Weber State basketball: Northern Colorado ends Wildcat's win streak

GREELEY, Colo. — Devon Beitzel scored 25 points to lead Northern Colorado to a 84-75 victory over Weber State on Thursday night.

Taylor Montgomery added a career-high 19 points and Will Figures had 14 for Northern Colorado (14-3, 3-1 Big Sky). Figures became just the third player in school history to score 1,000 points in Division I and the 13th overall.

The Bears are off to their best start since beginning 17-2 in 1966-67.

Damian Lillard led Weber State (9-7, 3-1) with 15 points.

The Wildcats had piled up 15 straight regular-season conference wins and 10 straight conference road victories before the loss.

Nick Hansen's 3-pointer and two free throws by Lillard got the Wildcats to within 52-47 early in the second half. The Bears got the lead back to 60-47, with Figures and Beitzel contributing two free throws each as part of an 8-0 run.

Kyle Bullinger's layup and basket cut it to 60-50 with 11:38 remaining, but Northern Colorado answered with a 14-2 run to make it 74-52 with 7:18 left. Darin Mahoney's two free throws got Weber State to within 81-67 with 2:39 left when the Bears cleared the bench.

Beitzel had 20 points in the first half to help the Bears lead 42-34 at the break.

Figures reached 1,000 points with 12:33 left in the first half, and moments later Elliott Lloyd's 3-pointer put Northern Colorado up 28-12. Weber State closed the gap to eight as Franklin Session and Hansen made a free throw each in the last 44 seconds of the half.