PREVIEW: Men’s Basketball Preps for Final Regular Season Big Sky Road Swing

Thursday, February 26

Cheney, Wash.

7 p.m. MST | 6 p.m. PST

University of Northern Colorado

Eastern Washington

Photo by: Lexie Martin

2/24/2026 3:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Brooke Richards, Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – The Northern Colorado Men's Basketball team will look to extend their win streak this week with their final regular season Big Sky road games. Thursday's game at Eastern Washington will tipoff at 7 p.m. MST/6 p.m. PST in Cheney, Wash. and Saturday's game at Idaho will tipoff at 2 p.m. MST/1 p.m. PST in Moscow, Idaho. Coverage is available on Pirate Radio and ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT: Brock Wisne delivered a career night to lift Northern Colorado to a 78-77 win over Northern Arizona at Bank of Colorado Arena. The Bears led for more than 33 minutes and took a 43-41 halftime advantage after shooting 53.3 percent in the opening half, controlling the paint and generating second-chance opportunities. Wisne erupted for a career-high 38 points on 15-of-21 shooting with five rebounds, recording the third-most points in a single game in program history while moving into 10th on UNC's all-time scoring list with 1,367 career points and fifth in field goals made (569). UNC stretched its lead to double digits in the second half behind strong interior play, with Ibu Yamazaki adding 10 points, Quinn Denker contributing 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Ring Nyeri tallying eight points and 10 rebounds as the Bears won the paint 50-34. Northern Arizona rallied late behind Chris Komin's 34 points, cutting the deficit to one in the final minute, but UNC executed down the stretch to secure the one-point victory.

BIG SKY STANDINGS CONTEXT: Northern Colorado now sits at 8-7 in Big Sky play and 18-10 overall, extending its winning streak to seven and continuing to surge up a tightly packed conference standings board. The Bears are 6-2 at home in league action and 10-3 overall inside Bank of Colorado Arena, positioning themselves firmly in the middle of a crowded race with multiple teams separated by just a game. UNC is currently tied for fifth with Montana and sits just one game back of the trio of Eastern Washington (9-6) and Weber State (9-7), while two games separate the Bears from second-place Montana State (9-6).

At the top, Portland State has clinched at least a share of the regular-season title at 12-3 (18-8 overall). Behind them, Montana State and Eastern Washington remain in striking distance, with Weber State close behind. With teams clustered from second through sixth and momentum shifting weekly, Big Sky Tournament seeding remains highly fluid entering the final stretch of the regular season.

RECORD WATCH: Brock Wisne moved into 10th place on UNC's all-time scoring list with 1,367 career points and now sits fifth in program history in field goals made with 569.

Zach Bloch continues to make steady progress across multiple career categories, ranking seventh all-time at UNC in three-pointers made (195) and sixth in three-point attempts (498), while sitting in a tie for fourth in games played with 129, just four shy of the program record. Bloch also has 98 career steals, 15 away from cracking the all-time top 10, and is closing in on single-season marks as well, sitting in sixth in made three's with 85 and is four steals shy of the season top 10.

Quinn Denker remains one of the most productive playmakers in program history, currently ranking third on UNC's single-season assists list with 188 and continuing to move up the program's season-long distribution charts.

NATIONAL & CONFERENCE RANKINGS SNAPSHOT (Through Feb. 23, 2026):
Northern Colorado continues to profile as one of the most efficient offensive teams in the Big Sky, pairing national standing with conference-leading execution. According to the NCAA Ranking Summary through games, UNC ranks 50th nationally and first in the conference in scoring offense (82.8 ppg), 35th nationally and first in assists per game (17.0), and 48th nationally and first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.51). The Bears also sit 19th nationally and first in effective field-goal percentage (.571), reinforcing their identity as a disciplined, possession-valuing offensive group built on shot quality and ball movement.

Efficiency remains the foundation. Northern Colorado ranks 27th nationally and second in the Big Sky in field-goal percentage (49.2), 44th nationally and second in three-pointers per game (9.8), 52nd nationally and second in three-point percentage (36.4), and 58th nationally and second in three-point attempts per game (26.8). Defensively, UNC ranks 44th nationally and second in three-point percentage defense (30.8), while also leading the conference in rebound margin (42nd nationally, +5.4) and ranking 31st nationally, second in the league, in defensive rebounds per game (27.25).

Individually, Quinn Denker continues to drive the offense at an elite level. He ranks fifth nationally and first in the Big Sky in assists per game (7.2), ninth nationally and first in total assists (188), and 34th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.89), while averaging 18.4 points per game. Brock Wisne ranks 32nd nationally and first in the conference in field-goal percentage (58.6) and sits among the league leaders in scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). Zach Bloch remains one of the nation's elite perimeter shooters, ranking 15th nationally and second in the Big Sky in three-point percentage (43.4), while leading the conference in total three-pointers (85) and three-pointers per game (3.04), further solidifying UNC's spacing and offensive versatility.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington enters the matchup at 11-17 overall and 9-6 in Big Sky play, riding a six-game conference winning streak after road victories at Sacramento State (102-94) and Portland State (67-55). Despite an under-.500 overall record fueled by a challenging nonconference slate that included UCLA, Colorado, Utah and BYU, the Eagles have found rhythm in league play, going 5-4 on the road and 4-2 at home in conference action. EWU averages 77.6 points per game while allowing 79.7 overall, but in Big Sky games that margin flips to +3.7, with the Eagles scoring 77.5 and surrendering 73.8 per contest. They shoot 46.9 percent from the floor and 36.3 percent from three overall, with those numbers climbing to 47.1 percent and 39.0 percent, respectively, in conference play.

Isaiah Moses headlines the Eagles' attack, averaging 17.8 points per game overall and 18.5 in conference play while shooting 43.5 percent from three and an impressive 96.5 percent from the line in league games. Kiree Huie (13.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Alton Hamilton IV (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) provide a physical interior presence, both shooting better than 52 percent from the floor. Eastern Washington rebounds at a nearly even margin overall (-0.3), but holds a +1.5 edge in conference play and has defended the three effectively in league action, limiting opponents to 30.4 percent from beyond the arc.

SERIES HISTORY: Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington have met 38 times since Jan. 4, 2007, with the series tied 18-20. The two programs have split the last 10 meetings (5-5), reflecting the competitive balance between the sides. UNC earned a 74-71 home win in the most recent matchup on Jan. 31, 2026, and has won three of the last four contests, including a 95-76 victory in Greeley on Feb. 20, 2025. The Bears' largest win in the series was a 95-76 decision, while the narrowest came in a 68-67 Big Sky Tournament win on March 10, 2022, underscoring the tightly contested nature that has defined the matchup in recent seasons.

SCOUTING THE VANDALS: Idaho enters the matchup at 15-13 overall and 7-8 in Big Sky play, coming off an 86-80 road win at Sacramento State to snap back into the mix as the league race tightens. The Vandals have been steady at home this season (8-3) and have shown they can win away from Moscow as well (6-9, plus a 1-1 mark at neutral sites). In conference play, Idaho's resume includes statement wins over Eastern Washington (84-81) and Montana State (92-89) at home, a road win at Weber State (75-67), and a decisive 99-69 victory over Idaho State, while also battling through a stretch of close losses against the league's top tier.

SERIES HISTORY: Northern Colorado has controlled the all-time series with Idaho, leading 15-6 dating back to Jan. 24, 2015, including a 15-6 edge in Big Sky play. The Bears have been especially strong in Greeley (8-2) while also posting a winning road mark in Moscow (7-4), and UNC has won eight of the last 10 meetings (8-2) since Jan. 16, 2021. The most recent matchup came on Jan. 29, 2026, when Northern Colorado earned a 91-83 home win, continuing a run that has seen UNC take four of the last five in the series. The Bears' largest margin of victory was a 93-49 win on Feb. 27, 2020, while the smallest was a 98-94 win on Feb. 26, 2022, highlighting how the matchup can swing from tight finishes to explosive offensive nights.

UP NEXT: The Bears will play one final regular season game at home on Monday, March 2 against Montana. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST. Coverage is available on ESPN+ and 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).