Bears Host Idaho, Eastern Washington

GREELEY, Colo. - The Bears (8-9, 1-5 BSC) return home for a two-game Big Sky homestand at the Bank of Colorado Arena. UNC will take on the Idaho Vandals (12-4, 4-1 BSC) on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. in a Greek Night/Gold Rush game, followed by a matchup against the Eastern Washington Eagles on Saturday, Jan. 25, with tipoff set for 2 p.m.

SCOUTING THE VANDALS
The Idaho Vandals are off to a hot start this season, winning their last four games in a row. They struggle on the road, with three of their four losses coming from away games.

The Vandals are under the leadership of first year head coach, Arthur Moreira. Moreira is the first-ever Brazilian head coach in NCAA DI history. After serving as associate head coach during the 2023-24 season, he took over the program and made an immediate impact, recruiting top talent like Kelbie Washington from Oklahoma. Moreira helped Idaho achieve a 15-16 record and land in the top 30 nationally in three categories. Previously, he spent seven seasons at the University of San Francisco, significantly enhancing the Dons' international recruiting efforts. Moreira also served as the defensive coordinator for Brazil's U19 National Team at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup and has a strong background in youth development and international coaching.

The Idaho Vandals are led by standout players Olivia Nelson and Hope Hassmann. Nelson, a consistent scorer and playmaker, averages 12.4 points per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 78.8% from the free-throw line. Hassmann contributes 12.1 points per game with a team-best free-throw percentage of 96.3%. Both players bring versatility and leadership to the team, making significant impacts in both scoring and facilitating, while also contributing defensively with a combined 49 steals.

LIVE COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for the game provided by the University of Northern Colorado's Bear Vision department through ESPN+. Fans can purchase a subscription at plus.espn.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date, provided by the UNC Strategic Communications department.

THE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 20th time the two teams have met with the series dating back to 2015. Head coach Kristen Mattio holds a 2-4 record against the Vandals and the Bears hold a 10-9 edge over UI.

W, 57-38 - Moscow, 2024
L, 56-60 - Greeley, 2024
L, 70-73 - Greeley, 2023
W, 63-58 - Moscow, 2023
L, 79-88 - Moscow, 2022

ON THIS DAY, JAN. 23
Thursday's game marks the 11th time the Bears have played on this date and the first in the Mattio Era. UNC is 7-3 all time on Jan. 23 and 4-0 at home.

2021, at Eastern Washington - W, 74-55
2016, Northern Arizona - W, 79-55
2014, at Northern Arizona - W, 86-82 (ot)
1999, Nebraska-Omaha - W, 97-57
1998, at North Dakota - L, 81-96

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
The Eastern Washington Eagles, guided by head coach Joddie Gleason, hold a 6-11 overall record and a 2-3 mark in Big Sky Conference play midway through the 2024-25 season. Gleason, now in her fourth year at the helm, has transformed the Eagles into consistent conference contenders. Her tenure includes back-to-back 10-game win improvements, culminating in a Big Sky title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. With a coaching career spanning successful stops at Seattle University, Humboldt State, and Butte College, Gleason is known for her strategic acumen and player development, which have been instrumental in Eastern Washington's resurgence.

The Eagles have been powered by standout performances from Peyton Howard and Ella Gallatin. Howard leads the team with 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, while Gallatin contributes 10.3 points and 4.2 rebounds, boasting a team-high 82.1% free throw percentage. Kourtney Grossman anchors the paint, averaging 8.8 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game. Alexis Pettis and Jaecy Eggers round out the top contributors, providing additional scoring and rebounding depth, with Pettis shooting an impressive 48.5% from three-point range.

Under Gleason's leadership, the Eagles have embraced a disciplined and resilient approach, reflected in their balanced play on both ends of the court. They average 61.5 points per game while excelling in creating turnovers and controlling the boards. With a growing confidence and strong contributions from their core players, the Eagles continue to be a formidable presence in Big Sky competition.

LIVE COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for the game provided by the University of Northern Colorado's Bear Vision department through ESPN+. Fans can purchase a subscription at plus.espn.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date, provided by the UNC Strategic Communications department.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 38th time the two teams have met with the series dating back to 2007. Head coach Kristen Mattio holds a 1-5 record against the Eagles, and the Bears hold a 21-16 overall record over Eastern Washington.

L, 63-68 - Cheney, 2024
L, 62-68 - Greeley, 2024
L, 53-57 - Greeley, 2023
L, 36-49 - Cheney, 2023
W, 64-45 - Boise, 2022

ON THIS DAY, JAN. 25
Saturday's game marks the 15th time the Bears have played on this date and the second in the Mattio Era. UNC is 3-10 all time on Jan. 25 and 2-5 at home.

2024, Eastern Washington - L, 62-68
2020, Idaho - L, 46-57
2018, Idaho - L, 71-79
2014, at Sacramento State - L, 64-74
2007, at Montana State - L, 47-68

THE MATTIO ERA
Head Coach Kristen Mattio enters her fourth season at the helm of Bears Women's Basketball. Under Mattio, the Bears are 50-54 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. Mattio has led the Bears to top-25 rankings in the nation in the field goal percentage, forced turnovers, 3PT% (defense), and steals per game categories for the first time in program history. Mattio is currently seventh in program wins with 51 and is 7 wins away from claiming sixth.

LAST TIME OUT
UNC narrowly lost to Sacramento State, 51-48, in a hard-fought matchup at The Nest. London Gamble led the Bears with 10 points, while key contributions from Tatum West, Ella Van Weelden, and Gabi Fields helped UNC build a lead that they held for most of the game. However, a late fourth-quarter rally by the Hornets turned the tide, as UNC's final attempts to tie fell short.

The Bears led 36-30 at halftime, powered by Gamble's scoring and sharp three-point shooting from Van Weelden and Julia Riley. UNC extended their lead to 12 in the third quarter, but Sacramento State's Jaydia Martin and Lina Falk fueled a comeback, with clutch free throws giving the Hornets their first lead since the opening minutes. Despite dominating second-chance points (12-2) and converting 21 turnovers into points, the Bears' fourth-quarter offensive struggles ultimately sealed their fate.

NET RANKINGS
The Bears are currently ranked 195th in the NET rankings, which are used for NCAA tournament selection. These rankings focus on team performance, factoring in wins over quality opponents and efficiency adjusted for game location and strength of competition. While the rankings are still stabilizing as more games are played, they provide an important early snapshot of a team's position heading into the selection process.

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 travel to Flagstaff, Ariz. on Saturday, Feb. 1 before coming back home for a Monday game against Idaho State on Feb. 3.

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).

BIG SKY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS
Tickets for the 2025 Big Sky Basketball Championships, presented by Idaho Central Credit Union, are on sale now. The men's and women's basketball tournaments will be hosted at Idaho Central Arena on March 8-12.

Fans can purchase all-tournament, all-session ticket packages for both the men's and women's sessions for courtside, reserved, and general admission seating.

Single-session tickets will be available for purchase Monday, Feb. 3. 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. TicketSmarter is the official resale marketplace of UNC athletics.

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Delaynie Byrne

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London Gamble

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