FORT COLLINS — Bears are apparently stronger than rams — in biology and in basketball.
The College of Northern Colorado (4-5) defeated Colorado State (6-3), 88-83, on Saturday afternoon. Alongside the ladies’s triple time beyond regulation thriller, UNC swept the in-state sequence for the primary time since 2009.
All of it got here right down to free throws, like final 12 months. However as an alternative of lacking photographs, the Bears made them.
Alumnus Bodie Hume expressed frustration with the 9-of-14 efficiency in 2021. He made 1-of-4 throughout the newest matchup. This time, he may be pleased for his former teammates. They made 15-of-17.
Graduate college students Daylen Kountz and Matt Johnson led the best way and have been excellent from the stripe. They made all 11 mixed makes an attempt. Roughly seven passed off within the closing three minutes.
Senior Dalton Knecht went 3-of-4 and made two down the stretch.
“Oh, it feels good,” Kountz stated. “That’s the kind of recreation you need to be in, the place you might get to the free-throw line and simply ice the sport.”
Northern Colorado head coach Steve Smiley drew extra comparisons to final season’s matchup. In each contests, UNC had a small lead at halftime. It prolonged that into double figures after the break.
Smiley stated the workers reminded the workforce Colorado State wouldn’t go quietly. There could be “a punch coming.” Issues fell aside for the Bears for slightly bit, and the Rams made a run. They retook the lead with about 4 minutes left. The end result was completely different.
“We name these four-minute wars,” Smiley stated. “Day-after-day, we (observe) a number of. ‘It’s a tie recreation at CSU. It’s a four-minute warfare. What extra can we ask for?’ We got here down, we made all of the performs on the finish.”
Smiley stated — whereas drenched in celebratory water — this system doesn’t view this as an upset. The Bears consider they’re workforce.
Nonetheless, he acknowledges the Rams’ historic success. CSU has completed in the course of the Mountain West or higher for a lot of the final decade. It earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Match final season. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted David Roddy this summer season. The Rams have been picked to complete No. 4 of their league.
CSU additionally defeated Huge Sky opponent Weber State three weeks in the past by 25 factors.
“I assumed our guys went out (and) they took it. These guys aren’t gonna give it to you,” Smiley stated. “They’re a successful program. They’re an awesome program, and it is a exhausting place to play. We went on the market, and we actually grabbed it. I’m so happy with our guys. It was an superior effort.”
UNC completed 32-of-56 (57.1%) from the sector and 9-of-21 (43%) from 3. The squad hit seven triples within the second half.
Northern Colorado dedicated 13 turnovers, which the Rams was 17 factors, however had a greater efficiency off the glass. It completed with 35 rebounds to CSU’s 20. Seven got here from the offensive finish and was 15 second-chance factors.
Effort contained in the paint led to free-throw makes an attempt, too.
Kountz led the workforce with 27 factors, whereas Johnson and Knecht added 18 every. Seven gamers scored a number of factors and pulled down a number of boards.
Sophomore Connor Creech didn’t have any numbers throughout his temporary outing, however he disrupted on protection.
UNC’s victory handed CSU its first dwelling lack of the season and its first nonconference dwelling loss in 15 video games.
“That was recreation. We type of performed to our full potential,” Kountz stated. “We hit photographs, we guarded effectively, and we took their punches and have been capable of combat again. That’s an enormous factor we’ve been in all probability going by (for) the final two years. It’s simply with the ability to stand up to groups’ punches and nonetheless responding effectively.”
The Bears will play at Cal State-Northridge at 8 p.m. Saturday. They may head to Boulder to play the College of Colorado, hoping for one more upset, at 3 p.m. Dec. 18. The final nonconference dwelling recreation will host Air Drive at 6 p.m. Dec. 20 for youths day and “Vacation Hoops.”