GREELEY, Colo. (Interstat) — Northern Colorado used a dominant first half and prolific three-point shooting to defeat Idaho State 85-72 in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Butler-Hancock Athletic Center. The Bears built a 40-25 halftime lead and finished 16 of 35 from beyond the arc. Zach Bloch led all scorers with 26 points for Northern Colorado, which improved to 11-5. Jamison Guerra scored 26 points for the Bengals, who fell to 8-8. Idaho State shot just 3 of 17 from three-point range. Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker added a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists. Attendance was 1,110.

GARDEN CITY, Colo. (Interstat) — A blistering first-half shooting display from beyond the arc propelled Northern Colorado to a decisive 85-72 victory over Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Butler-Hancock Athletic Center. The Bears connected on 10 of their 16 three-point attempts in the opening period, building a 40-25 halftime lead that the Bengals could never seriously threaten. Northern Colorado finished the game 16 of 35 from deep, a 45.7% clip that starkly contrasted Idaho State’s frigid 3-for-17 performance from long range. The most important part of the game was Northern Colorado’s immediate and sustained offensive eruption, which established a commanding tone. The Bears hit their first three three-point attempts within the first 90 seconds, two by Ibu Yamazaki and one by Zach Bloch, to jump ahead 9-3. This set a pattern for the half, as Northern Colorado consistently answered any modest Idaho State push with another long-range basket. A 13-2 run midway through the period, capped by consecutive threes from Yamazaki and Brock Wisne, stretched the lead to 22-8 and forced an early Idaho State timeout. The Bengals never got closer than nine points the rest of the way. Zach Bloch led all scorers with 26 points for Northern Colorado, hitting 6 of 11 from three-point range. His back-to-back threes late in the first half pushed the Bears’ lead to 38-25, effectively snuffing out a brief Idaho State rally. Bloch added two assists and two steals. Jamison Guerra kept Idaho State within distant reach, matching Bloch’s 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting. However, he received little consistent support as the Bengals’ offense often stalled against a active Bears defense. Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out 11 assists against just two turnovers while adding 10 points. His facilitation was key to the Bears’ efficient 128.5 offensive rating. Brock Wisne provided a strong interior presence with 17 points, and Ibu Yamazaki added 16, all in the first half, on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Idaho State’s Cheikh Sow recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Gus Etchison provided a second-half spark off the bench with 10 points. The Bengals won the battle in the paint, 34-26, and on the offensive glass, 10-5, but were ultimately undone by the three-point disparity and Northern Colorado’s superior ball movement, which yielded a 21-9 advantage in assists. The win improves Northern Colorado to 11-5 overall and 1-2 in the Big Sky, halting a two-game conference skid. Idaho State falls to 8-8 and 1-2. The Bears will host Weber State on Saturday, while Idaho State travels to face Northern Arizona. The game drew an announced attendance of 1,110. Northern Colorado covered the pregame spread as a 2-point favorite, and the total score of 157 landed under the over/under line of 155.5.

Preview: Idaho State Bengals at Northern Colorado Bears GARDEN CITY, Colo. (Interstat) — Two Big Sky Conference teams trending in opposite directions will meet Thursday when the Northern Colorado Bears host the Idaho State Bengals at Butler-Hancock Athletic Center. Northern Colorado (10-5) enters conference play with momentum from a strong non-conference slate, highlighted by an 86-81 road win at Colorado on Dec. 28. However, the Bears have dropped their first two Big Sky games, falling at Montana State (89-75) and Montana (88-79). Idaho State (8-7) also seeks its first conference victory after a 93-87 overtime loss to Portland State on Saturday. The Bengals opened league play with a 97-84 win over Sacramento State on Jan. 1. The matchup features two of the conference’s top offensive talents. Northern Colorado is led by guard Brock Wisne, who is averaging 19.9 points per game. Wisne scored 22 points in the loss at Montana and had 29 in a road game at Texas Tech earlier this season. Idaho State will counter with guard Martin Kheil, who is coming off a season-high 20-point performance in the overtime loss to Portland State. Kheil’s scoring surge provides a key offensive outlet for the Bengals. Northern Colorado holds a distinct advantage at home, boasting a 6-1 record in Garden City this season. Idaho State is 2-4 in true road games. The Bears’ offense, averaging 82.7 points per game, will test an Idaho State defense that allowed 93 points in its last outing. The Bengals will need to improve their perimeter defense to contain Wisne and guard Quinn Denker, who leads the team with 5.1 assists per game. For Idaho State, consistency beyond Kheil will be crucial. Connor Hollenbeck (19 points) and Lachlan Brewer (17 points) provided support against Portland State, and similar contributions will be needed to challenge the Bears on their home floor. Thursday’s contest is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. They will play again in Pocatello on Feb. 7. Up Next: Idaho State visits Northern Arizona on Saturday. Northern Colorado hosts Weber State on Saturday.