Northern Colorado (8-1) leaned on composure in the closing minutes, outlasting an Omaha team that shot nearly 50 percent in the second half and hit timely perimeter looks to stay within striking distance all night. Graduate guard Quinn thinker again set the tone, finishing with 22 points, eight assists, and three steals in 36 minutes to anchor the offense.
The opening half featured constant momentum swings, with eight ties and 15 lead changes before the Bears entered halftime ahead, 36-33. Omaha (3-6) jumped out with early threes from Ja’Sean Glover and Lance Waddles, but UNC responded with a balanced attack, getting triples from Zach Bloch, Brock Wisneand Mrs. Yamazaki to settle in offensively.
Omaha surged to start the second half with a quick 8-2 run before Northern Colorado regrouped behind its veterans. Wisne delivered 20 points and eight rebounds, providing scoring inside and from deep while steadying UNC during multiple Maverick pushes.
Yamazaki added 16 points, knocking down three threes and showing control in the mid-range throughout the night.
Defensively, the Bears tightened late, forcing Omaha into a 2-of-6 stretch as UNC pieced together a run that included a Denker steal leading to a Vincent Delano transition finish. Bloch chipped in six rebounds and two assists while helping control tempo in a possession-heavy second half.
Omaha continued to challenge behind Glover’s game-high 26 points and 19 from Waddles, trimming the deficit to one possession multiple times. But each Maverick surge was met with an answer: timely drives from Denker, interior finishing from Wisne, and late-game rebounding that sealed UNC’s fourth straight road win and fifth straight overall win.
Northern Colorado shot 43 percent from the field, hit 10 threes, and committed just nine turnovers. The Bears also held a 37-33 edge on the glass and produced nine points off turnovers.
UP NEXT: The win opens Northern Colorado’s two-game slate in the Big Sky–Summit League Challenge, with the Bears set to host South Dakota on Saturday inside Bank of Colorado Arena at 6 p.m. MST to close the event.
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