Northern Colorado men’s basketball team secured a 74-71 win against Eastern Washington in a Big Sky Conference game at Bank of Colorado Arena on Saturday. The victory was highlighted by Ring Nyeri’s career-best performance, as he scored 23 points, making 10 of 15 shots and three out of four from beyond the arc. Nyeri also contributed five rebounds, a steal, and two blocks over 32 minutes of play. He played a key role in the closing moments, scoring nine points in the final seven minutes and hitting a crucial second-chance three-pointer with just over a minute left.
The Bears led narrowly at halftime, 32-31, and maintained their edge throughout the second half by shooting over 42 percent from the field after the break. They committed only four turnovers for the entire game, marking their lowest total this season while finding quality offensive opportunities.
Brock Wisne added to Northern Colorado’s effort with 13 points and nine rebounds. He was effective from the free-throw line, converting seven of eight attempts and sealing the game with four free throws in the last nine seconds. Quinn Denker nearly posted a triple-double by recording nine points, eight assists, and eight rebounds.
Bench contributions were also significant; Vincent Delano provided eight points. The Bears outscored Eastern Washington in the paint (38-34) and matched them with ten second-chance points each. On defense, Northern Colorado made important stops late in the contest by forcing misses on Eastern Washington’s final two possessions.
The result moves Northern Colorado to an overall record of 13-10 and a conference mark of 3-7 after a tightly contested match that included eleven lead changes and nine ties.
Looking ahead, Northern Colorado will go on another Big Sky road trip starting Thursday, February 5th against Weber State at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST with coverage available on ESPN+ and Pirate Radio. The road swing concludes Saturday against Idaho State Bengals at ICCU Dome in Pocatello, Idaho; that game starts at 4 p.m. MST with streaming on ESPN+ as well as radio coverage.
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