Bears Ground Falcons Thursday

Thursday, December 21

Colorado Springs, Colo.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

5-6,0-0Big Sky

Air Force

7-5,0-0Mountain West

Northern Colo.

Air Force

Photo by: Tina High/UNC Athletics

12/21/2023 10:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Game Book (PDF)Updated Season Stats Postgame Presser

By: Michael High, Asisstant Director for Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Jaron Rillie tallied the final four points as Northern Colorado edged out Air Force 83-79, at Clune Arena Thursday.

With time winding down and the game knotted at 79, Rillie backed his man down the left side of the paint, made a couple of fakes and finished with a layup off the glass. The bucket pushed UNC in front 81-79 with 38 ticks on the clock.

Following a missed three by Air Force with 10 seconds remaining, Saint Thomas corralled the rebound, his 10th of the game, notching his sixth double-double this season. Thomas fed the ball to Rillie and the Falcons fouled him immediately. He stepped to the line with:03 left and sank two free throws, securing the road victory.

Thomas led three Bears in double-digits with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Rillie totaled 14 points and handed out a team-high six assists. Riley Abercrombie chipped in with 11 points.

UNC built its largest lead of the game at 11 at 23-12 with 12:39 left in the first half, with a 10-3 run. Air Force responded with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes, pulling even at 25. The Bears never trailed in the opening 20 minutes but a Falcons' triple with two seconds remaining sent the teams to the locker room knotted at 43, the first halftime tie for UNC this season.

Air Force grabbed its first lead of the contest 11 seconds into the final stanza. The basket ignited a 14-5 outburst by the home side and built its largest cushion at 57-48 at 15:16.

Back-to-back threes from Zach Bloch and Rillie completed a 14-2 run for the Bears and pushed them in front at 62-59 at the 8:50 mark.

Down the stretch, the teams combined for five ties and five lead changes until Rillie put UNC ahead for good.

Team and Series Notes

UNC improved to 5-6, while the Falcons dropped to 7-5.
- The Bears moved to 1-1 against Mountain West opponents, while Air Force fell to 0-3 against Big Sky Conference teams this season.
UNC improved to 4-13 in the all-time series against the Falcons, including 2-8 in Colorado Springs.
- The Bears won the second-straight game at Clune Arena, with their last appearance on Air Force's home floor Nov. 21, 2009.

Inside the Box

The Bears held a 44-28 advantage on points in the paint.
The Falcons hit 15 of 29 (51.7%) from distance while converting 14 of 26 inside the arc.
UNC's bench outscored Air Force 21-3.
The Bears led for 25:21, while the Falcons held the advantage for 9:43.
The Bears made 31 of 55 from the field, with 17 assists on the 31 buckets (55%).
UNC shot over 50% from the field in each half – 56.3% in the first and 56.5% in the second.
- The Bears converted 31 of 55 (56.4) from the field, including 9 of 20 (45.0%) from 3-point range.
- UNC hit 12 of 14 (85.7%) from the free-throw line, while the Falcons went 6 of 8 (75.0%).

Starters: Riley Abercrombie, Dejour Reaves, Jaron Rillie, Saint Thomas and Brock Wisne

Individual Notes

Saint Thomas tallied 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
- He netted his sixth double-double and fourth 20-point performance of the season.
- Thomas shot 76.9% (10-13) from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Jaron Rillie dropped 14 points, with four rebounds, six assists and one steal.
- The 14 points set a new season high and his third double-digit scoring game.
Riley Abercrombie notched 11 points and one rebound.
- He recorded his seventh double-digit scoring performance of the season.
Brock Wisne tallied six points, five boards and three assists.
- He went 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.
Langston Reynolds totaled seven points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Dejour Reaves chipped in with seven points.
Theo Hughes netted six points, one rebound and a career-high three assists.
Zach Bloch accounted for eight points, two rebounds and one assist.
Marcell McCreary grabbed a rebound and added a steal against his former mates.

POINTS FROM       UNC   AFA
Turnovers               11      13
In the Paint             44      28
Second Chance      9        4
Fast Break              7        2
Bench                     21      3

Next Game: UNC returns to The Bank Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. against Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams. To purchase tickets, visit uncbears.com/tickets or call 970-351-4849. Tickets can also be purchased at the Campus Commons Ticket Office, Monday-Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.