PREVIEW: Bears Look To Extend Win Streak On The Road At Omaha

Wednesday, December 3

Omaha, Neb.

6 p.m. MST | 7 p.m. CST

University of Northern Colorado

Omaha

Photo by: Lexie Martin

12/1/2025 1:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball

UNC Game Notes

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. - Northern Colorado men's basketball hits the road once again on Wednesday, looking to keep its four-game win streak rolling as the Bears travel to Omaha for a 6 p.m. MST/7 p.m. CST tip inside Baxter Arena. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN+ or listen on Pirate Radio 93.5 FM and PirateRadio935.com.

BEARS SURGE TO 7-1 START BEHIND FOUR-GAME WIN STREAK: Northern Colorado carries major momentum into December, pushing its record to 7-1 following a dominant 104-63 win over Regis. The Bears have now won four straight, including three road victories and an overtime battle, while outscoring opponents by +18.1 points per game (No. 1 in the Big Sky).

UNC continues to separate itself statistically as one of the most efficient teams in the country, owning top-40 national ranks in FG% (.502), 3FG per game (11.5), assists per game (19.6), and free-throw percentage (.803).

DENKER'S NATIONAL-LEVEL START + BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Point guard Quinn Denker continues to quarterback one of the nation's most explosive offenses. The graduate student earned Big Sky Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors after his standout performance at the Portland Invitational.

Denker by the Numbers
18.3 PPG (2nd Big Sky)
6.5 APG (1st Big Sky / 15th NCAA)
52 assists – has directly contributed to 28% of UNC scoring
4 games of 20+ points, 7 games of 5+ assists
+2.6 A/TO ratio (4th Big Sky)
Top 10 in FT% (.833) and minutes (31.5 MPG)

Denker is one of only a handful of guards nationally averaging 18+ points and 6+ assists.

ZACH BLOCH REMAINS ONE OF NATION'S ELITE SHOOTERS: Graduate guard Zach Bloch has emerged as one of college basketball's hottest perimeter shooters.

Through 8 Games
.558 3FG% — No. 1 in the Big Sky, 5th nationally
25 made threes — Most in Big Sky, 9th nationally
14.4 PPG, shooting 52.9% overall
Two 20+ point performances, including a season and conference high 32 vs Fullerton
Bloch anchors a UNC offense that ranks No. 14 nationally in 3-pointers per game (11.5).

WISNE JOINS THE 1,000-POINT CLUB: Forward Brock Wisne became the 26th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, hitting the milestone early in the second half at Air Force.

Milestone Snapshot
Now at 1,011 career points
Scored 20 points, 8 rebounds at Air Force
Shooting a career-best 62.5% from the field this season
Averaging 14.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG
Wisne is also contributing to UNC's conference-leading efficiency, ranking top-10 in the Big Sky in FG%, rebounding, and minutes played.

FRONTCOURT BALANCE SETTING THE FOUNDATION: UNC's frontcourt trio of Brock Wisne, Egan Shields, and Ring Nyeri is one of the most productive in the conference.

Combined Production
28.4 PPG
18.7 RPG
60.6% FG
+8.1 rebounding margin (3rd Big Sky, 54th NCAA)
Shields ranks 4th in the Big Sky in rebounds (53 total) and shoots an impressive 72.7% from the field.
Nyeri ranks top-five in blocks (0.9 BPG) and is averaging 5.5 RPG.

BENCH UNIT REMAINS A DIFFERENCE-MAKER: UNC's depth has been one of its most significant early-season advantages.

Bench Highlights
28.8 bench PPG (3rd Big Sky, 105th NCAA)
Outscored opposing benches in 6 of 8 games

Ibu Yamazaki: 8.5 PPG, .846 FT%, 15 made three's.
Vincent Delano: 6.0 PPG, 2.0 APG, heavy minutes vs high-major opponents
Shields & Nyeri: two of the league's best rebounders whether starting or coming off the bench

The Bears rank Top 40 nationally in assists per game (19.6), powered by their depth and balance.

DEFENSE TRENDING UPWARD BEHIND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY: While offense drives the headlines, UNC's defensive numbers have surged during the win streak.

Defensive Profile
Allowing 70.6 PPG (3rd Big Sky)
23.6% 3FG defense — 3rd nationally
42.8% FG defense
Held Air Force to 53 points, its lowest output since February
Opponents averaging just 31.0 RPG, the lowest allowed in the Big Sky
UNC's ability to eliminate the three-point line has been a defining factor.

NET RANKING RELEASED: BEARS OPEN AT 85: The NCAA released its first NET Rankings of the 2025-26 season, with the Bears coming in at No. 85, their best NET position of the Smiley Era and for the program since climbing to No. 59 in 2018-19.

The number reflects a schedule that already includes:
A true road win at Air Force
A neutral-court win over Cal State Fullerton
Overtime road win's at Portland and Pepperdine
A one-point loss to St. Thomas
UNC ranks No. 1 in the Big Sky in scoring margin, scoring offense, assists per game, 3PT made per game, FT percentage, and effective FG%.

COACH SMILEY FOUR WINS AWAY FROM 100: Head coach Steve Smiley continues climbing the program record book and now sits four wins shy of 100 career victories, which would make him the first coach in UNC's Division I era to reach the milestone.

Smiley currently owns the fourth-most wins in program history, behind only the program's historic Division II-era coaches: Thurman Wright (156), Louis C. "Pete" Butler (151), and Ron Brillhart (121).

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS: Omaha enters Wednesday's matchup at 3-6, buoyed by a dominant 84-62 win over Mid-America Christian that snapped a three-game skid. The Mavericks have been far better at home (3-0) than on the road (0-4), but overall defensive consistency has been an issue, allowing 82.6 points per game and opponents are shooting nearly identical percentages from the field (.467) and from three (.362). Rebounding has also been a challenge as Omaha holds a slight deficit on the glass (-1.3 margin).

Offensively, though, the Mavericks feature a balanced, high-volume attack led by one of the Summit League's most efficient scorers in Lance Waddles, who's averaging 16.9 points per game on 49.1% shooting and an impressive 45.5% from three. Tony Osburn adds another reliable scoring punch (14.9 ppg) and is their top free-throw shooter at 81.5%. Omaha has multiple perimeter threats, five rotation players shoot at least 38% from deep, and the team as a whole hits 37.6% from behind the arc.

The Mavericks' offensive rhythm hinges heavily on shot-making and perimeter flow, but they struggle to generate extra possessions, ranking low in steals (62 total) and blocked shots (23). If opponents can pressure their ballhandlers, Omaha averages 12.8 turnovers per game, and limit the Waddles/Osburn scoring duo, the Mavericks become far more guardable. Additionally, Omaha's bench production and interior defense remain question marks, making physicality and defensive pressure potential swing factors in this matchup.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Tied 33-33

First Meeting: 1946-47
Modern Series History (Since 2000): Omaha leads 7-1
Most Recent Meeting: Omaha 105, Northern Colorado 85 (Nov. 25, 2015 – Greeley)
Current Streak: Omaha W7

Northern Colorado and Omaha share a long-running regional series dating back to the 1946-47 season, with the all-time matchup sitting dead even at 33-33. The majority of those games came during earlier eras of both programs' histories, but the modern series, renewed in 2000, has slanted decisively toward the Mavericks.

Since the teams resumed play in 2000, Omaha owns a 7-1 advantage, highlighted by a seven-game winning streak that stretches from 2001 to 2015. UNC's lone win of the modern era came in the first meeting of that stretch, a 99-68 road victory in December 2000 that still stands as the Bears' largest margin of victory in the series.

The early 2000s saw Omaha control the matchup with multiple high-scoring wins, including a pair of 94-point outings in Greeley during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. The programs last met in November 2015, a 105-85 Omaha win that extended the Mavericks' streak and remains the most recent chapter in the modern era.

While a decade has passed since the last meeting, the tightly contested all-time tally and the historically competitive feel of the rivalry add intrigue as the two programs prepare to renew a balanced but momentum-shifted series.

UP NEXT: The Bears will return to Bank of Colorado Arena to play South Dakota on Saturday for the second game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. Tipoff is schedule for 6 p.m. MST with coverage available on ESPN+ and Pirate Radio.

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