GREELEY, Colo. (Interstat) — A surging Northern Colorado squad will look to avenge an earlier loss and continue its push for conference positioning when it hosts Northern Arizona in a Big Sky men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Butler-Hancock Athletic Center. The Bears (17-10, 10-4 Big Sky) enter on a five-game winning streak and sit near the top of the league standings. The Lumberjacks (10-17, 6-8), meanwhile, have struggled for consistency but handed Northern Colorado one of its four conference losses just four weeks ago. Northern Arizona won the first meeting 81-77 in Flagstaff on Jan. 24 behind a season-high 24 points from guard Chris Komin. He will be a key figure again, averaging 11.3 points and 2.9 assists. Komin is coming off a 14-point effort in a win over Sacramento State last Saturday. However, the Bears are powered by the conference’s hottest player in guard Quinn Denker. During the five-game win streak, Denker is averaging 24.6 points, 9.2 assists and 6.6 rebounds, including a 31-point, 9-assist performance at Weber State and a 22-point, 16-assist outing against Sacramento State. In the loss to NAU, he scored 16 points with five assists. Northern Colorado has found its form with a balanced attack, as evidenced by Brock Wisne’s 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win over Portland State. The Bears average 79.5 points per game, ranking second in the Big Sky. The Lumberjacks have shown flashes, splitting their last four games. Beyond Komin, they rely on production from Diego Campisano (18 points vs. Sac State) and Karl Poom (17 points vs. Sac State). Defensive intensity will be paramount for NAU to slow Denker and the Bears’ efficient offense. Saturday’s contest is a critical late-season test for both. Northern Colorado aims to solidify its standing, while Northern Arizona looks to play spoiler and build momentum before hitting the road next week. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. MST.