The Northern Colorado Bears will take part in ESPN BracketBusters 2012 on Saturday evening when they host the Cal Poly Mustangs at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Despite playing in BracketBusters (participating teams were selected before the season), this isn't a make-or-break game for the Bears. At 8-17 overall right now, the Bears have no shot at making the NCAA Basketball Tournament as an at-large team. Instead, the Bears will need to win its final two conference games of the season to slip into the final spot of the 2012 Big Sky Tournament.
The Bears enter this contest having lost to Eastern Washington Eagles, 79-76, killing any momentum the team had after its 77-64 overtime victory over the Montana St. Bobcats last Saturday. Since Jan. 14, when the Bears defeated the Eagles, Northern Colorado has followed a victory with a three-game losing streak twice. The Bears are one-third of the way there.
Cal Poly, meanwhile, is playing in Game 2 of a three-game road trip. It lost on Wednesday night to the Cal. St.-Northridge Matadors, 94-81. At 15-12 overall and 6-7 overall, the Mustangs will also need to win the Big West Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.
Game time/date: 7:05 p.m. MT, Saturday, Feb. 18
Where: Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion, Greeley, CO
Radio: KFKA-AM 1310
Stick with SB Nation Denver for more on Northern Colorado. Visit SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes as we approach March Madness.