Bears Drop Tight Contest with Montana

Thursday, February 6

Missoula, Mont.

7 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

10-12,3-8Big Sky

Montana

10-12,6-5Big Sky

Northern Colo.

Montana

Photo by: Kassidy Schwartz, UNC Athletics

2/6/2025 9:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Game Book (PDF)

Neenah George leads with 11 in second half11 Point Surge Sparks UNC

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

MISSOULA, Mont. – Northern Colorado women's basketball kept it close against Montana, but the Lady Griz pulled away late to hold off the Bears 70-64 on Thursday night at Dahlberg Arena. UNC drop to 3-8 in Big Sky play and 10-12 overall with the loss.

TOP PERFORMERS
Neenah George led Northern Colorado with 13 points, hitting two three-pointers and grabbing four rebounds. Aniah Hall added 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, along with five rebounds and two blocks. London Gamble finished with 11 points on 50% shooting, while Julia Riley chipped in eight points, including two three-pointers. Silvia Nativi contributed five points, five assists, and four steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Northern Colorado started strong, forcing early turnovers and getting inside for high-percentage shots. Hall and Gamble led the charge in the first quarter, helping the Bears take a 13-11 lead after 10 minutes.

Montana responded in the second quarter, outscoring UNC 17-13 to take a 28-26 lead at halftime. The Lady Griz moved the ball well, creating open looks for Tyler McCliment-Call and Izabella Zingaro. Hall kept the Bears within reach with a trio of free throws, but Montana controlled the boards and found success inside.

After the break, Montana built momentum behind its perimeter shooting. The Lady Griz hit four three-pointers in the third quarter, extending their lead to 42-38. UNC stayed in the fight with a three-pointer from Riley and a transition layup from Gamble but struggled with consistency.

The Bears surged in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points as they made a push. George and Riley knocked down shots from deep, and Hall stayed active in the paint to keep the game close. With under three minutes left, Gamble buried a midrange jumper to cut the deficit to 61-58. Montana answered with free throws and a second-chance layup from Avery Waddington to stretch the lead. The Bears had chances late but couldn't capitalize as the Lady Griz sealed the win at the line.

MONTANA LEADERS
Izabella Zingaro led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Tyler McCliment-Call finished with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. Avery Waddington recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while MJ Bruno added five points and two assists.

KET STATS
Bench Production: Montana's reserves outscored UNC's 29-26.
Points in the Paint: The Bears scored 34 points inside.
Turnovers: Northern Colorado finished with just 10 turnovers, and scored 16 points off Montana's 14.
Three-Point Shooting: UNC shot 42.9% (6-for-14) from beyond the arc, but Montana finished 9-for-16 from deep.
Rebounding Battle: Montana held a 32-26 advantage on the boards, collecting nine offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.

UP NEXT
UNC continues their Montana road trip, traveling to Bozeman to take on the Bobcats of Montana State. Tipoff is schedule for 2 p.m.

Follow the Bears
Fans can follow and stay up to date on all the Bear action at uncbears.com 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, marking the seventh straight year that Starch Madness will be held in Boise, Idaho.

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.

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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