Tournament dreams end for UNC

There were no last-minute heroics for the UNC men’s basketball team, as it dropped a Big Sky semifinal to Montana, 68-63.

Senior guard Will Figures had a game-high 23 points for the University of Northern Colorado, but only one other Bear scored in double figures.

The Bears rallied from a 14-point deficit to take a 63-62 lead on a 3-pointer from senior guard Yahosh Bonner with 1:47 to play. On Montana’s next possession, a questionable foul on Bonner put Montana senior guard Anthony Johnson on the free-throw line for the points that would give the Grizzlies the lead for good.

“I’m disappointed it had to end the way it did,” UNC head coach Tad Boyle said.
Johnson scored 19 points for the Griz, the same point total he had in Montana’s previous win over UNC this season.

“He’s a tough competitor, and he realizes I take pride in my defense,” Bonner said.

The Bears trailed, 57-43, with eight minutes to play.

Montana jumped out to a quick 11-3 lead, but UNC went on an 18-4 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 21-15, with 8:14 left in the first half. The Griz then scored seven straight points, and the teams battled down the stretch in the first half, with Montana taking a 33-32 lead into halftime.

Montana dominated the boards in the first half, with a 21-13 advantage.

“I thought that was the key to the game,” Boyle said.

The Bears grabbed a 37-35 lead on a layup from junior forward Chris Kaba just over two minutes into the second half.

Montana then embarked on an extended 22-6 run to take its 14-point lead.

When all looked lost for the Bears, down 14 with eight minutes to play, they embarked on a 17-3 run, keyed by seven points from Kaba and two 3-pointers from Figures.

“We got a time out and just wanted to come out and pick it up on defense,” Figures said.
In a game that consisted of big scoring runs from both teams, Montana put the last one together, a 6-0 spurt in the final 80 seconds of the game.

After Johnson’s free throws gave the Griz the lead and Figures missed a jumper, Montana freshman guard Will Cherry hit a turnaround jump shot  as the shot clock expired with 24 seconds to play.

A turnover by UNC sophomore forward Mike Proctor, the Bears’ second-leading scorer with 10 points in the game, sealed UNC’s fate.

“We’re obviously disappointed,” Boyle said. “We had a great year.”

With the NCAA Tournament out of their grasp, the Bears will now wait for a call from the National Invitation Tournament, College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

“It just didn’t end the way I would have liked it to,” Figures said.