- Matchup: Northern Colorado Bears vs Montana Grizzlies
- Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026
- Venue: Dahlberg Arena, Missoula, MT
- Broadcast: ESPN+
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This Saturday, Dahlberg Arena serves as the battleground where the Montana Grizzlies (6-7) challenge the Northern Colorado Bears (10-3).
In their most recent game, the Northern Colorado Bears secured a victory over Colorado, concluding the match with an 86-81 scoreline. The Bears committed 12 personal fouls while Colorado totaled 14. From beyond the arc, Northern Colorado managed to convert 7 out of 23 attempts. Colorado performed impressively at the free-throw line, achieving a 93.3% success rate by scoring 14 of 15. Additionally, they collected a total of 33 rebounds, split between 14 offensive and 19 defensive, without recording any blocks. Their performance included 11 assists and 5 steals. Defensively, Northern Colorado allowed their rivals to shoot 39.5% from the field, with Colorado landing 30 of 76 shots. The Bears also registered 17 assists, forced 5 turnovers, and achieved 2 steals. On the rebounding front, they totaled 33, with 4 coming from offensive plays. At the charity stripe, the Bears successfully converted 13 out of 17 attempts for a 76.5% success rate. Overall, Northern Colorado ended the game with a shooting percentage of 52.5% (31 of 59) and made 11 of 21 three-point attempts.
A standout performer for the Bears was Quinn Denker, who scored an impressive 33 points on 12 of 18 shooting, played for 38 minutes, secured 8 rebounds, and distributed 8 assists. His shooting efficiency peaked at 66.7% for the night.
Northern Colorado enters this showdown boasting a record of 10-3. They average 11.6 turnovers per game and commit an average of 16.5 personal fouls per game. The Bears are also excelling in rebounding, averaging 37.7 boards and have notched 235 assists this season, placing them 57th nationwide for assists. From long-range, they are shooting 38.0% (139 of 366) and maintain a commendable free-throw success rate of 74.9%. Offensively, they score an average of 86.8 points per game, ranking them 45th in Division I, while shooting an impressive 50.8% from the field.
Defensively, the Bears demonstrate a solid performance by forcing 10.1 turnovers per game and drawing an average of 15.5 fouls. Their opponents are shooting 28.6% from three-point range, while their defense ranks 252nd in Division I, allowing 76.2 points per game. They concede a field-goal percentage of 45.1% (366 of 812) and collect 31.0 rebounds per game, placing them among the top 20 teams in assists allowed with 132 over the season.
In their previous game, the Montana Grizzlies suffered a defeat against Louisville, ending with a score of 94-54. The Grizzlies allowed 46 rebounds to Louisville (12 offensive). They managed to shoot 35.3% from beyond the arc, converting 12 of 34 attempts, and finished the evening at 14 of 19 from the free-throw line (73.7%). Louisville achieved a shooting percentage of 52.3% on 34 of 65 attempts. Conversely, Montana completed the game with 17 of 53 shots from the floor for a percentage of 32.1%. From three-point range, Montana managed to make 7 out of 24 shots (29.2%) and successfully landed 13 free throws for an 86.7% conversion rate. Louisville racked up 15 fouls, leading to 15 free-throw attempts for the Grizzlies, who turned the ball over 19 times while earning 9 steals defensively. Montana grabbed 20 defensive rebounds and 4 offensive rebounds for a total of 24 boards.
Grant Kepley played a crucial role for the Grizzlies during the game, scoring 15 points in 25 minutes on the court, while also registering 1 assist and pulling down 1 rebound, converting 5 out of 12 shots for a shooting rate of 41.7%.
This season, Montana stands at 6-7. The Grizzlies have a solid offensive game plan, boasting a 49.2% field goal shooting percentage, positioning them at 48th in Division I. They have accumulated a total of 1,052 points this season, averaging 80.9 points per game while also securing 38.2 rebounds per contest. Montana distributes an average of 16.2 assists per game (96th in the college ranks) but also commits 14.5 turnovers. With an average of 17.8 personal fouls per game, they maintain a free-throw shooting percentage of 73.4%.
Defensively, Montana allows opponents to convert 30.0% of their three-point attempts (91 of 303) and gives up a 68.3% free-throw success rate. Their defense allows an average of 13.2 assists and 34.5 rebounds per game, ranking them 178th and 184th in Division I. The Grizzlies rank 221st in Division I for points allowed per game, averaging 74.8. They force around 11.0 turnovers each game while permitting teams to shoot 42.7% from the floor (147th in college).
Who will emerge victorious tonight in this NCAA matchup?
Prediction: Opt for Northern Colorado
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