Riding a two-game winning streak into Thursday night's game against Westminster College, the Northern Colorado Bears were probably expecting to be able to sustain the run. Apparently they underestimated the small NAIA school from Salt Lake City, Utah, though, as Westminster upset the Bears 73-60 on Thursday night.
After losing its first four games, Northern Colorado had won consecutive games going into Thursday night, but they clearly didn't expect such a strong fight from Westminster. The Bears got out to a 8-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game, but Westminster quickly knocked down a pair of three-pointers and had the lead just minutes later. The game was close for the remainder of the first half, but Westminster established a double-digit lead in the middle of the second half and never gave it back.
Forward Jake Orchard was simply unbelievable for Westminster on Thursday night, having what he may end up describing as the best game of his life. The junior forward scored 28 points with incredible efficiency, knocking down 9 of 10 shots while going a perfect 6-for-6 on three-pointers. Westminster hit 12 three-pointers in all, accounting for nearly half of the team's offense.
Northern Colorado struggled with turnovers, committing 16 in all. They also shot just 41 percent from the field, with guard Tate Unruh's 16 points leading the way.
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