ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — In a game defined by defensive pressure and offensive struggles, the Northern Colorado women’s basketball team eked out a 61-60 victory over DePaul on Saturday night at Allstate Arena, securing the win on a last-second layup.

The contest was a defensive slugfest from the opening tip, with both teams struggling to find any offensive rhythm. Northern Colorado finished the game with an offensive rating of 88.9 points per 100 possessions, while DePaul managed just 85.7. The Bears committed 25 turnovers, but the Blue Demons were unable to capitalize fully, matching Northern Colorado with 20 points off those miscues.

DePaul established an early lead, ending the first quarter up 17-12 behind the play of Kate Novik, who hit an early 3-pointer. The Blue Demons maintained control for much of the first half, but a pivotal second quarter saw their offense stall. DePaul was held to just 11 points in the period, allowing Northern Colorado to claw back and narrow the gap. The Bears’ Heather Baymon provided a spark off the bench, hitting a 3-pointer to keep her team within striking distance as they headed into halftime trailing 28-27.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with DePaul managing to slightly extend its lead by outscoring Northern Colorado 17-12. The Blue Demons took a 45-39 advantage into the final period, seemingly in control of the game’s tempo.

The fourth quarter, however, belonged to the Bears. Northern Colorado’s offense finally found its footing, erupting for 22 points while its defense clamped down. The Bears mounted a sustained run, chipping away at the DePaul lead throughout the period. The game culminated in a frantic final sequence. With the score tied and seconds remaining, a DePaul turnover gave Northern Colorado one last possession. Guard Gabi Fields found Neenah George cutting to the basket for the game-winning layup as time expired.

George led the Bears with 11 points and five assists, orchestrating the offense down the stretch. Baymon was instrumental off the bench, scoring a team-high 13 points, including two critical 3-pointers in the fourth-quarter rally. Tatum West also added 13 points for Northern Colorado.

For DePaul, Novik and Natiah Nelson shouldered the scoring load, finishing with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Nelson added four assists and a block. The Blue Demons were ultimately undone by poor free-throw shooting, converting only 11 of 21 attempts from the line.

Northern Colorado improved its season record to 5-1 with the hard-fought road victory. The Bears have now won two consecutive games, including an overtime win against Campbell the previous night. DePaul’s record fell to 2-4, continuing a challenging start to its season that has included losses to Northwestern and Bradley.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 973 at the 18,500-seat Allstate Arena. Despite being projected as a significant underdog by national metrics, Northern Colorado’s resilient defensive effort and clutch final play secured the upset. The Bears next travel to face Arizona on Tuesday. DePaul will look to rebound when it hosts Loyola Chicago on Wednesday.