Northern Colorado Cleans Up Glass in Win over Bobcat Women

Saturday, February 15

Bozeman, MT

2 p.m.

Montana State University

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University of Northern Colorado

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Northern Colorado

Montana State

Ashley Brumwell had eight points and eight rebounds against Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon.

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

Northern Colorado Cleans Up Glass in Win over Bobcat Women

2/15/2014 6:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Northern Colorado out-rebounded Montana State by 22 boards and UNC’s Stephanie Lee was almost unstoppable scoring a game-high 36 points as the Bears posted a 65-59 win over the Bobcats, Saturday afternoon in Worthington Arena.

By: Tom Schulz

Northern Colorado out-rebounded Montana State by 22 boards and UNC's Stephanie Lee was almost unstoppable scoring a game-high 36 points as the Bears posted a 65-59 win over the Bobcats, Saturday afternoon in Worthington Arena.

Northern Colorado (13-11, 7-8) received 14 points from Lee in the opening period as the 6-1 junior connected on seven-of-12 from the field, mostly layups. Montana State (12-11, 7-7) sophomore Kayla DeWit countered with 12 points on five-of-six shooting, but the Bears entered intermission with a 31-23 cushion.

"We struggled to control the tempo," MSU head coach Tricia Binford said. "We didn't get the hustle plays and we didn't get stops. Lee is a phenomenal player and we didn't have an answer for her."

The Bears maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second stanza, before the Bobcats picked-up its full court pressure defense and chipped a 14-point UNC lead down to five with 1:01 left following a Jasmine Hommes free throw. During the 11-2 run MSU held Northern Colorado without a field-goal for the rest of the game. UNC knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the win in the final minute.

"We lost our toughness," Binford said. "We have to have some accountability to get the job done. We knew they would be physical, but we just didn't respond. It's a mindset we didn't have this afternoon."

DeWit finished with a career-high 16 points to lead the Bobcats. Also in double-figures were Kalli Durham 13, and Hommes 11. Ashley Brumwell and Jackie Elliott paced MSU under the glass with eight and six rebounds, respectively. Junior point-guard Ausha Cole finished with nine assists and a game-high five steals.

The Bobcats forced 24 UNC turnovers, while committing just eight miscues. MSU failed to turn the Bears' errors into points, shooting just 34 percent from the field, while UNC hit at a 52 percent clip.

Montana State will travel to Idaho State on Thursday.