Bears Play Eastern Washington & Idaho on the Road

GREELEY, Colo. - The Bears (12-13, 5-9 BSC) will travel to Cheney, Washington, to face Eastern Washington (10-15, 6-7 BSC) on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., before playing their final regular-season road game against Idaho in Moscow on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for both games on 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 EWU and Idaho Athletic Communications departments.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Eastern Washington secured its third consecutive victory with a 63-60 win over Idaho on Saturday night, showcasing resilience in a tightly contested matchup. The Eagles controlled the game for 37 minutes, building a strong first-half lead behind Peyton Howard's offensive efficiency and Alexis Pettis' defensive energy. Despite a late rally from the Vandals, Eastern's defensive pressure and opportunistic playmaking helped seal the win, highlighted by Pettis' game-changing steal and Howard's clutch and-one finish.

Howard led the scoring effort with 19 points, marking her 20th game in double figures this season, while Pettis added 13 points and a career-high five steals. Kourtney Grossman was a key presence inside, finishing just shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. The Eagles' defense played a crucial role, forcing 20 turnovers and converting them into 19 points. However, rebounding was a concern, as Idaho dominated the glass 46-28, giving themselves extra opportunities to stay in the game.

Despite struggling with efficiency at times, particularly in the third quarter, Eastern's ability to create turnovers and capitalize on transition opportunities proved to be the difference. The Eagles never trailed, demonstrating poise under pressure to fend off Idaho's late surge. With momentum on their side, Eastern will look to build on this performance as they continue their push in Big Sky play.

THE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 39th time the two teams
have met with the series dating back to 2007. Head
Coach Kristen Mattio holds a 3-5 record against the
Eagles, but the Bears hold a 22-16 overall record over
Eastern Washington.

W, 66-57 - Greeley, 2025
L, 63-68 - Cheney, 2024
L, 62-68 - Greeley, 2024
L, 53-57 - Greeley, 2023
L, 36-49 - Cheney, 2023

ON THIS DAY, FEB. 20
Thursday's game marks the 13th time the Bears have played on this date and the first time in the Mattio Era. UNC is 7-5 all time on Feb. 20 and 3-3 on the road.

2020, at Southern Utah - L, 50-64
2016, North Dakota - L, 58-59
2014, Sacramento State - W, 62-55
2010, at Portland State - W, 56-54
2003, at St. Cloud State - W, 67-44

SCOUTING THE VANDALS
Idaho's remarkable second-half surge fell just short as they were edged by Eastern Washington, 63-60, despite a 20-point effort from Olivia Nelson. The Vandals struggled offensively in the first half, managing only 12 points in the opening quarter and trailing by 13 at halftime. Eastern Washington appeared poised to pull away after extending its lead to 16 points midway through the third period, but Idaho mounted a resilient comeback.

A pivotal moment came when Jennifer Aadland converted an and-one, sparking a 7-0 run that cut the deficit to single digits. Idaho continued to fight in the fourth, with Nelson leading the charge and making a layup to begin the period. After Eastern Washington pushed the lead back to 11, the Vandals found momentum with a combination of defensive stops and clutch shooting, including a three-pointer from Ella Uriarte, to cut the gap to six.

Idaho's defense and offensive execution allowed them to go on a 10-4 run, and Nelson's layup with 1:30 left tied the game at 60. However, a late turnover allowed Eastern Washington to score a breakaway layup, sealing the victory for the Eagles and denying Idaho's dramatic comeback. Despite the loss, the Vandals' fight and late-game intensity demonstrated their resilience and potential moving forward.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 21st time the two teams
have met with the series dating back to 2015. Head
coach Kristen Mattio holds a 2-5 record
against the Vandals and the overall series is split 10-10.

W, 63-58 - Moscow, 2023
L, 70-73 - Greeley, 2023
L, 56-60 - Greeley, 2024
W, 57-38 - Moscow, 2024
L, 57-68 - Greeley, 2025

ON THIS DAY, FEB. 22
Saturday's game marks the 13th time the Bears have played on this date and the second in the Mattio Era. UNC is 2-10 and 2-3 on the road. The last time the Bears played on this day was last year at Idaho, when they beat the Vandals by 19 points.

2024, at Idaho - W, 57-38
2020, vs Idaho State - L, 55-71
2014, Northern Arizona - L, 70-86
2007, Montana State - L, 49-77
2003, North Dakota - L, 53-74

THE MATTIO ERA
Head Coach Kristen Mattio enters her fourth season at the helm of Bears Women's Basketball. Under Mattio, the Bears are 55-63 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 four wins away from claiming sixth.

LAST TIME OUT
Northern Colorado delivered a dominant two-way performance, defeating Portland State 68-50 behind a balanced offensive attack and strong defense. The Bears held the Vikings to just 50 points while recording their second-highest scoring output in conference play. London Gamble led the charge with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Ella Van Weelden provided a boost off the bench with 12 points and five rebounds.

After a competitive first half, UNC took control in the third quarter, using defensive pressure and transition scoring to break the game open. Gamble continued to pace the offense, and key contributions from Aniah Hall and April Rummery-Lamb helped the Bears extend their lead to double digits. By the start of the fourth, UNC held a comfortable 50-37 advantage and never looked back.

The Bears' depth played a crucial role, with their bench outscoring Portland State's reserves 31-6. UNC also capitalized on three-point shooting (8-of-23) and forced 15 turnovers, converting them into 19 points. Winning the rebounding battle 36-31, the Bears controlled possession and dictated the tempo on both ends to secure a much-needed Big Sky victory.

NET RANKINGS
The Bears are currently ranked 189th 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 host their last pair of regular season games of the 2024-25 season. UNC will welcome NAU and Weber State on March 1 and 3.

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.

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