Bear Down: NAU Downs Northern Colorado for 65-60 Win
/ February 05, 2015
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – For the first time since January 24, 2013 the Northern Arizona men's basketball team defeated Northern Colorado. With a season- high 31 points from Quinton Upshur, the Lumberjacks (11-11, 6-3 Big Sky) were able to take down the Bears (11-10, 6-4 Big Sky) to move into fourth place in the Big Sky Conference.
"Tonight was definitely a big win," said head coach
Jack Murphy. "I'm really proud of our guys because they missed shots early but stuck with it. Que really got us going and kept us in the game in the first half. UNC never quit and fought us to the buzzer. They're a well-coached team so you have to give them credit."
Northern Colorado was 9-0 this season when it shot a higher field goal percentage than its opponent and tonight the Bears shot 42.6 percent for the game and NAU shot just 36.5 from the field.
It was a defensive battle in the first half with both teams shooting a low shooting percentage. The Lumberjacks held the Bears to 39 percent from the field while Northern Colorado held NAU to just 30 percent on the court. The Bears led for most of the first half as six different players scored in the first 20 minutes of play but the Lumberjacks fought their way back late in the first half to take the lead. At the 2:33 mark
Aaseem Dixon dished the ball off to Gaellan Bewerneick for a three-pointer, giving NAU the 24-23 lead. Northern Arizona extended its lead to four, 29-25, to end the first half with their largest lead.
Upshur carried the Lumberjacks offensively in the first half with 16 points off 5-for-9 shooting from the field, including 75 percent from the three-point arc. Despite making only eight shots from the field, NAU was able to capitalize on its opportunities at the charity stripe shooting 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
Zachary Reynolds came off the bench and made an impact on the defensive end causing havoc down low grabbing three rebounds and scoring four points in just eight minutes of play in the first half.
It was a game of runs in the second half with both teams going back and forth trying to hold on to a lead. Early in the second half, the Bears went on a 10-0 run to take a 35-34 lead with 16:25 but then NAU went on a run of its own. The 'Jacks responded with a 9-0 run in two minutes to take its largest lead of the game 43-35 with 13:12 left in the game. Again, Northern Colorado went on another run going 9-0 in three minutes taking a 46-43 lead with 11:14 left in the game.
After multiple lead changes by the teams, Yanku pulled up for a jumper, giving NAU the 58-57 lead with 3:11 left in the game.
The Bears never gave up as it took NAU down to the wire, but it was NAU that was victorious, snapping a four-game losing streak to UNC.
"We didn't put too much emphasis on the fact that we had lost to them (UNC) the last couple of games," said Upshur. "Our preparation for today's game was the same as every other game. We just went hard at practice and came out here ready to play."
Cameron Michael led UNC with 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting. The Bears were out-rebounded by NAU 41 to 29.
The Lumberjacks will be back in action on Saturday against North Dakota, at 2 p.m., at the Walkup Skydome.
