Bears fall in heartbreaker to Montana

Bears fall in heartbreaker to Montana

 

Bears fall in heartbreaker to Montana

UNC men’s basketball fell late to Montana 56-54

By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

https://bit.ly/3ndlJDa

Box Score Attached

 

MISSOULA, Mont. – An 8-0 run over a [1:16] stretch gave Northern Colorado a one-point lead with 29 seconds left, but two turnovers in the final five seconds let Montana snatch the victory from the Bears 56-54 Monday morning.

Northern Colorado moves to 5-4 on the year and 2-2 in Big Sky play, while Montana is now 4-6 and 1-3 in the conference.

Kur Jockuch was a force down the stretch for UNC scoring six points on a pair of and-ones after missing most of the first half due to foul trouble. He finished the game with eight points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal.

 

Montana used an 11-2 run in the second half to go up 53-46 before Jockuch sparked the Bears’ late run.

Bodie Hume led the Bears with his third double-double of the year scoring 17 points and grabbing a career-best 11 rebounds. He added in three blocks, and a pair of steals and assists.

He came alive late in the first half scoring 10 points over the final [4:41] after being held scoreless until that point. The late spurt helped UNC enter the break with a 29-27 lead.

Northern Colorado held Montana to just 31.0% shooting in the first half.

The lead changed hands seven times in the second half and the game was tied seven times with no team leading by more than three until Montana’s 11-2 run.

What They Said

https://soundcloud.com/user-620401685/postgame-interview-vs-montana-1421

 

Stat of the Game

Second chance points and points off turnovers gave Montana life throughout the game as they combined for 35 of the team’s points.

Game Notes

– With Kur Jockuch picking up his second foul just [1:05] into the game, Jamel Melvin stepped up big time for the Bears. He scored six points, had four rebounds and a steal during the first half while taking over Jockuch’s minutes. The freshman finished the game with career-high eight points and six rebounds.

– Matt Johnson had his fourth double-figures scoring game of the season with 10 points.

– The Bears held Montana to 35.5% shooting from the field and just 2-of-10 from behind the arc.

– The loss snaps UNC’s four-game win streak over the Griz.

What’s Ahead

UNC returns to Bank of Colorado Arena to take on Montana State on January 7 and 9. Tip between the Bears and Bobcats is set for 6:30 pm and noon, respectively.

To stay up to date on all things UNC Men’s Basketball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on FacebookInstagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.

 

Ryan Pfeifer

Director of Strategic Communication

O: 970-351-3645 | C: 720-290-8886

www.UNCBears.com

#Bears Strong | @Rpfeifer82