OMAHA, Neb. (Interstat) — In a game defined by grinding defense and critical plays in the final minutes, the Northern Colorado Bears edged the Omaha Mavericks 75-70 on Wednesday night at Baxter Arena.

The Bears, now 8-1, relied on a balanced offensive attack and superior efficiency down the stretch to hold off a persistent Omaha team that fell to 3-7. Northern Colorado never trailed in the second half but could not fully shake the Mavericks until the closing seconds.

Northern Colorado guard Quinn Denker led all scorers with 22 points and dished out eight assists, orchestrating the Bears’ offense. Forward Brock Wisne, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Thornton, Colorado, added 20 points, while forward Ibu Yamazaki of Matsudo, Japan, chipped in 16.

Omaha was powered by the duo of Ja’Sean Glover and Lance Waddles. Glover, a junior from Madelia, Minnesota, scored a team-high 26 points. Waddles, from Shreveport, Louisiana, contributed 19 points, including a trio of three-pointers.

The first half set the tone for a tight contest. Omaha’s Christian Richardson won the opening tip, and after a series of early misses, Kamryn Thomas put the Mavericks on the board with a free throw and a tip-in. Northern Colorado settled in behind Wisne’s work inside and a three-pointer from Zach Bloch, taking a 15-11 lead after a Vincent Delano triple midway through the period.

Omaha responded with a 7-0 run, capped by a Ja’Sean Glover three-pointer assisted by Lance Waddles, to claim an 18-15 advantage. The teams then traded blows, with the lead changing hands five times. A deep three-pointer from Waddles gave Omaha a 25-22 edge, but Denker answered immediately with a three of his own to tie the game. The Bears closed the half on a 7-2 spurt, including a driving layup from Denker and a free throw from Yamazaki, to take a 36-33 lead into the break.

The second half opened with both teams struggling to find an offensive rhythm. Northern Colorado pushed its lead to seven points on several occasions, the last at 50-43 following a Denker layup with 15 minutes remaining. Each time, Omaha clawed back. A Brock Scholl tip-in and a Christian Richardson hook shot brought the Mavericks within 50-48, energizing the home crowd of 2,350.

The Bears then delivered a decisive 10-0 run over a three-minute span. It started with a Delano layup off a Denker steal and was fueled by Denker’s playmaking. He found Wisne for a layup, then Yamazaki hit a crucial three-pointer to extend the lead to 60-48 with just over nine minutes to play, forcing an Omaha timeout.

The Mavericks displayed resilience, mounting a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to four points. Glover was the catalyst, scoring six points during the stretch, including a tough layup that made the score 64-60 with four minutes left.

In the game’s tense final minutes, Northern Colorado’s execution proved the difference. After a Waddles steal led to two free throws, pulling Omaha within 67-66 at the 1:47 mark, Denker calmly sank two free throws on the ensuing possession. Glover matched him with two of his own, keeping it a one-point game.

On the next trip, Denker isolated and drained a stepback jumper to put the Bears up 71-68 with 53 seconds left. Following an Omaha timeout, the Mavericks worked the ball to Waddles, who was fouled on a drive. He made both free throws to trim the lead to 71-70 with 38 seconds remaining.

Needing a score to secure the win, Northern Colorado ran the clock down before Denker found Yamazaki curling off a screen. The junior forward connected on a deep three-pointer from the wing with just 12 seconds left, pushing the lead to 74-70 and effectively sealing the victory. Denker iced the game with a free throw after a final Omaha turnover.

Statistically, the game was remarkably even in many categories. Both teams scored 30-plus points in the paint, committed nine turnovers, and converted those turnovers into nine points each. The difference came in shooting efficiency. Northern Colorado shot 43.3% from the field to Omaha’s 43.6%, but the Bears were more effective from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of 29 attempts compared to Omaha’s 7 of 19. Northern Colorado also excelled at the free-throw line, making 13 of 15 attempts, while Omaha went 15 for 22.

Northern Colorado’s offensive rating of 111.7 points per 100 possessions edged out Omaha’s 105.3, reflecting the Bears’ slightly more effective use of their possessions. Brock Scholl provided a key defensive presence for Omaha off the bench, recording nine points and three blocks.

The win extends Northern Colorado’s strong start to the season, with their only loss coming by a single point on the road. Omaha, despite the loss, showed fight against a team that entered as a slight favorite.

Northern Colorado returns home to face South Dakota on Saturday. Omaha continues a homestand with a game against Doane next Tuesday.