Bears triumph over Rams in 3OT thriller

Tuesday, November 29

Greeley, Colo.

6 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

5-2,0-0Big Sky

102

Colorado State

4-3,0-0Mountain West

OT 1

OT 2

OT 3

Colorado St.

Northern Colo.

102

Photo by: Jam David

11/29/2022 9:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

UNC Athletics · WBSK Postgame vs Colorado State: Kristen Mattio

GREELEY, Colo.—Tying a school record in points, Northern Colorado defeated its cross-state rival Colorado State, 102-91, in a triple overtime affair inside the Bank of Colorado Arena on Tuesday night.

With the win, Northern Colorado improved to 5-2 on the season and 3-0 at home.

The contest was the first triple overtime game for UNC since a 77-74 win against Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 18, 2016.

The Bears prevented a fourth overtime session by holding the Rams to four points on 2-of-9 shooting through the final five minutes of play.

Once down by as many as 11, CSU tied the game at the free throw line in the closing seconds and did not earn its first lead until the first overtime.

The Rams were the first to score in the third overtime session, but the UNC defense made four straight stops while using a trio of 3-point makes in succession by Sydney Stensgard, Averee Kleinhans, and Gabi Fields to break the game open.
The result was the first win for the Bears against CSU since the 2018 season and their first in Greeley since the 2011.

With a 36-point outburst by the freshman guard, Fields more than doubled her previous career high of 18. Stensgard, meanwhile, connected on 5-of-6 from beyond the 3-point line for a 17-point night while coming off the bench.

With 12 points and 12 rebounds, Kleinhans joined teammate Delaynie Byrne (15 points, 12 rebounds) with 'double-doubles' in the winning effort.

UNC will remain in town for its next two contests with South Dakota, a returning NCAA Tournament team, arriving for a Dec. 2 battle and Omaha playing at the Bank on Dec. 16.

UNC Single Game Notes (NCAA DI era)

--UNC's 102 points equals the single-game school record hit twice before
               at Sacramento State (102-74, March 3, 2017)
               vs. Johnson & Wales (102-33, December 30, 2012)

--Gabi Fields' 36 points is the fifth most in school history and the highest since Savannah Smith went for 40 points late in the 2019 season.

--Gabi Fields' seven 3-pointers is tied for the third most in school history and the most ever made by a UNC player not named Savannah Smith

--UNC's 36 field goals tied for the third most in school history

--UNC's 15 made 3-pointers ties the school record accomplished on five other occasions, most recently in the season opener against Northern New Mexico on Nov. 7