Isenbart and Bears rally to force OT but fall to Wyoming

Sunday, December 20

Greeley, Colo.

1 p.m. MT

University of Northern Colorado

1-6,0-2Big Sky

University of Wyoming

3-2,1-1Mountain West

OT 1

Wyoming

Northern Colo.

12/20/2020 4:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: By Thomas Hoffman, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado trailed by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter against Wyoming. Though this resilient group of Bears fought back and forced overtime, a couple of late free-throws from the Cowgirls gave UW the win, 53-50.

Wyoming came out firing on all cylinders, including from beyond the three-point arc. By the end of the first quarter, the Cowgirls were 3-5 from deep.

Fresh out of quarantine, junior Micayla Isenbart asserted herself early in the contest. The fresh-legged Colorado native sunk two early three's to help the Bears keep pace with Wyoming. Along with Isenbart, UNC got a healthy lift from Alexis Chapman, Jasmine Gayles and Brooklyn Evans who were all welcomed back into the lineup

1Q | @micaylann KNOCKS IT DOWN#BearsStrong #BigSkyWBB pic.twitter.com/goF17t6WSM
— UNC Bears WBB (@UNC_BearsWBB) December 20, 2020

A tough-shooting second quarter left UNC with a nine-point gap at the break.

Coming off a 34-minute, 15-point performance on Wednesday against Idaho State, Alisha Davis saved her best effort for the second half on Sunday. Though the sophomore forward wasn't scoring in the first half, she still managed to fill the stat sheet during a marathon 41-minute shift. By the game's end, Davis finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, five blocks and one steal.

4Q | @alishaaa_5 makes the bucket‼️#BearsStrong #BigSkyWBB pic.twitter.com/9wrN62FCZi
— UNC Bears WBB (@UNC_BearsWBB) December 20, 2020

Another strong shooting quarter for Wyoming gave them an 11-point lead with ten minutes to play. Five minutes later, that lead had stretched to 13.

But Isenbart didn't come out of quarantine just to get back into the rhythm of the game.

Anchored by a strong defensive performance, Northern Colorado slowly climbed back into the ballgame. UNC's defense was so strong in fact, it held Wyoming without a field goal during the entire fourth quarter.

Isenbart was virtually unstoppable in clutch moments with nine of her 17 points came in the final five minutes. With the game on the line and UNC needing a bucket, Isenbart, with ice in her veins, delivered with an icy cold layup, sending the contest into overtime.

4Q | @micaylann TIES THE GAME‼️ 🤯#BearsStrong #BigSkyWBB pic.twitter.com/oJKHNcr0yI
— UNC Bears WBB (@UNC_BearsWBB) December 20, 2020

In the overtime period, both UNC and Wyoming traded blows right up until the final minute. The Bears had one last opportunity, trailing by three with 30-seconds on the clock. Two offensive rebounds gave UNC a couple of decent looks but the Cowgirls' defense prevailed, handing UW the win, 53-50.

Postgame Thoughts

Game Notes

Freshmen Olivia Wikstrom earned her second start of the season for the young freshman.
Northern Colorado's bench continues to outproduce its opponents. Sunday, UNC's bench outscored Wyoming 31-17.
The Bears held Wyoming without a field goal (0-10) during the entire fourth quarter
Alisha Davis notched her fourth double-double of the season and 11th of her career.
UNC dominated the paint once again Sunday, marking the fifth time in seven games the Bears have outscored its opponent down low.

What's Ahead?
Northern Colorado takes a break for the holidays before returning home on January 1 for more Big Sky action against Montana.

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.