University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Wednesday, December 4
St. Paul, Minn.
6 p.m.
University of Northern Colorado
at
St. Thomas
Photo by: Dean Popejoy
Bears Travel to St. Paul, Minn. For the First of Two Big Sky-Summit Challenge Games
12/3/2024 8:42:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GREELEY, Colo. – The UNC women's basketball team (5-2, 0-0 BSC) will travel to St. Paul, Minn. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 to take on the Tommies of St. Thomas (6-2, 0-0 Summit) for game one of the second annual Big Sky-Summit Challenge. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Schoenecker Arena.
Big Sky-Summit Challenge
The two leagues will be playing for a combined trophy for the second season in a row. Both men's and women's results will be equally considered from 36 total games.
Most programs will play one home game and one away game. Due to an uneven number of members between the two conferences, four Big Sky programs will only participate in one game.
2023-24 – Summit League (via tiebreaker)
Live Coverage
A live stream will be available for the game provided by the St. Thomas Athletic Communications department through the Summit League Network. Fans can purchase a subscription at midcosportsplus.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date, provided by the St. Thomas Athletic Communications department.
The Series
This will be the first matchup between the two teams in program history.
Scouting the Tommies
The Tommies are 6-2 this season and are enjoying a 4-0 home record. Currently, the team is averaging 75.1 points per game and allowing 63.4 to opponents. St. Thomas is led by Jo Langbehn, a 6-2 senior from Elk River, Minn. Langbehn is averaging 17.4 points per game and has scored double digits in seven of the Tommies eight games so far this season. She is also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game in her 24.4 minutes per game.
Leading the defense charge for the Tommie's is 6-0 senior forward Sammy Opichka from Green Bay, Wis. Opichka is averaging 5.9 boards and 1.1 blocks per game in her senior campaign in the purple and white. She made a season high 22 buckets in their most recent win against UIC on Sunday, Dec. 1.
Head coach Ruth Sinn has been at the helm of the UST women's basketball team since the 2005-06 season. She is just the third head coach of the program and holds the all-time win record with 396. Sinn currently has a 396-144 record. Sinn is leading the Tommies in their transition into Division I, making the jump from Division III. The team will be eligible for the NCAA DI post season in the 2026-27 season.
The Mattio Era
Head Coach Kristen Mattio enters her fourth season at the helm of Bears Women's Basketball. Under Mattio, the Bears are 48-52 since she took over the program in 2020. Mattio surpassed the 200th career victory mark in the overtime upset win against Big 12 opponent BYU on Nov. 23, 2024. Mattio is the first head coach to reach this mark at UNC in the Division I era. After two dominate wins this weekend, the Bears are currently ranked first in the nation in the field goal percentage category for the first time in program history with 51.5% ahead of Texas (SEC) with 51.4%. Mattio is currently tied for seventh in program wins with 48 and is 11 wins away from claiming sixth.
Last Time Out
Sophomore forward Tatum West had another career night against the Bluejays of Tabor College in their dominating 93-46 win. West scored a career high 23 points, making 11-of-12 from the field, as well as five steals to go along with six rebounds. Junior guard Julia Riley scored 13 and grabbed four rebounds, while junior guard Gabi Fields kept the offense fed, dishing out six assists and scoring nine.
On This Day: Dec. 4
Saturday's game marks the 11th time the Bears have played on this date and the first since 2018. UNC is 5-6 all time on Nov. 23.
L, 44-57 – Montana, 2021
L, 61-81 – Abilene Christian University, 2020
L, 55-74 – Denver, 2019
L, 47-58 – Colorado State, 2016
W, 74-71 – Denver, 2013
The Big Sky
The 2024-25 Big Sky Conference basketball schedule will feature 10 teams in a mirror schedule format. Each team will play each other twice: once at home, and once away.
The BSC Basketball Championships will feature all teams in the conference with seeding based on the 18 conference games. The championships will take place March 8-9-10-11-12, 2025, at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The tournament winners will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.
2023-24 Review
The Bears finished the season with a trip to the Women's National Invitational Tournament where they lost in the first round to the University of Texas at San Antonio. Delaynie Byrne dropped 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting from the floor and hauled seven rebounds. Aniah Hall paced the team in blocks with two and added 12 points, 6 rebounds, and four assists. They finished with a 15-16 overall record and 5th in the BSC.
Up Next
The Bears will host North Dakota on Saturday, Dec. 7 for Ugly Sweater / Toys for Tots night. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m at the Bank of Colorado Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear an ugly sweater or bring a new toy for donation; by doing so, fans will receive a $5 (plus fees) general admission ticket to the game.
Follow the Bears
Fans can follow and stay up to date on all the Bear action online and on social media. Follow the Bears on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsWBB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsWBB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsWBB). For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com.
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TicketSmarter® is a primary and secondary ticketing solution for events and high-profile venues across North America including more than 300 professional sports teams and collegiate athletic departments. TicketSmarter® is also dedicated to giving back through contributions to charitable organizations.
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All purchases are backed with a TicketSmarter® ticket guarantee. Have peace of mind knowing when you make your purchase for any sporting event, concert or theatre show that your tickets will be valid. You will receive a 100% refund if the event is canceled and not rescheduled. You will also receive a 100% refund if your order was accepted but the tickets were not delivered by the seller or shipped in time for the event. TicketSmarter® also provides a worry-free guarantee that your tickets will be valid upon entry. If they are not valid, we will provide you with a refund.
Big Sky-Summit Challenge
The two leagues will be playing for a combined trophy for the second season in a row. Both men's and women's results will be equally considered from 36 total games.
Most programs will play one home game and one away game. Due to an uneven number of members between the two conferences, four Big Sky programs will only participate in one game.
2023-24 – Summit League (via tiebreaker)
Live Coverage
A live stream will be available for the game provided by the St. Thomas Athletic Communications department through the Summit League Network. Fans can purchase a subscription at midcosportsplus.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date, provided by the St. Thomas Athletic Communications department.
The Series
This will be the first matchup between the two teams in program history.
Scouting the Tommies
The Tommies are 6-2 this season and are enjoying a 4-0 home record. Currently, the team is averaging 75.1 points per game and allowing 63.4 to opponents. St. Thomas is led by Jo Langbehn, a 6-2 senior from Elk River, Minn. Langbehn is averaging 17.4 points per game and has scored double digits in seven of the Tommies eight games so far this season. She is also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game in her 24.4 minutes per game.
Leading the defense charge for the Tommie's is 6-0 senior forward Sammy Opichka from Green Bay, Wis. Opichka is averaging 5.9 boards and 1.1 blocks per game in her senior campaign in the purple and white. She made a season high 22 buckets in their most recent win against UIC on Sunday, Dec. 1.
Head coach Ruth Sinn has been at the helm of the UST women's basketball team since the 2005-06 season. She is just the third head coach of the program and holds the all-time win record with 396. Sinn currently has a 396-144 record. Sinn is leading the Tommies in their transition into Division I, making the jump from Division III. The team will be eligible for the NCAA DI post season in the 2026-27 season.
The Mattio Era
Head Coach Kristen Mattio enters her fourth season at the helm of Bears Women's Basketball. Under Mattio, the Bears are 48-52 since she took over the program in 2020. Mattio surpassed the 200th career victory mark in the overtime upset win against Big 12 opponent BYU on Nov. 23, 2024. Mattio is the first head coach to reach this mark at UNC in the Division I era. After two dominate wins this weekend, the Bears are currently ranked first in the nation in the field goal percentage category for the first time in program history with 51.5% ahead of Texas (SEC) with 51.4%. Mattio is currently tied for seventh in program wins with 48 and is 11 wins away from claiming sixth.
Last Time Out
Sophomore forward Tatum West had another career night against the Bluejays of Tabor College in their dominating 93-46 win. West scored a career high 23 points, making 11-of-12 from the field, as well as five steals to go along with six rebounds. Junior guard Julia Riley scored 13 and grabbed four rebounds, while junior guard Gabi Fields kept the offense fed, dishing out six assists and scoring nine.
On This Day: Dec. 4
Saturday's game marks the 11th time the Bears have played on this date and the first since 2018. UNC is 5-6 all time on Nov. 23.
L, 44-57 – Montana, 2021
L, 61-81 – Abilene Christian University, 2020
L, 55-74 – Denver, 2019
L, 47-58 – Colorado State, 2016
W, 74-71 – Denver, 2013
The Big Sky
The 2024-25 Big Sky Conference basketball schedule will feature 10 teams in a mirror schedule format. Each team will play each other twice: once at home, and once away.
The BSC Basketball Championships will feature all teams in the conference with seeding based on the 18 conference games. The championships will take place March 8-9-10-11-12, 2025, at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The tournament winners will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.
2023-24 Review
The Bears finished the season with a trip to the Women's National Invitational Tournament where they lost in the first round to the University of Texas at San Antonio. Delaynie Byrne dropped 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting from the floor and hauled seven rebounds. Aniah Hall paced the team in blocks with two and added 12 points, 6 rebounds, and four assists. They finished with a 15-16 overall record and 5th in the BSC.
Up Next
The Bears will host North Dakota on Saturday, Dec. 7 for Ugly Sweater / Toys for Tots night. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m at the Bank of Colorado Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear an ugly sweater or bring a new toy for donation; by doing so, fans will receive a $5 (plus fees) general admission ticket to the game.
Follow the Bears
Fans can follow and stay up to date on all the Bear action online and on social media. Follow the Bears on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsWBB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsWBB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsWBB). For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com.
About TicketSmarter.com
TicketSmarter® is a ticket resale marketplace and is not affiliated with Ticketmaster® or Live Nation®. TicketSmarter® is an online ticket marketplace and a proud member of the Digital Ally Companies (NASDAQ: DGLY). TicketSmarter® offers tickets to more than 125,000 live events ranging from concerts to sports and theatre shows.
TicketSmarter® is a primary and secondary ticketing solution for events and high-profile venues across North America including more than 300 professional sports teams and collegiate athletic departments. TicketSmarter® is also dedicated to giving back through contributions to charitable organizations.
100% Ticket Guarantee
All purchases are backed with a TicketSmarter® ticket guarantee. Have peace of mind knowing when you make your purchase for any sporting event, concert or theatre show that your tickets will be valid. You will receive a 100% refund if the event is canceled and not rescheduled. You will also receive a 100% refund if your order was accepted but the tickets were not delivered by the seller or shipped in time for the event. TicketSmarter® also provides a worry-free guarantee that your tickets will be valid upon entry. If they are not valid, we will provide you with a refund.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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