University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
Regis
PREVIEW: Bears Return Home for Regis Matchup with Community Food Drive
11/28/2025 11:17:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bears bring a 6-1 record back home, eyeing another strong performance against the Rangers.
GREELEY, Colo. - Northern Colorado returns home for a Thanksgiving weekend matchup with Regis, and fans have an opportunity to support the community while cheering on the Bears. All fans who bring a canned food item will receive free admission, courtesy of Allo Fiber.
All donations will directly benefit the Bear Pantry and the Weld County Food Bank, helping provide meals and essential resources for individuals and families across Northern Colorado. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 29 at Bank of Colorado Arena.
BEARS PICK UP THIRD STRAIGHT WIN, IMPROVE TO 6-1: Northern Colorado continued its early-season surge with a convincing 71-53 road victory at Air Force, pushing the Bears to 6-1 overall.
UNC has now won three straight, including three road victories and an overtime win.
The Bears have outscored opponents by +9.3 points per game during the streak and are holding teams to just 43.8% from the field.
WISNE JOINS THE 1,000-POINT CLUB: Senior forward Brock Wisne etched his name into program history on Wednesday, scoring his 1,000th career point early in the second half at Air Force.
Wisne Milestone Snapshot
Becomes the 26th player in UNC history to reach 1,000
Now sits at 1,011 career points
Scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the Air Force win
Shooting a career-best 62.5% from the field this season
DENKER CONTINUES ALL-CONFERENCE LEVEL PLAY: Point guard Quinn Denker is putting together one of the strongest early-season résumés in the Big Sky.
He posted 23 points and 8 assists at Air Force, marking his fourth 20+ point game and sixth 5+ assist game already this season.
Big Sky/National Rankings
1/12 – Assists per game (6.7)
2/11 — Assists (47)
2 — Scoring (18.7 PPG)
Top 5 — FT% (.833)
Top 5 — Minutes (33.4 MPG)
Denker has directly contributed to 33% of UNC's total baskets this season through scoring or assists.
BLOCH'S SHOOTING STRETCH AMONG BEST IN NATION: Graduate guard Zach Bloch remains one of the hottest perimeter threats in the country.
Through Seven Games
.555 from three (Big Sky leader)
25 made threes — most in conference/18th in the nation
14.4 PPG (12th Big Sky)
FRONTCOURT BALANCE DRIVING SUCCESS: UNC's trio of Wisne, Egan Shields, and Ring Nyeri continue to provide the most consistent interior production in the conference.
Combined Frontcourt Output
28.1 points per game
19.6 rebounds per game
60.7% field goal shooting
Shields ranks 6th in the Big Sky in rebounding (7.1 RPG), while Nyeri sits top five in blocks (0.9 BPG).
The group has helped UNC post a +8.1 rebounding margin.
BENCH CONTINUES TO BOOST BEARS: Northern Colorado's second unit is quietly one of the strongest in the Big Sky.
Ibu Yamazaki: 9.3 PPG, perfect 8-for-8 from the FT line vs Fullerton
Vincent Delano: 6.6 PPG with top-tier efficiency
Shields & Nyeri: two of the Big Sky's best reserve rebounders
UNC's bench has outscored opposing benches in six of seven games.
DEFENSE TRENDING UPWARD: While the offense grabs attention, the Bears continue to make strides defensively:
24.2% allowed from three (2nd Big Sky)
4th in defensive rebounding
UNC allowed only 53 points at Air Force: the Falcons' lowest output since February.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS: Regis enters the matchup at 1-3, coming off its first win of the season: a 97-93 shootout over UT Dallas. The Rangers have struggled defensively through the opening stretch, allowing 87.0 points per game and ranking near the bottom of Division II in rebounding margin (-8.8) and turnovers forced (8.5 per game).
Offensively, however, Regis can score in bunches. They shoot the ball efficiently with a .558 effective field goal percentage (2nd in RMAC) and a 48% FG rate, and they are dangerous from deep at 39.2% from three, one of the top marks in the league. Guard Gunner Walters drives their offense, ranking 3rd nationally with 7.0 assists per game while playing heavy minutes. Luke Soden gives them a major perimeter threat, averaging 2.8 made threes per game at 40.7%.
Regis' biggest vulnerabilities lie in transition (5.5 fastbreak points per game) and on the glass, where they sit last in the RMAC in total rebounds per game. If opponents limit their perimeter rhythm and apply pressure to disrupt Walters, the Rangers' offense becomes far more manageable.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Northern Colorado leads 26-17
First Meeting: 1923-24
Modern Series History (Since 2002): Regis leads 3-1
Most Recent Meeting: Northern Colorado 83, Regis 58 (Dec. 11, 2020 – Greeley)
Current Streak: Northern Colorado W1
Northern Colorado and Regis share one of the Bears' oldest regional matchups, beginning all the way back in the 1923-24 season. UNC holds a 26-17 advantage across the full historical series, though the modern-era portion has been much more competitive.
Since the series resumed in 2002, Regis owns a 3-1 edge, with the Rangers winning three straight from 2002-04 before UNC broke through in 2020. The most recent meeting, an 83-58 Bears victory in Greeley during the 2020-21 season, also marked Northern Colorado's largest margin of victory in the modern series.
The early-2000s matchups consistently tilted toward Regis, including a tight 71-66 decision in the 2002 opener and back-to-back wins during the 2003-04 season. UNC's win in 2020 remains the lone modern-era victory and the only game decided by more than two possessions.
While the programs have not met since 2020, the long-standing history (nearly a century in total) adds weight to the renewal of a once-regular Front Range matchup.
UP NEXT: The Bears will play their first round of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge on December 3, taking on Omaha at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.
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