PREVIEW: UNC Back Home Saturday for Big Sky–Summit League Challenge Finale vs. South Dakota

Saturday, December 6

Greeley, Colo.

6 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

South Dakota

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12/4/2025 1:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball

UNC Game Notes

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. - Northern Colorado returns home for its Big Sky–Summit League Challenge finale on Saturday, hosting South Dakota at Bank of Colorado Arena. The Bears enter the matchup at 8-1 after a 75-70 win at Omaha, while the Coyotes arrive at 5-4 following a 77-71 loss to Portland State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MST with coverage available on ESPN+ and PirateRadio935.com.

PROMOTIONS: In the spirit of the holiday season, Northern Colorado men's basketball is excited to host a Toy Drive during their game against South Dakota.

Fans can join in the effort to support local families by bringing new, unwrapped toys in exchange for free admission to the game.

All donations will directly benefit the Rodarte Community Center!

BEARS OFF TO 8-1 START, SECOND-BEST IN DI ERA: Northern Colorado continued its early-season surge with a gritty 75-70 road win at Omaha to open the Big Sky–Summit League Challenge, improving to 8-1; the second-best start of the Division I era. The Bears have now won five straight and five of their six away from Greeley, once again leaning on efficient offense, balanced scoring, and late-game composure.

The Bears enter Saturday shooting 49.5% from the field (No. 46 NCAA), 37.4% from three (No. 1 Big Sky), and averaging 11.3 made threes per game (No. 14 NCAA). UNC also sits 26th nationally in effective field-goal percentage (58.7%) and 22nd in assists per game (19.2).

DENKER'S ELITE START CONTINUES: Graduate point guard Quinn Denker once again quarterbacked UNC's offense at Omaha, finishing with 22 points, eight assists, and three steals to headline the Challenge-opening victory. He currently ranks among the best playmakers in the country.

Denker by the Numbers
6.7 APG — 14th NCAA / 1st Big Sky
60 total assists — 7th NCAA
2.7 A/TO ratio
18.7 PPG, 52.3% FG

Has scored or assisted on 29% of UNC's total points

Denker is one of the only guards nationally averaging 18+ points and 6+ assists while shooting over 50% from the field. He earned back-to-back Big Sky Player of the Week honors.

ZACH BLOCH: ONE OF THE NATION'S TOP SHOOTERS: Graduate guard Zach Bloch has established himself as an elite perimeter weapon to open the 2025-26 season.

Through 9 Games
52.5% 3FG — 1st Big Sky, 9th nationally
31 made threes — 1st Big Sky
3.44 threes per game — 1st Big Sky, 9th NCAA
13.4 PPG, 50.7% FG

Bloch added six rebounds and a key first-half triple at Omaha, continuing to pace one of the nation's most dangerous perimeter attacks.

WISNE PROVIDING CONSISTENT PRODUCTION: Forward Brock Wisne delivered another efficient performance at Omaha with 20 points and eight rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor. He remains one of the Big Sky's most productive all-around forwards.

Wisne's Big Sky Rankings
15.1 PPG — 9th
6.8 RPG — 7th
60.0% FG — 4th
31.2 MPG — 7th

His ability to score inside, stretch the floor, and rebound gives UNC a stabilizing, high-usage presence in the frontcourt.

YAMAZAKI STRETCHING THE FLOOR: Junior forward Ibu Yamazaki tallied 16 points at Omaha: his fifth double-digit scoring outing of the season.

9.3 PPG, 37.5% 3FG
2.0 made threes per game — Top 10 Big Sky

Yamazaki's perimeter consistency has added an additional layer to UNC's spacing and shot creation.

OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY NEAR THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE: UNC continues to separate itself statistically as one of the most efficient teams in the Big Sky and beyond.

Team Statistical Profile
87.2 PPG — 2nd Big Sky / 50th NCAA
49.5% FG — 1st Big Sky / 46th NCAA
37.4% 3FG — 1st Big Sky
11.3 threes/game — 2nd Big Sky / 14th NCAA
19.2 assists/game — 1st Big Sky / 22nd NCAA
1.65 A/TO ratio — 1st Big Sky / 38th NCAA

The Bears also lead the Big Sky in effective FG% and free-throw percentage (80.8%, 4^th NCAA).

BEARS CONTINUE TO REBOUND AT A HIGH LEVEL: UNC enters Saturday with one of the strongest rebounding profiles in the league.

+7.7 rebounding margin — 3rd Big Sky / 60th NCAA
29.1 defensive rebounds per game — 3rd Big Sky / 32nd NCAA
Three players averaging 5+ rebounds

Wisne (6.8), Shields (6.3), and Nyeri (5.3) have formed one of the conference's most consistent interior units.

DEFENSE FINDING RHYTHM: UNC's defensive efficiency has steadily risen during its win streak.

70.6 PPG allowed — 3rd Big Sky
Opponents have shot under 44% in three of the last five games
The Bears closed out the win at Omaha by holding the Mavericks to 2-of-6 from the field during a critical late-game stretch.

BIG SKY–SUMMIT LEAGUE CHALLENGE ROLLS ON: Wednesday's victory at Omaha opened Northern Colorado's two-game slate in the Big Sky–Summit League Challenge.

The Big Sky holds a 12-10 edge over the Summit League after last night's games.

SCOUTING THE COYOTES: South Dakota arrives in Greeley at 5-4 overall following a 77-71 loss to Portland State on Wednesday in the opening game of the Big Sky–Summit League Challenge. The Coyotes have been strong at home (4-2) and competitive on neutral floors (1-0), but enter Saturday still searching for their first true road win of the season (0-2 away).

Offensively, USD averages 83.2 points per game, shooting 44.7% from the field and 31.4% from three, with five players averaging 8.5+ points. The Coyotes lean heavily on guard play and downhill creation, ranking in the top half of the Summit League in tempo and free-throw attempts.

The Coyotes are led by Isaac Bruns, one of the top scorers in the conference at 18.6 points per game while shooting .803 at the stripe. He's joined by guard Jordan Crawford (11.9 PPG) and sharpshooting wing Uzziah Buntyn, who contributes 10.0 PPG on impressive 49.2% FG and 47.8% 3FG.

In the frontcourt, Cameron Fens gives USD physicality inside, averaging 9.9 PPG and a team-best 5.4 rebounds while shooting over 50% from the field. The Coyotes also get strong rotation minutes from Shey Eberwein (8.6 PPG), Jesse McIntosh (6.6 PPG), and Vince Buzelis (4.6 RPG).

Defensively, South Dakota allows 79.2 points per game, with opponents shooting 47.9% from the field and 30.1% from deep. Opponents have also out-rebounded USD on average (-4.9 margin), an area Northern Colorado may look to exploit given its +7.7 rebounding margin.

South Dakota has played a challenging schedule early, including road contests at Creighton and Missouri, and most recently collected a neutral-site win over Air Force (80-63). With nine games under their belt and a deep rotation, the Coyotes will bring pace, shot-making, and a high-usage scoring guard into Saturday's Big Sky–Summit League Challenge finale.

ALL-TIME SERIES: South Dakota leads 31-20
First Meeting: 1978-79
Division I Era (Since 2006): Northern Colorado leads 3-0
Most Recent Meeting: Northern Colorado 74, South Dakota 69 (Dec. 7, 2021 – Greeley)
Current Streak: Northern Colorado W3

Northern Colorado and South Dakota share a long-standing regional series dating back to the 1978-79 season, with the Coyotes holding a 31-20 advantage in the all-time matchup. Much of USD's edge was built prior to Northern Colorado's transition to Division I in 2006, as the programs regularly met throughout earlier eras of competition.

Since UNC entered the DI ranks, the series has been all Bears. Northern Colorado owns a 3-0 record against the Coyotes. Those victories include a 63–62 neutral-site win in 2017, an 87-68 road win in 2019, UNC's largest margin in the series, and a 74-69 home victory in December 2021.
The programs last met in 2021, when Northern Colorado used a strong first half to secure a five-point win in Greeley. Saturday marks the first meeting between the two teams in four seasons as the regional rivalry resumes inside Bank of Colorado Arena.

UP NEXT: The Bears will face their biggest challenge this season, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, to play No. 19 Texas Tech on Tuesday, December 16. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST/7 p.m. CST with coverage on ESPN+ and Pirate Radio.

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