Bears unable to hold off Omaha in home opener

Sunday, November 29

Greeley, Colo.

1 p.m. MT

University of Northern Colorado

0-2,0-0Big Sky

University of Nebraska at Omaha

1-1,0-0Summit League

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Omaha	12	10	25	19	66
Northern Colo.	11	11	28	14	64

11/29/2020 5:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: By Thomas Hoffman, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado went toe-to-toe with Omaha Sunday afternoon but it was the Mavericks who delivered the final blow, taking the victory 66-64.

Omaha crept out to an early lead behind solid three-point shooting and UNC turnovers. The Mavericks hit three of its first seven from behind the arc and raced to a 9-5 lead.

The Bears began to settle into the contest by the end of the first quarter, crawling back to within one, 12-11.

In the second quarter, senior Alexis Chapman knocked down a jumper to pull Northern Colorado all the way back and tie the game at 15.

Head coach Jenny Huth received a nice lift from freshman Olivia Wikstrom and Hannah Simental. Simental, who has started both games for coach Huth this season buried a three-ball in the first quarter for her first points as a Bear while Wikstrom complemented her efforts with a pair of aggressive drives to the rack and three rebounds in the second quarter.

Tied at 22, UNC turned to sophomore guard Jasmine Gayles in the third quarter. Gayles has carried her stellar play from the end of last season into the beginning of 2020. The Seattle, Washington native poured in a game-high 19 points Sunday afternoon.

3Q | @jazgayles is on FIRE 🔥! 17 points so far today‼#BearsStrong🐻🏀 pic.twitter.com/vlVZ98xuq0
— UNC Bears WBB (@UNC_BearsWBB) November 29, 2020

Alisha Davis also asserted herself in the third quarter. The sophomore forward scored on three strong moves to the basketball. However, her momentum was eventually thwarted by foul trouble.

With Davis on the bench, the Bears found help from Alisa Wiggins and Mele Finau. Wiggins, the Kansas State transfer, finished with nine points and was a perfect 4-4 from the field and 1-1 from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Finau matched Wiggins' nine points and also cleaned the board for a team-high seven rebounds.

3Q| @alishaaa_5 finishing strong 💪#BearsStrong🐻🏀 pic.twitter.com/iqTA8dixOO
— UNC Bears WBB (@UNC_BearsWBB) November 29, 2020

Back and forth the Bears and Mavericks went. Six lead changes and eight ties highlighted a nerve-racking finish.

Trailing by three with eight seconds on the clock, Micayla Isenbart found Finau at the top of the three-point arc where the sophomore banged in a triple to tie the game.

4Q| https://t.co/kvWI6O1AXB.TIED. 🔥#BearsStrong🐻🏀 pic.twitter.com/F6eJ78DPsb
— UNC Bears WBB (@UNC_BearsWBB) November 29, 2020

However, Omaha had four seconds left on the clock.

Claire Killian drove right at the Northern Colorado defense and willed her layup through the net.

A play later, UNC failed to get a shot off, handing the win to the Mavericks.

Post-Game Thoughts

Game Notes

Freshman Hanah Simenal knocked down two three's for her first points as a Bear.
Transfer Alisa Wiggins was flawless in her 17 minutes, finishing 4-4 from the floor and 1-1 from the free-throw line with zero turnovers while directing the offense.
Jasmine Gayles came two points shy of matching her career-high. The do-everything guard rang up 19 points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals.
Northern Colorado's bench continues to be a bright spot for coach Huth. For the second straight contest, the Bears bench has outscored its opponents. Today, UNC's second unit mustered 24 points to Omaha's 10.

What's Ahead?
The Bears have a quick turnaround, welcoming Denver to the Bank of Colorado on Tuesday, December 1. The game is slated for 6:30 p.m. MT.

To stay up to date on all things UNC Women's basketball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.