Nyeri’s Career Night Pushes Bears Past Eastern Washington, 74-71

Saturday, January 31

Greeley, Colo.

2 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

13-10,3-7Big Sky

Eastern Washington

5-17,3-6Big Sky

Eastern Wash.

Northern Colo.

Photo by: Ally McCutchen

1/31/2026 4:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Brooke Richards, Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Behind a career-high performance from Ring Nyeri, the Northern Colorado men's basketball team secured a 74-71 Big Sky Conference victory over Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon at Bank of Colorado Arena.

Nyeri finished with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three, while adding five rebounds, a steal and two blocks in 32 minutes. He delivered when it mattered most, scoring nine points over the final seven minutes and knocking down a second-chance three with 1:13 remaining to give the Bears a late cushion.

Northern Colorado led 32-31 at halftime and continued to answer every Eastern Washington push in the second half, shooting 42.1 percent from the field after halftime. The Bears also turned in one of their cleanest performances of the season, committing a season-low four turnovers while consistently finding quality looks on the offensive end.

Brock Wisne provided a steady presence throughout, finishing with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while converting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and closing the door with four makes in the final nine seconds. Quinn Denker filled the box score with nine points, eight assists and eight rebounds, guiding the offense and creating opportunities in transition.

UNC also benefited from strong bench contributions, as Vincent Delano chipped in eight points, while the Bears held a 38-34 advantage in points in the paint and matched the Eagles with 10 second-chance points. Defensively, Northern Colorado came up with timely stops in the closing moments, forcing misses on Eastern Washington's final two possessions.

With the win, the Bears improve to 13-10 overall and 3-7 in Big Sky play, earning a hard-fought conference victory in a game that featured 11 lead changes and nine ties.

UP NEXT: Northern Colorado heads back out on the road for another Big Sky swing, opening the trip Thursday, Feb. 5, at the Weber State Wildcats inside the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah, with tip set for 7 p.m. MST on ESPN+ and Pirate Radio. The trip wraps up Saturday, Feb. 7, as UNC visits the Idaho State Bengals at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello, Idaho, for a 4 p.m. MST start, also streaming on ESPN+ with radio coverage on Pirate Radio.

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_BearsMBB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsMBB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsMBB).