Bears Overcome Slow Start

Saturday, February 8

Greeley, Colo.

6 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

18-7,10-2Big Sky

Montana State

10-15,5-7Big Sky

Montana St.

Northern Colo.

2/8/2025 11:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Game Book (PDF)

Rillie Nearly Records Triple Double

By: Michael High, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado missed its first nine shots and trailed Montana State (10-15, 5-7 Big Sky) by as many as nine before finding traction at Bank of Colorado Arena Saturday.

The Bears (18-7, 10-2 Big Sky) swept the season series against Montana State with a 73-66 victory.

Jaron Rillie recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and needed two assists for the first triple-double of his career. He dished out at least five assists for the 14th time this season.

UNC utilized a 28-19 spurt over the final 13:53 of the first half, flipping an 11-2 deficit into a 30-28 advantage at the intermission.

In the second half, the teams swapped the lead eight times and tied 10 others. Marcell McCreary erased the Bobcats' final advantage of the night with a 3-pointer at the 8:08 mark, pushing the Bears ahead 52-50.

Montana State knotted the score at 62-all, with 4:05 remaining, the game's final tie. Brock Wisne put UNC in front for good 22 seconds later with a layup. Rillie's jumper with 32 ticks left opened the largest margin at 71-64.

Quinn Denker led the Bears in scoring for the second-straight game with 17 on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Brock Wisne notched his third career double-double and first of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Marcell McCreary tallied 15 points, his seventh double-digit scoring game on 4-of-7 from the field, with 6-of-8 at the free-throw line. Langston Reynolds finished in double figures for a team-leading 23^rd time, with 14 points.

With three weeks left in the regular season, UNC and Montana remain tied atop the Big Sky standings at 10-2, three games up on Portland State and Idaho State in the loss column.

UP NEXT: The Bears head to the West Coast for a pair of games, beginning at Sacramento State Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT.

NEXT HOME GAME: UNC returns to Bank of Colorado Arena Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m., when the Bears host Eastern Washington.

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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