Northern Colorado Set to Open Big Sky Tournament Against Portland State

Saturday, March 8

Boise, Idaho

12 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

Portland State University

3/6/2025 10:04:00 AM | Women's Basketball

UNC Game Notes Tournament Program Tournament & Ticket Info Live Stats ESPN+

No. 9 seed Bears look to snap losing streak in first-round matchup vs. No. 10 seed Vikings; winner advances to face top-seeded Montana State

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. - No. 9 seed Northern Colorado (13-16, 6-12 Big Sky) will open play at the 2025 Big Sky Women's Basketball Tournament in Boise, Idaho, on Saturday at 12 p.m. MT vs. No. 10 seed Portland State (4-23, 1-17 Big Sky).

LIVE COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for the game provided by the Big Sky Conference's communications 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 Big Sky.

BEARS IN THE BIG SKY TOURNAMENT
Northern Colorado holds a 13-12 all-time record in the Big Sky Tournament. The Bears have made four appearances in the Big Sky Championship Game, with a 1-3 record in those matchups. Their lone tournament title came in 2018.

UNC and Portland State have met just once in Big Sky Tournament play, facing off in the 2008 quarterfinals, where PSU claimed an 82-69 victory.

THE MATCHUP
The Big Sky Women's Basketball Tournament tips off with a matchup between the No. 9 seed Northern Colorado and No. 10 seed Portland State at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available provided by the Big Sky Conference.

These teams split their regular-season meetings, with Northern Colorado taking a 68-50 victory at home on Feb. 15, while Portland State defended its home court with a 58-52 win on Jan. 16.

In the most recent matchup, UNC used a balanced attack led by London Gamble's 21 points to pull away from the Vikings, who struggled offensively, shooting just 36.5 percent from the field.

Northern Colorado enters the tournament on a skid, having dropped three straight games, including an overtime 68-67 loss in the regular-season finale against Weber State. Despite that, the Bears remain a dangerous squad, paced by Gamble (10.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Aniah Hall (9.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg).

Portland State, meanwhile, is looking to snap a 14-game losing streak. The Vikings' offense runs through Rhema Ogele, who posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double in their last win over UNC. Alaya Fitzgerald (13.2 ppg) and Lana Wenger (11.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg) will also be key factors if PSU is to pull off the upset.

Both teams struggled on the road this season, making the neutral-court setting in Boise a potential equalizer. The winner of this game advances to face the No. 1 seed Montana State in the quarterfinals.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game marks the 39th meeting between the two teams, with the series dating back to 1989. Head Coach Kristen Mattio has a 3-5 record against the Vikings, though the Bears hold a 26-12 advantage over Portland State. The teams have met just once in tournament play, in the 2008 quarterfinals, where Portland State claimed an 82-69 victory.

W, 68-50 - Greeley, 2025
L, 52-58 - Portland, 2025
W, 65-48 - Greeley, 2024
W, 71-54 - Portland, 2024
L, 52-56 - Portland, 2023

ON THIS DAY, MARCH 8
Saturday's game marks the fourth time the Bears have played on this date and the first time in the Mattio Era. UNC is 1-2 all time on March 8 and 1-0 at Boise.

2014, at Southern Utah - L, 48-63
2017, vs Idaho State - L, 59-60
2022, vs Idaho State - W, 72-54

THE MATTIO ERA
Head Coach Kristen Mattio enters her fourth season at the helm of Bears Women's Basketball. Under Mattio, the Bears are 56-66 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 56 and is two wins away from tying sixth.

LAST TIME OUT
Northern Colorado battled until the final buzzer but fell 68-67 in overtime to Weber State at Bank of Colorado Arena. The game featured 13 lead changes and five ties, with the Bears forcing overtime before Weber sealed the win with a last-second layup. London Gamble led UNC with 23 points, while Silvia Nativi added 11 points and four steals. Aniah Hall grabbed 11 rebounds, and Neenah George made key plays on both ends.

Weber State built an early lead with sharp shooting, maintaining a 43-34 halftime advantage. UNC fought back in the second half, using strong defense and clutch plays from Gamble and Nativi to pull within six entering the fourth. The Bears held Weber to just six points in the final period, and George's late free throws gave UNC a brief lead before a missed Weber jumper sent the game into overtime.

In the extra frame, UNC built a six-point cushion, but Weber rallied with aggressive drives. A costly turnover in the final seconds led to the Wildcats' game-winning layup. Despite winning the rebounding battle 44-34, UNC's 21 turnovers proved costly, leading to 15 points for Weber. Rose Bubakar led the Wildcats with 13 points, helping them secure the narrow victory.

NET RANKINGS
The Bears are currently ranked 199 th 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.

UP NEXT
The winner of the Northern Colorado-Portland State game will advance to the second round and face No. 1 Montana State (27-3, 17-1 Big Sky) at 12 p.m. MST on Sunday.

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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