Pair of big runs push Bears past Bengals

Tuesday, December 22

Greeley, Colo.

2:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

4-2,1-0Big Sky

Idaho State

3-5,0-1Big Sky

Idaho St.

Northern Colo.

Photo by: Ryan Pfeifer

12/22/2020 5:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

UNC outscored Idaho State 34-4 on a pair of runs to earn the win Tuesday afternoon.

By: By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Basketball can be known as a game of runs. For Northern Colorado men's basketball Tuesday afternoon, a pair of big runs helped them secure their first Big Sky win of the season 69-64 over Idaho State.

The Bears closed the first half on a 17-4 run and used a 17-0 run in the second half to secure the lead and never give it up.

Bodie Hume and Kur Jockuch were big factors in the win as Hume scored a career-high 27 points and Jockuch had his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The 11 boards tied a career-best for the big man.

1H | @kjockuch makes the bucket 💪💪#BearsStrong #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/QvpsYXhAF5
— UNC Men's Basketball (@UNC_BearsMBB) December 22, 2020

The Bears started the game slow as Idaho State built a 12-point lead by the midway point of the first half. Then a switch flipped, and it was all UNC after that. Hume scored nine of UNC's 17 points during their run to close the half up 31-28.

The second half started similar to the first half as Idaho State regained the lead and built it to as much as seven. The Bears caught fire behind the arc as they went on a 17-0 run to reclaim the lead and never give it up.

2H | @bodiehume to take the lead for the Bears‼️#BearsStrong #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/TIfcNQA91v
— UNC Men's Basketball (@UNC_BearsMBB) December 22, 2020

UNC went 5-for-5 from behind the arc during the run with four different guys connecting on a trey.

2H | .@marqueenglish with the 3⃣‼️#BearsStrong #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/7giYscm3fi
— UNC Men's Basketball (@UNC_BearsMBB) December 22, 2020

Idaho State made a late push, but Northern Colorado made enough free throws to secure the win.

What They Said

Stat of the Game
The Bears outscored Idaho State during a pair of runs 34-4, offsetting offensive struggles throughout the game.

Game Notes
- Three Bears finished the game in double-figures scoring in Bodie Hume (27), Kur Jockuch (10) and Daylen Kountz (10).
- Hume recorded his third 20-plus point game of the year with a career-high 27. He scored 20 against Colorado Christian, 25 against Regis and 21 against Denver. He added in seven rebounds, two steals and an assist to his stat line.
- The win over Idaho State extends Northern Colorado's streak to eight games over the Bengals.

What's Ahead
It's a quick turnaround for the Bengals and Bears as they square off again tomorrow at 2 pm inside Bank of Colorado Arena. Fans can watch the game on Pluto TV ch. 1059 and listen on 1310 KFKA.

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