Northern Colorado men’s basketball beats Jacksonville State, 86-82, in overtime

Make that two straight wins for the University of Northern Colorado men’s basketball team.

UNC (3-4) defeated Jacksonville State (2-4), 86-82 in overtime, for its second game of the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Bears knew the Gamecocks would be tough. They are fresh off a 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance, earning the ASUN Conference automatic bid, and expected to be another top contender in the league. UNC is expected to be a top program in the Big Sky.

Basically, the game lived up to its billing. It featured 11 ties, 16 lead changes, three foul outs and two technicals between the two teams.

The Bears, who scored 43 points in the first, led the Gamecocks by eight points by halftime.

After the break, though, UNC’s shooting cooled off and it struggled off the glass after the break. That let JSU get back into the game. The Gamecocks made 13 buckets and out-rebounded the Bears by eight.

Both teams traded buckets, neither of which could truly break away. Then, a Jacksonville State layup with 22 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 69. Senior guard Daylen Kountz tried to make a jumper at the buzzer, but he wasn’t able to complete the comeback.

That’s OK, Northern Colorado took the extra time and outscored JSU 17-13, making nearly half of its points from free throws.

Graduate student Daylen Kountz led the team with 23 points, seven of which came in overtime, and seven assists.

Freshman Caleb Shaw (19) and graduate students Matt Johnson (16) and Riley Abercrombie (12) assisted Kountz in the double-digit scoring.

Senior Dalton Knecht contributed seven rebounds but could not get things going offensively, making just one field goal on the night. He finished with eight points, though, after making six buckets at the free throw line.

Junior Theo Hughes fouled out. Johnson also fouled out late in the game, when the teams were fouling down the stretch. Knecht received a technical foul in the first half. The other two were assessed to JSU players.

The game was physical and emotional. It required fortitude to pull off the victory, but that’s exactly what UNC has needed.

Bears coach Steve Smiley said the team is treating the event like the Big Sky Tournament. It must play three consecutive, just like the postseason, and grinding out a tough win against another mid-major is significant for the program. The real test, however, will come when UNC faces host New Mexico.

Johnson played 39 minutes and Kountz played 42. In recent seasons, Northern Colorado runs out of energy toward the end of the season, specifically in the league tournament. It wants to carry momentum from the win into the contest on Sunday, hoping to pull off an upset and prove its ability to win three in three days.

UNC will finish the Lobo Classic against New Mexico at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.