George Leads Balanced Attack as Bears Beat Idaho State on The Road

Thursday, January 8

Pocatello, Idaho.

7 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

11-5,2-1Big Sky

Idaho State

9-5,2-1Big Sky

Northern Colo.

Idaho St.

Idaho State Athletics

1/8/2026 9:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

POCATELLO, Idaho –Northern Colorado women's basketball team picked up its first road win of Big Sky Conference play Thursday night, defeating Idaho State behind strong defensive pressure and timely offensive execution. With the victory, the Bears improved to 11–5 overall and 2–1 in conference action.

Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, but Northern Colorado quickly established its presence on the defensive end. The Bears applied steady pressure throughout the opening quarter, forcing Idaho State turnovers and converting them into points in transition.

Heather Baymon and Neenah George provided an early spark, knocking down shots from beyond the arc and finishing strong at the rim. Gabi Fields delivered a momentum-shifting moment to close the quarter, drilling a half-court buzzer-beater to give the Bears a 21–15 advantage.

The second quarter featured early back-and-forth play as Idaho State attempted to close the gap, but Northern Colorado maintained control. Although the Bears experienced some offensive lulls, their ball movement continued to generate quality looks. Baymon capped off the half with a jumper from the elbow, sending UNC into the locker room with a 31–25 lead. George paced the Bears in the first half with 11 points.

Northern Colorado came out of the break with renewed defensive intensity in the third quarter, making it difficult for the Bengals to establish consistent offense. Idaho State mounted a brief rally and cut the lead to four, but timely scoring highlighted by a big three-pointer from Julia Riley halted the momentum. The Bears took advantage of second-chance opportunities, extending their lead and entering the final frame ahead 49–36.

In the fourth quarter, Riley knocked down another key three late, and an and-one finish by George pushed the Bears lead to 11. Idaho State responded with a three of its own, but Northern Colorado's disciplined defense down the stretch sealed the win.

George finished as the game's leading scorer with 19 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting performance, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Aniah Hall added 14 points, Fields chipped in 11, and Riley contributed 10.

Tatum West made her presence felt on the boards, pulling down a team-high 13 rebounds to help secure the road victory for the Bears.

UP NEXT: Northern Colorado will continue their road trip and head to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber State Saturday, January 10. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT.

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