Bears Outlast Denver

Saturday, January 6

Greeley, Colo.

6 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

8-6,1-0Big Sky

Denver

10-7,1-1Summit League

Denver

Northern Colo.

1/6/2024 11:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Game Book (PDF)Game Highlights Coach Smiley Postgame Player Postgame

By: Michael High, Assistant Director for Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado outlasted Denver 86-82 Saturday at Bank of Colorado Arena.

Saint Thomas led the Bears with 23 points, while Jaron Rillie matched his career high in assists, with 10.

In a tale of two halves, UNC withstood a furious comeback by the Pioneers to win its fourth-straight game.

Behind an 11-0 run, the Bears built their largest lead of the game at 23, with 3:09 remaining in the first half. Denver closed the gap to 51-34 and went to the locker room down 17, with a 10-4 spurt.

The Pioneers trimmed the margin to a pair at 67-65, at 8:39 in final 20 minutes, with a 31-16 scoring advantage.

Brock Wisne's jumper at the 6:20 mark pushed the Bears advantage back to nine at 76-67. They led by nine until Denver slashed the deficit to three in 50 seconds. The Bears held an 80-77 advantage when Thomas corralled Rillie's outlet pass and threw down a two-handed dunk at 2:24.

UNC answered both scores by the Pioneers to seal the victory, including a pair of free throws from Dejour Reaves with 20 seconds remaining.

Wisne notched 19 points for the second time this season, matching his career high. Reaves netted 12 points, while Langston Reaves added 11.

UNC Leader Scoring: Saint Thomas (23)
UNC Leader Rebounds: Jaron Rillie (8)
UNC Leader Assists: Jaron Rillie (10)
UNC Leader Blocks: Brock Wisne (1)
UNC Leader Steals: Jaron Rillie and Saint Thomas (2)

Team and Series Notes

UNC improved to 8-6 overall, while the Pioneers dropped to 8-7.
The Bears scored 51 points in the first half for the second straight game.
UNC earned one point for the Big Sky in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge
- The Bears earned the max of 2.5 points over the two games for the Big Sky Conference.
UNC improved to 11-8 against Denver since moving to Division I in 2003, including five straight.
- The Bears extended their winning streak over Denver to three in Greeley.
UNC won its fourth consecutive game and improved to 5-1 at home this season.
The Bears finished the non-conference schedule 7-6, including 2-2 against the other Colorado NCAA DI schools.

Inside the Box

The Bears made 35 of 67 (52.2%) from the field, including 9 of 19 (47.4%) from behind the arc.
UNC shot over 50% from the field for the fourth game in succession, winning each contest.
The Bears tallied 21 assists on 35 made field goals.
UNC led wire-to-wire, holding the advantage for 39 minutes and 24 seconds.

Starters: Riley Abercrombie, Zach Bloch, Jaron Rillie, Saint Thomas and Brock Wisne

Individual Notes

Saint Thomas registered 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
- Recorded his 11th double-digit scoring performance and seventh with at least 20.
Jaron Rillie stuffed the stat sheet with six points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and two steals.
- Matched his career high with 10 assists.
Brock Wisne netted 19 points – matching a career-high – with six rebounds, one assist and a block.
- He registered his ninth double-digit scoring game of the season and 15^th of his career.
- Wisne went 8 of 12 from the field, converting his lone 3-point attempt and both free throws.
Dejour Reaves tallied 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
- He went 4 of 8 in his return to the lineup, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
- Reaves sank both free-throw attempts. Zach Bloch finished with six points, one rebound, one assist and a steal.
Langston Reynolds netted 11 points, with one rebound and two assists.
Juju Ramirez sank both of his field-goal attempts for four points.
Riley Abercrombie made a 3-pointer, and grabbed three rebounds, with an assist.
Connor Creech scored two points and one rebound.

POINTS FROM       UNC   DU
Turnovers               16      8
In the Paint             48      28
Second Chance      6        13
Fast Break              16      12
Bench                     29      5

Next Game: UNC hits the road for a two-game road swing through Montana, beginning at Montana Thursday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m.

Next Home Game:
The Bears return to Bank of Colorado Arena Thursday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m., against Sacramento State. 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.