Bears Host Sacramento State & Portland State

GREELEY, Colo. - The Bears (10-13, 3-9 BSC) kick off their home stand on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 12 p.m. against the Sacramento State Hornets (11-13, 4-7 BSC), featuring a special Kids Day/D6 Day celebration. They'll stay home for another match up on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. against Portland State (4-16, 1-10 BSC), marking National Girls & Women in Sports Day and Alumni Day.

LIVE COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for both games provided by the University of Northern Colorado's Bear Vision department through ESPN+. Fans can purchase a subscription at plus.espn.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date, provided by the UNC Strategic Communications department.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
The Sacramento State Hornets women's basketball team continues to battle through the 2024-25 season, currently holding an 11-13 overall record and a 4-7 mark in Big Sky Conference play. After a challenging stretch of games, the Hornets secured a hard-fought 56-53 victory over Idaho on February 4, demonstrating their ability to close out tight contests. Their performances in recent weeks have showcased both resilience and growth, as they work toward improving their position in the Big Sky standings.

Offensively, Sacramento State is averaging 63.3 points per game, with contributions from multiple players helping to maintain a balanced scoring attack. Defensively, the Hornets have been competitive, allowing an average of 62.9 points per contest. The team's ability to stay composed in close games has been a defining characteristic, particularly in recent matchups where they have outscored opponents by 27 points in the fourth quarter over their last seven games. This late-game surge highlights their endurance and ability to adjust when it matters most.

Head coach Aaron Kallhoff, now in his second season at the helm, has continued to instill a culture of discipline, adaptability, and strong execution. His leadership has been instrumental in helping the Hornets stay competitive within the Big Sky Conference, despite facing formidable opponents. Kallhoff's experience at the Division I level has translated into noticeable improvements on both ends of the court, with the team showing greater cohesion and strategic awareness as the season progresses.

Several players have stepped up to play pivotal roles in the team's success. Jaydia Martin has emerged as the team's top scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game and providing a steady offensive presence. Her ability to deliver in crucial moments has been a significant asset for the Hornets. Lin Falk has remained a force in the paint, contributing on both ends of the floor with key rebounds and inside scoring. Benthe Verstaag continues to anchor the defense, averaging 1.5 steals per game, making her one of the conference's more disruptive perimeter defenders.

THE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 37th time the two teams
have met with the series dating back to 2007. Head
Coach Kristen Mattio holds a 2-5 record against the
Hornets, but the Bears hold a 23-13 overall record over
Sac State.

L, 48-51 - Sacramento, 2025
W, 65-59 - Greeley, 2024
W, 72-59 - Sacramento, 2024
L, 48-79 - Sacramento, 2023
L, 41-73 - Greeley, 2023

ON THIS DAY, FEB. 13
Thursday's game marks the 15th time the Bears have played on this date and the first time in the Mattio Era. UNC is 5-9 all time on Feb. 13 and 4-4 at home.

2021, vs Sacramento State - W, 90-67
2020, Northern Arizona - L, 60-71
2016, Eastern Washington - L, 57-66
2014, at Montana - L, 55-61
2010, Weber State - W, 75-68

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
The Portland State Vikings women's basketball team is enduring a tough season, currently holding a 4-16 overall record and a 1-10 mark in Big Sky Conference play. The team has struggled to find consistency and is on a seven-game losing streak, with their most recent defeat being a 58-65 loss to Eastern Washington. The Vikings have won one of their last 15 games, when they defeated the Bears on their home court on Jan. 16.

Offensively, Portland State is averaging 54.7 points per game while allowing 66.3 points per contest, resulting in a scoring margin of -11.6. The team has struggled with efficiency, shooting 37.4% from the field and 27% from three-point range. However, they have been relatively reliable at the free-throw line, converting 73.3% of their attempts. Their defensive efforts have been inconsistent, as opponents have capitalized on scoring opportunities, making it difficult for the Vikings to stay in games.

Individually, Alaya Fitzgerald has been a standout performer, leading the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game, including a 38.9% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Rhema Ogele has been a dominant presence on the boards, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game while also contributing 9.2 points per game.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 38th time the two teams
have met with the series dating back to 1989. Head
coach Kristen Mattio holds an impressive 7-2 record
against the Vikings and the Bears hold a 25-12 edge
over PSU.

L, 52-58 - Portland, 2025
W, 65-48 - Greeley, 2024
W, 71-54 - Portland, 2024
L, 52-56 - Portland, 2023
W, 75-56 - Greeley, 2023

ON THIS DAY, FEB. 15
Saturday's game marks the 14th time the Bears have played on this date and the second in the Mattio Era. UNC is 10-3 and 7-1 at home. The last time the Bears played on this day was last year against Portland State.

2024, vs Portland State - W, 65-48
2020, vs Sacramento State - W, 90-73
2018, at Northern Arizona - W, 85-63
2014, at Montana State - W, 65-59
2003, Augustana - W, 66-54

THE MATTIO ERA
Head Coach Kristen Mattio enters her fourth season at the helm of Bears Women's Basketball. Under Mattio, the Bears are 53-61 since she took over the program in 2020. Mattio surpassed the 200th career victory mark in the overtime upset win against Big 12 opponent BYU on Nov. 23, 2024. Mattio is the first head coach to reach this mark at UNC in the Division I era. Mattio has led the Bears to top-25 rankings in the nation in the field goal percentage, forced turnovers, 3PT% (defense), and steals per game categories for the first time in program history. Mattio is currently seventh in program wins with 53 and is 4 wins away from claiming sixth.

LAST TIME OUT
The Bears struggled to recover from a slow start against first-place Montana State, ultimately falling 65-44 on Saturday afternoon at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. The loss dropped the Bears to 3-9 in Big Sky play and 10-13 overall, while the Bobcats remained undefeated in conference action. Despite the setback, UNC had notable individual performances, with Tatum West leading the team with 11 points and 11 rebounds, marking her third career double-double.

Montana State set the tone early, taking a 20-10 lead after the first quarter, fueled by Northern Colorado's turnover struggles. The Bobcats' aggressive defense forced 25 total turnovers, leading to transition points that widened the gap. UNC's offensive woes continued in the second quarter, as they were outscored 20-6, heading into halftime down 40-16. The Bears struggled from three-point range, failing to convert any of their nine attempts in the first half.

UNC fought back in the second half, holding Montana State to just 11 points in the third quarter while outscoring them 13-11. West and Silvia Nativi provided a spark with key baskets, but the deficit remained 51-29 heading into the fourth. The Bears had their best offensive stretch in the final quarter, scoring 15 points, but Montana State maintained control and secured the victory.

NET RANKINGS
The Bears are currently ranked 200th in the NET rankings, which are used for NCAA tournament selection. These rankings focus on team performance, factoring in wins over quality opponents and efficiency adjusted for game location and strength of competition. While the rankings are still stabilizing as more games are played, they provide an important early snapshot of a team's position heading into the selection process.

THE BIG SKY
The 2024-25 Big Sky Conference basketball schedule will feature 10 teams in a mirror schedule format. Each team will play each other twice: once at home, and once away.

The BSC Basketball Championships will feature all teams in the conference with seeding based on the 18 conference games. The championships will take place March 8-9-10-11-12, 2025, at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The tournament winners will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.

UP NEXT
The Bears will hit the road for their last road trip of the 2024-25 regular season, making stops in Cheney, Wash. to take on Eastern Washington and Moscow, Idaho to play against Idaho. UNC will play on Thursday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 22.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
Fans can follow and stay up to date on all the Bear action online and on social media. Follow the Bears on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsWBB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsWBB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsWBB).

BIG SKY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS
Tickets for the 2025 Big Sky Basketball Championships, presented by Idaho Central Credit Union, are on sale now. The men's and women's basketball tournaments will be hosted at Idaho Central Arena on March 8-12.

Fans can purchase all-tournament, all-session ticket packages for both the men's and women's sessions for courtside, reserved, and general admission seating.

Single-session tickets will be available for purchase Monday, Feb. 3. To purchase tickets, visit uncbears.com/tickets or call 970-351-4849.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Campus Commons Ticket Office, Monday-Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. TicketSmarter is the official resale marketplace of UNC athletics.

About TicketSmarter.com
TicketSmarter® is a ticket resale marketplace and is not affiliated with Ticketmaster® or Live Nation®. TicketSmarter® is an online ticket marketplace and a proud member of the Digital Ally Companies (NASDAQ: DGLY). TicketSmarter® offers tickets to more than 125,000 live events ranging from concerts to sports and theatre shows. 

TicketSmarter® is a primary and secondary ticketing solution for events and high-profile venues across North America including more than 300 professional sports teams and collegiate athletic departments. TicketSmarter® is also dedicated to giving back through contributions to charitable organizations.

100% Ticket Guarantee
All purchases are backed with a TicketSmarter® ticket guarantee. Have peace of mind knowing when you make your purchase for any sporting event, concert or theatre show that your tickets will be valid. You will receive a 100% refund if the event is canceled and not rescheduled. You will also receive a 100% refund if your order was accepted but the tickets were not delivered by the seller or shipped in time for the event. TicketSmarter® also provides a worry-free guarantee that your tickets will be valid upon entry. If they are not valid, we will provide you with a refund.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Silvia Nativi

Tatum West

Sponsors

Upcoming Events

University of Northern Colorado Athletics