University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Saturday, March 1
Flagstaff, Ariz.
8 p.m.
University of Northern Colorado
22-8,14-3Big Sky
83
at
73
Northern Arizona
16-14,7-10Big Sky
1
2
F
Northern Colo.
44
39
83
Northern Ariz.
33
40
73
Reynolds, Rillie Score 20 Points Each
3/1/2025 11:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNC Sits Atop BSC Standings with One Game Remaining
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Every goal remains intact after Northern Colorado withstood a furious second-half rally by Northern Arizona at Toyota Findlay Court Saturday.
Coupled with Montana's loss earlier Saturday, UNC (22-8, 14-3 BSC) pulled even atop the standings with the 83-73 victory over the Lumberjacks (16-14, 7-10 BSC).
UNC travels to Ogden, Utah, for a showdown with Weber State at 7 p.m. Monday, while Montana closes championship Monday at home against Eastern Washington at 8 p.m. If the Bears and Grizzlies end the campaign with matching records, they share the regular-season title and UNC earns the top seed in the Big Sky Conference Championship.
The Bears, the nation's top shooting team, knocked down 63% of their field-goal attempts and built a 22-point advantage with 12:50 remaining in the game. NAU utilized a 28-11 run over the next 10 and a half minutes to cut the deficit from 62-40 down to five at 73-68.
With UNC on its heels, Isaiah Hawthorne went to work. He scored six of his 16 points over the final 2:20, matching a 3-pointer by NAU that sliced the margin to five. Following a two by the Lumberjacks with 92 seconds left, Hawthorne pushed the gap back to eight on the next trip down the floor.
Zach Bloch extended the gap out to 10 at 80-70, and the cushion remained at least three possessions for the remainder of the contest.
Langston Reynolds tallied 20 points on 7-for-9 from the floor and added 6-of-8 at the free-throw line. He corralled five rebounds and handed out two assists, with one steal and one block.
Jaron Rilie totaled 20 points, seven boards, two assists and one steal. He sank 8-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-4 from behind the arc.
Hawthorne netted 16 points on 6-of-9 from the floor, including 1-for-3 from 3-point range and added 3-of-5 at the charity stripe.
Brock Wisne accounted for 13 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. He sank 5-of-7 from the floor.
Marcell McCreary led the squad with four assists. He chipped in with two points and two rebounds.
A win at Weber State would match the most in Big Sky Conference play in a season for UNC since the 2019-20 campaign. The Bears posted a 15-5 mark during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
The Bears matched the 2021-22 and 2019-20 squads with 22, tying for fourth-most in program history.
Steve Smiley's 86 wins rank sixth on the all-time coaching record in program history, one shy of George E. Cooper's 87.
Coupled with Montana's loss earlier Saturday, UNC (22-8, 14-3 BSC) pulled even atop the standings with the 83-73 victory over the Lumberjacks (16-14, 7-10 BSC).
UNC travels to Ogden, Utah, for a showdown with Weber State at 7 p.m. Monday, while Montana closes championship Monday at home against Eastern Washington at 8 p.m. If the Bears and Grizzlies end the campaign with matching records, they share the regular-season title and UNC earns the top seed in the Big Sky Conference Championship.
The Bears, the nation's top shooting team, knocked down 63% of their field-goal attempts and built a 22-point advantage with 12:50 remaining in the game. NAU utilized a 28-11 run over the next 10 and a half minutes to cut the deficit from 62-40 down to five at 73-68.
With UNC on its heels, Isaiah Hawthorne went to work. He scored six of his 16 points over the final 2:20, matching a 3-pointer by NAU that sliced the margin to five. Following a two by the Lumberjacks with 92 seconds left, Hawthorne pushed the gap back to eight on the next trip down the floor.
Zach Bloch extended the gap out to 10 at 80-70, and the cushion remained at least three possessions for the remainder of the contest.
Langston Reynolds tallied 20 points on 7-for-9 from the floor and added 6-of-8 at the free-throw line. He corralled five rebounds and handed out two assists, with one steal and one block.
Jaron Rilie totaled 20 points, seven boards, two assists and one steal. He sank 8-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-4 from behind the arc.
Hawthorne netted 16 points on 6-of-9 from the floor, including 1-for-3 from 3-point range and added 3-of-5 at the charity stripe.
Brock Wisne accounted for 13 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. He sank 5-of-7 from the floor.
Marcell McCreary led the squad with four assists. He chipped in with two points and two rebounds.
A win at Weber State would match the most in Big Sky Conference play in a season for UNC since the 2019-20 campaign. The Bears posted a 15-5 mark during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
The Bears matched the 2021-22 and 2019-20 squads with 22, tying for fourth-most in program history.
Steve Smiley's 86 wins rank sixth on the all-time coaching record in program history, one shy of George E. Cooper's 87.
Team Stats
UNC
NAU
FG%
.625
.474
3FG%
.538
.467
FT%
.667
.632
RB
29
28
TO
14
13
STL
5
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
20
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
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/ Men's BasketballHead Coach Smiley, Jaron Rillie, Zach Bloch, and Isaiah Hawthorne Post Game Press Conference v Idaho
Sunday, February 23
Head Coach Steve Smiley, Jaron Rillie, and Quinn Denker Post Game Press Conference vs E Washington
Friday, February 21
Head Coach Steve Smiley, Quinn Denker, and Jaron Rillie Post Game Press Conference vs Montana State
Sunday, February 09
Langston Reynolds and Quinn Denker Post Game Press Conference vs NAU
Saturday, February 08
