University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, November 21
Portland, Ore.
5:30 MST | 4:30 PST
University of Northern Colorado
vs
St. Thomas
PREVIEW: Bears Begin Three-Game Gauntlet at Portland Invitational
11/19/2025 12:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado men's basketball (3-0) will make the trek to Portland, Oregon to play three games for three games. The Bears will play St. Thomas (MN) (3-2) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. MST, Portland (3-1) on Saturday at 6 p.m. MST, and Cal State – Fullerton (1-3) on Sunday at 12 p.m. MST.
HOT START CONTINUES FOR UNC: Northern Colorado improved to 3-0 after grinding out an 88-81 overtime win at Pepperdine, passing its first road test of the year and extending one of the most explosive offensive starts in the Big Sky. The Bears enter the week averaging 93.3 points per game (second in the league and 33rd nationally) while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three. UNC has already connected on 38 three-pointers (12.7 per game), the most in the Big Sky and 12th nationally. The Bears also own a dominant +25.7 scoring margin, best in the conference and 29th in the country.
VETERAN CORE DRIVING THE ATTACK: Northern Colorado's experienced trio of Quinn Denker, Zach Bloch, and Brock Wisne continues to set the tone at an elite level.
Denker, the Big Sky's assists leader, averages 7.3 per game (11th nationally) with 22 total assists.
Bloch has been one of the nation's most efficient shooters, ranking 10th nationally and 1st in the Big Sky at 61.9% from three, while averaging a team-best 16.0 points. His 10.00 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 5th best mark in the country among qualified players.
Wisne remains one of the most efficient bigs in college basketball, shooting 73.9 percent from the floor, ranking 9th nationally and 1st in the Big Sky, while contributing 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
The trio combines for 45.0 points per game, and all three rank in the top 13 in the Big Sky in scoring.
DEPTH AND BALANCE DEFINE THE BEARS: UNC's depth continues to be a defining trait, with 33.7 bench points per game: third in the Big Sky and 69th nationally.
Ring Nyeri is tied for 5th in the Big Sky with 7.3 rebounds per game and ranks 2nd in the league with 1.67 blocks per game.
Egan Shields matches Nyeri on the glass (7.3 RPG), ranking top-5 in the conference in rebounds and defensive rebounds per game.
Ibu Yamazaki is seventh in the Big Sky in made threes per game (2.0) and continues to stretch defenses at 42.9% from deep.
Hunter Caldwell remains perfect from the floor (4-for-4), adding to a bench that features shooting, size, and playmaking across all positions.
UNC's rotation includes 11 players averaging double-digit minutes, allowing the Bears to maintain pace, pressure, and execution throughout games.
DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, AND DISCIPLINE COMPLETE THE FORMULA: While the offense has drawn the early spotlight, Northern Colorado's defensive performance and rebounding dominance have been equally impactful.
The Bears lead the Big Sky and rank eighth nationally with a +17.3 rebounding margin, anchored by 14.7 offensive boards per game (2nd in the Big Sky).
UNC is holding opponents to 67.7 points per game, the top scoring defense in the conference and 91st nationally.
Opponents are shooting just 26.2 percent from three, the second-best three-point defense in the Big Sky.
UNC ranks first in the Big Sky in effective field goal percentage (.613) (17th nationally) and fourth in field-goal percentage defense (41.6%).
Discipline has also been a strength: UNC averages just 15.7 fouls per game, second fewest in the conference.
UNC pairs the Big Sky's most efficient offense with one of its stingiest, most physical defenses.
UNC vs UST SERIES (Game 1, 11/21/25): Northern Colorado and St. Thomas meet for just the second time ever, with the Tommies leading the all-time series 1-0. The only previous matchup came last season on December 4, 2024, in Greeley, where St. Thomas claimed an 87-75 victory after building a 15-point halftime lead.
SCOUTING THE TOMMIES: Northern Colorado heads to Portland to play three games in three days, starting with a surging St. Thomas (3-2) squad that has won three of its last four, including back-to-back double-digit victories over Green Bay and Southeast Missouri State. After opening the year with road losses at Saint Mary's and Washington State, the Tommies have settled in offensively, averaging 79.0 points over their last three while shooting 50 percent from the field on the season.
St. Thomas is led by Nolan Minessale, one of the nation's top mid-major scorers, who enters the matchup averaging 21.6 points per game on 55.7 percent shooting with 25 made free throws. Behind him, Nick Janowski (14.4 ppg, 8 threes) and Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (10.8 ppg, 56.7% FG, 88.2% FT) give the Tommies a consistent three-headed scoring core on the perimeter.
Ball security has been a strength. St. Thomas ranks among national leaders with just 10.2 turnovers per game and holds a +2.8 turnover margin, thanks largely to 8.6 steals per game. Defensively, the Tommies pressure the ball well and convert turnovers into transition opportunities, though they have struggled on the glass early, carrying a -7.8 rebounding margin and allowing opponents to average 35.2 boards per game.
The Tommies' ability to shoot efficiently (.500 FG) and defend the three inconsistently (.339 allowed) creates a stylistic contrast with Northern Colorado's perimeter-heavy attack. Limiting second-chance opportunities will be a key challenge for St. Thomas against a UNC team that ranks top-10 nationally in rebound margin.
St. Thomas is 1-2 on the road this season, with its lone road win coming Saturday at Southeast Missouri State.
UNC vs UP SERIES (Game 2, 11/22/25): Northern Colorado and Portland meet for the fifth time in series history, with the all-time matchup currently tied at 2-2. The two programs first faced off in the 1974-75 season, but the modern series resumed in 2007 and spanned three matchups through 2010. UNC won the most recent meeting on March 17, 2010, an 81-73 victory in Greeley that capped back-to-back home wins after the Pilots took the opener in 2007.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS: Northern Colorado continues its three-games-in-three-days stretch by facing a Portland team (3-1) that opened the season with three straight home wins before falling on the road at Wyoming. The Pilots have been productive offensively at 81.5 points per game and are shooting 45.8 percent from the floor but enter the tournament looking to regain rhythm after their first setback.
Portland features a balanced scoring attack led by Joel Foxwell (15.5 ppg, .450 FG, 20 assists) and Mikah Ballew (13.5 ppg, .412 3FG, .840 FT), while forward Timo George provides an efficient interior presence at 65.2 percent from the field with 5.8 rebounds per game. Four Pilots average double figures, and six players contribute at least seven points per outing, giving Portland one of the deeper rotations UNC will see this weekend.
The Pilots get to the free throw line at a high rate with 24 makes per game, but have struggled from three, shooting just 28.2 percent while allowing opponents to hit 10.3 threes per contest. Rebounding has been nearly even (39.8-39.0), though Portland's frontcourt of George (5.8 rpg), James O'Donnell (5.5), and Cam Williams (4.8) anchors a unit that has blocked 16 shots across four games.
Turnovers have been an issue, with Portland committing 15.8 per game, and opponents have turned those into 34 total steals. Containing perimeter pressure and limiting giveaways will be key for the Pilots against a UNC team that thrives when it converts defensive stops into tempo.
The Pilots will look to maintain their unblemished home court record.
UNC vs CSUF SERIES (Game 3, 11/23/25): Northern Colorado and Cal State-Fullerton will meet for the first time in program history on Sunday at the Chiles Center.
SCOUTING THE TITANS: Northern Colorado closes out its three-games-in-three-days stretch at the Portland Invitational with a matchup against Cal State Fullerton, a Titans squad sitting at 1-3 after a challenging early slate that included road trips to Wyoming and California along with a home loss to Pacific. Fullerton opened the season with a 136-point outburst against Caltech but has since faced tougher defenses, averaging 73.3 points over its last three while shooting .413 from the field during that span. On the season, the Titans still carry an 89.0 points-per-game average thanks to an offense built on pace, ball movement (17.3 assists per game), and frequent trips to the foul line.
Fullerton's attack features a balanced scoring core with four players in double figures. Bryce Cofield leads the way at 13.3 points per game on 56.3 percent shooting while adding 4.8 rebounds, giving the Titans an efficient and physical scoring presence.
Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro provides another steady option on the perimeter at 12.8 points per game while shooting .941 from the stripe. Jaden Henderson (12.5 ppg, .462 3FG) and Landon Seaman (11.5 ppg, .528 FG) round out a consistent top four, and KJ Garris adds perimeter punch off the bench, hitting 47.1 percent from deep.
Ball security has been a strength early for CSF. The Titans turn it over only 12.3 times per game while forcing 15.3, producing a +3.0 turnover margin fueled by 7.8 steals per contest. Their pressure has created transition opportunities, though opponents have still managed to shoot .448 from the field and average 9.3 made threes per game. Rebounding has been nearly even, with CSF posting a slight –0.3 margin while allowing opponents to match them on the glass.
Fullerton's variance from three (.284 team 3FG%) and its struggles defending the arc (.359 allowed) create potential swing areas in the matchup, particularly against a Northern Colorado team that thrives on perimeter rhythm and spacing.
UP NEXT: The Bears will round out their five-game road stretch with a short trip to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. UNC will return home on Saturday, Nov. 29 for a matchup against Regis at 6 p.m.
HOT START CONTINUES FOR UNC: Northern Colorado improved to 3-0 after grinding out an 88-81 overtime win at Pepperdine, passing its first road test of the year and extending one of the most explosive offensive starts in the Big Sky. The Bears enter the week averaging 93.3 points per game (second in the league and 33rd nationally) while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three. UNC has already connected on 38 three-pointers (12.7 per game), the most in the Big Sky and 12th nationally. The Bears also own a dominant +25.7 scoring margin, best in the conference and 29th in the country.
VETERAN CORE DRIVING THE ATTACK: Northern Colorado's experienced trio of Quinn Denker, Zach Bloch, and Brock Wisne continues to set the tone at an elite level.
Denker, the Big Sky's assists leader, averages 7.3 per game (11th nationally) with 22 total assists.
Bloch has been one of the nation's most efficient shooters, ranking 10th nationally and 1st in the Big Sky at 61.9% from three, while averaging a team-best 16.0 points. His 10.00 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 5th best mark in the country among qualified players.
Wisne remains one of the most efficient bigs in college basketball, shooting 73.9 percent from the floor, ranking 9th nationally and 1st in the Big Sky, while contributing 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
The trio combines for 45.0 points per game, and all three rank in the top 13 in the Big Sky in scoring.
DEPTH AND BALANCE DEFINE THE BEARS: UNC's depth continues to be a defining trait, with 33.7 bench points per game: third in the Big Sky and 69th nationally.
Ring Nyeri is tied for 5th in the Big Sky with 7.3 rebounds per game and ranks 2nd in the league with 1.67 blocks per game.
Egan Shields matches Nyeri on the glass (7.3 RPG), ranking top-5 in the conference in rebounds and defensive rebounds per game.
Ibu Yamazaki is seventh in the Big Sky in made threes per game (2.0) and continues to stretch defenses at 42.9% from deep.
Hunter Caldwell remains perfect from the floor (4-for-4), adding to a bench that features shooting, size, and playmaking across all positions.
UNC's rotation includes 11 players averaging double-digit minutes, allowing the Bears to maintain pace, pressure, and execution throughout games.
DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, AND DISCIPLINE COMPLETE THE FORMULA: While the offense has drawn the early spotlight, Northern Colorado's defensive performance and rebounding dominance have been equally impactful.
The Bears lead the Big Sky and rank eighth nationally with a +17.3 rebounding margin, anchored by 14.7 offensive boards per game (2nd in the Big Sky).
UNC is holding opponents to 67.7 points per game, the top scoring defense in the conference and 91st nationally.
Opponents are shooting just 26.2 percent from three, the second-best three-point defense in the Big Sky.
UNC ranks first in the Big Sky in effective field goal percentage (.613) (17th nationally) and fourth in field-goal percentage defense (41.6%).
Discipline has also been a strength: UNC averages just 15.7 fouls per game, second fewest in the conference.
UNC pairs the Big Sky's most efficient offense with one of its stingiest, most physical defenses.
UNC vs UST SERIES (Game 1, 11/21/25): Northern Colorado and St. Thomas meet for just the second time ever, with the Tommies leading the all-time series 1-0. The only previous matchup came last season on December 4, 2024, in Greeley, where St. Thomas claimed an 87-75 victory after building a 15-point halftime lead.
SCOUTING THE TOMMIES: Northern Colorado heads to Portland to play three games in three days, starting with a surging St. Thomas (3-2) squad that has won three of its last four, including back-to-back double-digit victories over Green Bay and Southeast Missouri State. After opening the year with road losses at Saint Mary's and Washington State, the Tommies have settled in offensively, averaging 79.0 points over their last three while shooting 50 percent from the field on the season.
St. Thomas is led by Nolan Minessale, one of the nation's top mid-major scorers, who enters the matchup averaging 21.6 points per game on 55.7 percent shooting with 25 made free throws. Behind him, Nick Janowski (14.4 ppg, 8 threes) and Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (10.8 ppg, 56.7% FG, 88.2% FT) give the Tommies a consistent three-headed scoring core on the perimeter.
Ball security has been a strength. St. Thomas ranks among national leaders with just 10.2 turnovers per game and holds a +2.8 turnover margin, thanks largely to 8.6 steals per game. Defensively, the Tommies pressure the ball well and convert turnovers into transition opportunities, though they have struggled on the glass early, carrying a -7.8 rebounding margin and allowing opponents to average 35.2 boards per game.
The Tommies' ability to shoot efficiently (.500 FG) and defend the three inconsistently (.339 allowed) creates a stylistic contrast with Northern Colorado's perimeter-heavy attack. Limiting second-chance opportunities will be a key challenge for St. Thomas against a UNC team that ranks top-10 nationally in rebound margin.
St. Thomas is 1-2 on the road this season, with its lone road win coming Saturday at Southeast Missouri State.
UNC vs UP SERIES (Game 2, 11/22/25): Northern Colorado and Portland meet for the fifth time in series history, with the all-time matchup currently tied at 2-2. The two programs first faced off in the 1974-75 season, but the modern series resumed in 2007 and spanned three matchups through 2010. UNC won the most recent meeting on March 17, 2010, an 81-73 victory in Greeley that capped back-to-back home wins after the Pilots took the opener in 2007.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS: Northern Colorado continues its three-games-in-three-days stretch by facing a Portland team (3-1) that opened the season with three straight home wins before falling on the road at Wyoming. The Pilots have been productive offensively at 81.5 points per game and are shooting 45.8 percent from the floor but enter the tournament looking to regain rhythm after their first setback.
Portland features a balanced scoring attack led by Joel Foxwell (15.5 ppg, .450 FG, 20 assists) and Mikah Ballew (13.5 ppg, .412 3FG, .840 FT), while forward Timo George provides an efficient interior presence at 65.2 percent from the field with 5.8 rebounds per game. Four Pilots average double figures, and six players contribute at least seven points per outing, giving Portland one of the deeper rotations UNC will see this weekend.
The Pilots get to the free throw line at a high rate with 24 makes per game, but have struggled from three, shooting just 28.2 percent while allowing opponents to hit 10.3 threes per contest. Rebounding has been nearly even (39.8-39.0), though Portland's frontcourt of George (5.8 rpg), James O'Donnell (5.5), and Cam Williams (4.8) anchors a unit that has blocked 16 shots across four games.
Turnovers have been an issue, with Portland committing 15.8 per game, and opponents have turned those into 34 total steals. Containing perimeter pressure and limiting giveaways will be key for the Pilots against a UNC team that thrives when it converts defensive stops into tempo.
The Pilots will look to maintain their unblemished home court record.
UNC vs CSUF SERIES (Game 3, 11/23/25): Northern Colorado and Cal State-Fullerton will meet for the first time in program history on Sunday at the Chiles Center.
SCOUTING THE TITANS: Northern Colorado closes out its three-games-in-three-days stretch at the Portland Invitational with a matchup against Cal State Fullerton, a Titans squad sitting at 1-3 after a challenging early slate that included road trips to Wyoming and California along with a home loss to Pacific. Fullerton opened the season with a 136-point outburst against Caltech but has since faced tougher defenses, averaging 73.3 points over its last three while shooting .413 from the field during that span. On the season, the Titans still carry an 89.0 points-per-game average thanks to an offense built on pace, ball movement (17.3 assists per game), and frequent trips to the foul line.
Fullerton's attack features a balanced scoring core with four players in double figures. Bryce Cofield leads the way at 13.3 points per game on 56.3 percent shooting while adding 4.8 rebounds, giving the Titans an efficient and physical scoring presence.
Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro provides another steady option on the perimeter at 12.8 points per game while shooting .941 from the stripe. Jaden Henderson (12.5 ppg, .462 3FG) and Landon Seaman (11.5 ppg, .528 FG) round out a consistent top four, and KJ Garris adds perimeter punch off the bench, hitting 47.1 percent from deep.
Ball security has been a strength early for CSF. The Titans turn it over only 12.3 times per game while forcing 15.3, producing a +3.0 turnover margin fueled by 7.8 steals per contest. Their pressure has created transition opportunities, though opponents have still managed to shoot .448 from the field and average 9.3 made threes per game. Rebounding has been nearly even, with CSF posting a slight –0.3 margin while allowing opponents to match them on the glass.
Fullerton's variance from three (.284 team 3FG%) and its struggles defending the arc (.359 allowed) create potential swing areas in the matchup, particularly against a Northern Colorado team that thrives on perimeter rhythm and spacing.
UP NEXT: The Bears will round out their five-game road stretch with a short trip to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. UNC will return home on Saturday, Nov. 29 for a matchup against Regis at 6 p.m.
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