Bears Dominate Second Half to Beat Air Force, 71-53

Wednesday, November 26

USAF Academy, Colo.

4 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

6-1,0-0Big Sky

Air Force

3-5,0-0Mountain West

Northern Colo.

Air Force

11/26/2025 6:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Denker’s 23, Wisne’s milestone 1,000th career point highlight UNC’s dominant second half at Air Force.

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Northern Colorado men's basketball used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from Air Force, 71-53, Wednesday afternoon inside Clune Arena, securing its sixth win of the season behind a milestone outing from Brock Wisne and a standout performance from Quinn Denker.

Northern Colorado (6-1) erupted for 43 second-half points, turning a four-point halftime edge into a decisive road victory. Forward Brock Wisne, who entered the day needing nine points to reach the 1,000-point milestone, delivered a memorable performance with 20 points and eight rebounds, officially surpassing the historic mark early in the second half. He now sits at 1,011 career points.

Quinn Denker added a dynamic offensive showing of his own, finishing with 23 points and eight assists, knocking down three 3-pointers and pacing the Bears' attack.

Air Force (3-5) started strong, capitalizing on early rhythm shots to build a 20-17 advantage with 5 minutes remaining in the first half. Northern Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to move ahead 26-20 with 1:35 remaining.

The Bears went into the locker room with a 28-24 halftime lead. Northern Colorado shot 45.8 percent in the period while forcing Air Force into 0-of-6 shooting from deep.

Denker opened the second half with a three-point play just 34 seconds in, and moments later, Wisne carved his way to the rim for the basket that put him over 1,000 career points.

That moment seemed to ignite a full UNC takeover.

The Bears turned a four-point game into a 60-48 advantage with 8:07 left. Denker was responsible for points on six straight scoring possessions by either finishing drives or creating opportunities in the paint.

Northern Colorado shot a blistering 60.7 percent in the second half (17-of-28) and held the Falcons to just 3-of-17 from beyond the arc for the afternoon. Bloch rounded out UNC's scoring with 11 points, three assists, and three steals, hitting 3-of-5 from deep.

With his milestone performance and the Bears' emphatic road win, Wisne became the 26th player in Northern Colorado history to surpass 1,000 career points.

UP NEXT: The Bears will host Regis on Saturday, November 29 at 6 p.m. Fans who bring a canned food item will receive free admission to the game, courtesy of Allo Fiber. Donations collected will benefit the Bear Pantry and Weld County Food Bank, helping to provide meals and resources for individuals and families.

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