Northern Colorado women’s basketball will travel to Vermillion, South Dakota, for a second-round matchup against the Coyotes in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) on March 22. The game is scheduled to tip off at 12 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time and will be broadcast live on Midco Sports.
The Bears advanced after defeating Air Force 79–72 in the first round. Northern Colorado started strong, shooting over 64 percent in the first quarter and building a significant halftime lead. Tatum West led with 22 points and 13 rebounds, marking her tenth double-double of the season, while Neenah George contributed 19 points and four assists. The team finished with a field goal percentage of 60 percent and made seven three-pointers. Despite a late surge from Air Force, Northern Colorado maintained control by dominating inside play and rebounding.
This season, Northern Colorado has averaged 68.8 points per game with a +8.8 scoring margin and shoots at a rate of 42 percent from the field. George leads the team in scoring with an average of 12.8 points per game and has tallied 110 assists this season. Gabi Fields leads in assists with 119, while West averages a team-best 9.3 rebounds per game and shoots nearly 59 percent from the floor. Heather Baymon adds perimeter strength with a team-high of 68 three-pointers.
South Dakota presents a balanced offense led by Angelina Robles, who averages nearly 16 points per game along with significant playmaking duties. Molly Joyce provides additional scoring at over twelve points per contest, while Elise Turrubiates contributes both as a scorer and rebounder.
With their recent win over Air Force, Northern Colorado secured its first postseason victory since defeating Colorado State in the opening round of the WNIT in 2015—a year when they also beat South Dakota before falling to UCLA.
