Montana Grizzlies Defeat Northern Colorado Bears 88-79
Saturday, January 3, 2026, 6:00 PM ET · Dahlberg Arena
Montana Grizzlies 88, Northern Colorado Bears 79, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.
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Quick answers
Who won Northern Colorado Bears vs Montana Grizzlies?
Montana Grizzlies beat Northern Colorado Bears 88-79 at Dahlberg Arena on January 3, 2026.
Who was favored in Northern Colorado Bears vs Montana Grizzlies?
Northern Colorado Bears were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -122 (about 55% implied). The underdog won.
In an exciting matchup at Dahlberg Arena, the Montana Grizzlies secured a victory against the Northern Colorado Bears with a final score of 88-79. This game was particularly noteworthy as it showcased the Grizzlies' ability to bounce back from a recent loss and improve their home record.
The Grizzlies entered this contest with a home record of 8-7 and had been struggling in their last ten games, holding a record of 4-6. However, they managed to snap a two-game losing streak with this win, demonstrating resilience and a strong offensive performance, averaging 78.1 points scored and 77.3 points allowed in their recent games. Their last outing before this game was a solid win against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, where they triumphed 78-64.
On the other hand, the Northern Colorado Bears, with an away record of 10-5, were looking to maintain their competitive edge after a recent loss to the Montana State Bobcats, which ended their seven-game winning streak. The Bears had been scoring impressively, averaging 85.2 points while allowing 80.3 points over their last ten games. Despite their strong offensive capabilities, they struggled in this matchup, unable to keep pace with the Grizzlies.
In terms of previous encounters, the Grizzlies had a slight edge over the Bears with a head-to-head record of 2-1 in the last three meetings. The most recent meeting before this game saw the Grizzlies lose 57-81 on January 11, 2025, but they had won the two previous matchups in February and March of the same year.
Injuries did not significantly impact either team for this game, allowing both squads to field their key players. The market had set the odds with DraftKings, favoring the Bears by a narrow spread of 1.5 points and a total of 161.5 points for the game. The moneyline reflected the Bears as the favorites at -122, while the Grizzlies were positioned at +102.
Conditions on game day were conducive for basketball, with no adverse weather affecting the indoor play. Fans were treated to a high-energy game, and viewers were encouraged to watch for key plays, including a notable three-point jumper by Ibu Yamazaki and critical free throws by Tyler Isaak that helped seal the Grizzlies' victory.
Overall, this game was a significant step for the Grizzlies as they look to build momentum moving forward in the season.
Odds
| Book | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | UNCO -1.5 | 161.5 o -105 / u -115 | Northern Colorado Bears -122 · Montana Grizzlies +102 |
Leaders
- PointsMoney Williams31Montana Grizzlies
- AssistsMoney Williams5Montana Grizzlies
- ReboundsTyler Thompson9Montana Grizzlies
- PointsBrock Wisne22Northern Colorado Bears
- AssistsQuinn Denker7Northern Colorado Bears
- ReboundsBrock Wisne8Northern Colorado Bears
Recent form
Montana Grizzlies
Last 10: 4-6Streak W178.1 scored · 77.3 allowed per game3-4 at home
- W78-64vs Northern Arizona LumberjacksJan 1
- L54-94at Louisville CardinalsDec 20
- L75-82vs Montana Tech OrediggersDec 18
- W102-46vs Salish Kootenai BisonDec 11
- W79-75at North Dakota Fighting HawksDec 7
- L72-81vs North Dakota State BisonDec 4
- L87-95vs Oakland Golden GrizzliesNov 26
- L63-68vs Lamar CardinalsNov 23
- L81-86at Texas A&M AggiesNov 19
- W90-82vs Cal Poly MustangsNov 15
Northern Colorado Bears
Last 10: 7-3Streak L185.2 scored · 80.3 allowed per game4-2 away
- L75-89at Montana State BobcatsJan 2
- W86-81at Colorado BuffaloesDec 28
- L79-86vs Denver PioneersDec 20
- L90-101at Texas Tech Red RaidersDec 17
- W89-87vs South Dakota CoyotesDec 7
- W75-70at Omaha MavericksDec 4
- W104-63vs Regis University REGIS UNIVERSITYNov 30
- W71-53at Air Force FalconsNov 26
- W97-93vs Cal State Fullerton TitansNov 23
- W86-80at Portland PilotsNov 23
Standings
| Team | Overall | Games behind | In conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland State | 20-11 | - | 13-5 |
| Montana State | 18-14 | 1 | 12-6 |
| Eastern Washington | 14-19 | 2 | 11-7 |
| Northern Colorado | 20-12 | 3 | 10-8 |
| Montana | 18-16 | 3 | 10-8 |
| Weber State | 16-16 | 3 | 10-8 |
| Idaho | 21-15 | 4 | 9-9 |
| Sacramento State | 10-21 | 8 | 6-12 |
| Idaho State | 13-20 | 8 | 5-13 |
| Northern Arizona | 10-22 | 9 | 4-14 |
Box score
| Stat | Northern Colorado Bears | Montana Grizzlies |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | 26-71 | 23-52 |
| Field goal % | 37 | 44 |
| Three-pointers | 11-35 | 7-24 |
| Three-point % | 31 | 29 |
| Free throws | 16-21 | 35-38 |
| Free throw % | 76 | 92 |
| Rebounds | 40 | 37 |
| Offensive rebounds | 14 | 5 |
| Defensive rebounds | 26 | 32 |
| Assists | 19 | 15 |
| Steals | 4 | 5 |
| Blocks | 0 | 4 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 11 |
| Team turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Technical fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Technical fouls, total | 0 | 0 |
| Flagrant fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Points off turnovers | 17 | 4 |
| Fast-break points | 5 | 10 |
| Points in the paint | 28 | 28 |
| Fouls | 24 | 19 |
| Largest lead | 0 | 17 |
| Lead changes | 0 | 0 |
| Time in front | 0 | 99 |
How the scoring went
- 2nd Half52-58Money Williams makes driving layup
- 2nd Half52-59Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half52-61Money Williams makes 16-foot pullup jump shot
- 2nd Half52-62Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half52-63Money Williams makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half55-63Ibu Yamazaki makes 23-foot three point jumper (Brock Wisne assists)
- 2nd Half55-65Money Williams makes 5-foot floating jump shot
- 2nd Half55-66Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half57-66Brock Wisne makes layup
- 2nd Half59-66Ibu Yamazaki makes 3-foot dunk
- 2nd Half60-66Ibu Yamazaki makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half60-68Tyler Thompson makes layup (Kenyon Aguino assists)
- 2nd Half60-69Tyler Thompson makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half61-69Zach Bloch makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half62-69Zach Bloch makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half62-71Money Williams makes layup
- 2nd Half62-72Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half62-74Money Williams makes driving layup
- 2nd Half63-74Brock Wisne makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half65-74Quinn Denker makes layup (Ibu Yamazaki assists)
- 2nd Half65-75Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half65-76Money Williams makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half65-77Te'Jon Sawyer makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half65-78Te'Jon Sawyer makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half65-80Te'Jon Sawyer makes layup (Grant Kepley assists)
- 2nd Half68-80Vincent Delano makes 26-foot three point jumper (Brock Wisne assists)
- 2nd Half68-81Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half68-82Money Williams makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half69-82Quinn Denker makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half70-82Quinn Denker makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half70-83Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half70-84Money Williams makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half73-84Ibu Yamazaki makes 25-foot three point jumper (Quinn Denker assists)
- 2nd Half75-84Brock Wisne makes layup (Vincent Delano assists)
- 2nd Half77-84Quinn Denker makes layup
- 2nd Half77-85Tyler Isaak makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half77-86Tyler Isaak makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half79-86Quinn Denker makes 7-foot jumper
- 2nd Half79-87Money Williams makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half79-88Money Williams makes free throw 2 of 2
Win probability
Above the line favours Montana Grizzlies, below favours Northern Colorado Bears.
Venue
- Dahlberg ArenaMissoula, MT
- Attendance3430
- OfficialsTrent Lovewell, Ryan Holmes, Ray Ames
Elsewhere
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