Women's Basketball to take winning ways on the road to Sacramento State

Monday, January 24

Sacramento, Calif.

8 p.m. MT

University of Northern Colorado

Sacramento State

Photo by: Jam David

1/23/2022 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

ESPN+LIVE STATS GAME NOTES

By: By Thomas Hoffman, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Fresh of its first Big Sky victory of the season, Northern Colorado embarks on a 13-day road trip, beginning with Sacramento State on Monday evening.

Game Info
Who: at Sacramento State (7-9, 3-4)
When: January 24 at 8 p.m. MT
Where: Sacramento, Calif.
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNC_BearsWBB

Opening Tip
Northern Colorado's defense seems to get better and better as the season progresses. Entering Monday's matchup with the Hornets, the Bears are the second-best defense in the Big Sky, surrendering just 61.0 points per game.

Part of the recipe for success defensively is UNC's ability to guard the perimeter. The Bears are average 27.5 percent in three-point field goal defense, the second-best mark in the Big Sky and No. 57 in the country.

Hannah Simental and Allie Downing continue to light it up from beyond the arc. Simental ranks third in the conference in three-point percentage at .483 with Downing right behind the Pueblo native at .471. The dynamic duo is also No. 1 and No. 2 in three-point field goals per game.

Head coach Kristen Mattio has gotten stellar performances up and down the roster. On eight occasions this season, Northern Colorado's bench has outscored its opponent, including in all five of UNC's wins this season.

Last Time Out
Hannah Simental connected on five threes for the third time in her career as the Bears shut the door on Eastern Washington in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon to earn its first conference victory of the season.

Scouting the Hornets
First-year head coach Mark Campbell has turned a few heads this season. Campbell already boasts wins over San Jose State and Illinois State. The Hornets have also won three straight Big Sky games entering Monday's matchup with wins over Portland State, Eastern Washington and Idaho in overtime.

Since conference play began, nobody has been more explosive than Lianna Tillman. The Stockton, California native ranks No. 1 in the Big Sky in scoring at an impressive 19.3 points per contest.

Meanwhile, Inelle Natabou has been a dominant force in the paint. Natabou is the leading rebounder in the Big Sky at 13.3 per game and the sophomore center has compiled seven double-doubles on the season. The mark leads the conference and is No. 31 in the nation.

History against Sacramento State
Northern Colorado has enjoyed prolonged success against the Hornets over the years with an overall mark of 21-9. While the Bears are an even 7-7 in Sacramento, UNC is currently riding a 10-game win streak, including two matchups in the Big Sky Tournament.

What's Ahead?
Mattio and Bears head to Ogden, Utah as part of a 13-day road trip for date with Weber State on Thursday, January 27. UNC returns to Bank of Colorado Arena on February 5, against Northern Arizona. Tickets can be purchased at UNCBears.com/Tickets.

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.