University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Tuesday, November 6
Boulder, Colo.
7 pm
University of Northern Colorado
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77
Colorado
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Northern Colo.
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Colorado
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Photo by: Woody Myers
@UNCBearsWBB falls short on Smith's record night.
11/6/2018 10:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Savannah Smith made a program tying eight 3-pointers in UNC's season opener
BOULDER – Savannah Smith's hot shooting and a never give in attitude pushed Northern Colorado close to the victory in their season opener against Colorado Tuesday night. The Bears fought until the end when a late CU run helped them past UNC 77-69.
Smith, started right where she left off from last season pouring in a game-leading 32 points, including making a program tying record eight 3-pointers. She finished the game 10-of-19 shooting going 8-of-12 from behind the arc along with grabbing six rebounds and four steals.
Two other Bears finished the game in double figures in Krystal Leger-Walker (12) and Shalise Fernander (10).
Colorado was led by the duo of Kennedy Leonard (30) and Quinessa Cayla-Do (23) who combined for 53 of the team's 77 points.
Krystal Leger-Walker hit a running bank shot as the shot clock expired to end a 7-0 CU run with 4:27 left in the first quarter after they opened the game up 11-4.
UNC closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to be down 16-14.
The Bears struggle with foul trouble in second quarter as Alexis Chapman and Bridget Hintz picked up their third foul early on, while Ali Meyer played with two until the 2:41 mark of the second quarter.
With her teammates facing the foul trouble, Savannah Smith took over the second quarter with the long ball scoring 11 points in a span of 4:10 to give the Bears the lead. Smith finished the quarter with 14 points including connecting on four 3-pointers. Smith's efforts helped the Bears enter the half tied at 34 with Colorado.
The teams traded punch for punch in the third quarter, with CU closing it on a 5-0 run to lead 52-47.
Northern Colorado hung with Colorado including back-to-back 3s from Smith to take a 59-58 lead with 5:30 left. That's when CU went on a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach.
What They Said
Head Coach Jenny Huth
Overall Thoughts
"I thought we competed. Possession by possession is exactly what we wanted to do and executed that well."
About the foul trouble
"Playing on the road we know we are not going to get the calls. Having players having to go in and out hurts your rhythm. We have to learn to play by not fouling."
On Savannah Smith's game
"Savannah is a great basketball player. She is a veteran and intelligent player. She knew we needed to get it going and we called a couple plays for her and that's what she did. She played like an elite level guard tonight, which is exactly what she is."
What the team can take from this game
"It's a long season and you can learn from every game win or lose. Tonight, I told the team we have to have that mindset. Execution what a good lesson learned, it was a four point game with four minutes left and they closed it out with a 9-0 run. We have to learn from that and continue to get better as the season progresses."
Senior Guard Savannah Smith
What clicked to get you going in the game?
"I saw our team needed a spark and to get going so I just wanted to go out and make plays for us after a slow first quarter."
Key Stat
Colorado made a living at the foul line all night long, shooting 41 free throws, making 31 of them.
Game Notes
- Savannah Smith moved into 11th place on the UNC all-time scorer list with her 32 points, passing Courtney Stoermer (2007-11). She has 1,337 Points in her career.
- Smith made a career-high eight 3-pointers in the game her eighth time in her career she has made five or more 3s in a game.
- Krystal Leger-Walker filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
- Shalise Fernander was a spark off the bench for UNC with 10 points in 26 minutes played.
What's Ahead
Northern Colorado stays on the road for one more game heading to LSU on Sunday. The Tigers also played on Tuesday night, defeating Sam Houston State 66-52. Tip-off between the Bears and Tigers is set for 12 pm MT.
To stay up to date on all things UNC women's basketball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNCBearsWBB.
Smith, started right where she left off from last season pouring in a game-leading 32 points, including making a program tying record eight 3-pointers. She finished the game 10-of-19 shooting going 8-of-12 from behind the arc along with grabbing six rebounds and four steals.
Two other Bears finished the game in double figures in Krystal Leger-Walker (12) and Shalise Fernander (10).
Colorado was led by the duo of Kennedy Leonard (30) and Quinessa Cayla-Do (23) who combined for 53 of the team's 77 points.
Krystal Leger-Walker hit a running bank shot as the shot clock expired to end a 7-0 CU run with 4:27 left in the first quarter after they opened the game up 11-4.
UNC closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to be down 16-14.
The Bears struggle with foul trouble in second quarter as Alexis Chapman and Bridget Hintz picked up their third foul early on, while Ali Meyer played with two until the 2:41 mark of the second quarter.
With her teammates facing the foul trouble, Savannah Smith took over the second quarter with the long ball scoring 11 points in a span of 4:10 to give the Bears the lead. Smith finished the quarter with 14 points including connecting on four 3-pointers. Smith's efforts helped the Bears enter the half tied at 34 with Colorado.
The teams traded punch for punch in the third quarter, with CU closing it on a 5-0 run to lead 52-47.
Northern Colorado hung with Colorado including back-to-back 3s from Smith to take a 59-58 lead with 5:30 left. That's when CU went on a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach.
What They Said
Head Coach Jenny Huth
Overall Thoughts
"I thought we competed. Possession by possession is exactly what we wanted to do and executed that well."
About the foul trouble
"Playing on the road we know we are not going to get the calls. Having players having to go in and out hurts your rhythm. We have to learn to play by not fouling."
On Savannah Smith's game
"Savannah is a great basketball player. She is a veteran and intelligent player. She knew we needed to get it going and we called a couple plays for her and that's what she did. She played like an elite level guard tonight, which is exactly what she is."
What the team can take from this game
"It's a long season and you can learn from every game win or lose. Tonight, I told the team we have to have that mindset. Execution what a good lesson learned, it was a four point game with four minutes left and they closed it out with a 9-0 run. We have to learn from that and continue to get better as the season progresses."
Senior Guard Savannah Smith
What clicked to get you going in the game?
"I saw our team needed a spark and to get going so I just wanted to go out and make plays for us after a slow first quarter."
Key Stat
Colorado made a living at the foul line all night long, shooting 41 free throws, making 31 of them.
Game Notes
- Savannah Smith moved into 11th place on the UNC all-time scorer list with her 32 points, passing Courtney Stoermer (2007-11). She has 1,337 Points in her career.
- Smith made a career-high eight 3-pointers in the game her eighth time in her career she has made five or more 3s in a game.
- Krystal Leger-Walker filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
- Shalise Fernander was a spark off the bench for UNC with 10 points in 26 minutes played.
What's Ahead
Northern Colorado stays on the road for one more game heading to LSU on Sunday. The Tigers also played on Tuesday night, defeating Sam Houston State 66-52. Tip-off between the Bears and Tigers is set for 12 pm MT.
To stay up to date on all things UNC women's basketball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNCBearsWBB.
Team Stats
NC
CU
FG%
.474
.400
3FG%
.429
.316
FT%
.600
.756
RB
30
36
TO
20
16
STL
9
9
Game Leaders
Pts
32
FGM
10
3FGM
8
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/PG
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