th in the league in threes made per game at 2.8, while Miles ranks 7th with 2.7.

The Series
- The Northern Colorado and North Dakota series dates all the way back to the 1965-66 season as they first met in the NCAA Division II Regionals, a game UND won 84-81 in Grand Forks.
- Since then, the Fighting Hawks have taken control, owning a 44-24 series lead, but the Bears are 8-4 in Division I games.
- Just one point separated both teams in the 2015-16 games. UNC held on for a 71-70 win in Greeley, while UND outlasted the Bears 74-73 in Grand Forks.
- UND outlasted the Bears in OT in Grand Forks on Feb. 4, 87-77. Northern Colorado led by as much as 14 points in the game, before the Fighting Hawks mounted a second half comeback to force an extra period.
- In games played in Greeley, UNC holds the advantage with a 17-13 overall record.

Games on Feb. 25
- This will be the 17th game played in UNC program history on Feb. 25. Overall, the Bears are 8-8 on the date.
- The first ever game played on Feb. 25 came in the 1926-27 season as UNC played Wyoming. The Bears fell to the Cowboys in Laramie 37-26.
- The last time Northern Colorado played on the date was just last season against Sacramento State. UNC picked up the win 72-67.

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