UNC drops Big Sky opener to Weber State

Thursday, December 29

Ogden, Utah

7 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

5-8,0-1Big Sky

Weber State

6-8,1-0Big Sky

Northern Colo.

Weber St.

12/29/2022 9:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

OGDEN, Utah – A late rally by the Northern Colorado men's basketball team fell short, as the Bears dropped an 81-72 decision on the road to Weber State Thursday night.

Daunted with a 22-deficit midway through the second half, UNC cut the Wildcats' lead to just five with just over two minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, Weber State went 8-for-8 at the line in the final minutes to keep UNC from coming back.

The loss moves Northern Colorado to 5-8 on the season and 0-1 in the Big Sky, while the Wildcats improve to 6-8 and 1-0 in the Big Sky.

BY THE NUMBERS

Dalton Knecht led the Bears with 22 points.
Riley Abercrombie had a season-high 11 rebounds.
UNC hit 10 three pointers in the game, shooting 46% behind the arc.

ACCORDING TO COACH SMILEY
"Obviously tonight was a strange game with some big swings in all directions, but ultimately, digging a hole as deep as dug to be down 22 is really had to climb out of.

There are a lot of lessons we need to learn in how the deficit got so big. I'm proud of the resiliency we showed to make the big comeback, and we had a couple of great looks to cut it to five with about two minutes left. Down the stretch, Weber State made more plays and made more shots, so I give them credit for their effort.

We needed to be a lot more detailed in all phases of the game if we expect to beat a good team on the road in Big Sky play."

UP NEXT
UNC continues its opening weekend of conference play on the road, taking on Idaho State this Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho. Tip-off against the Bengals is slated for 6 p.m. (MT) and fans can watch on ESPN+ or listen on the radio at 1310-AM or 103.1-FM.