GREELEY, Colo.-UND and Northern Colorado went down to the wire earlier this month at The Betty, with the Hawks winning by three points.
So, it was no surprise the two teams went down to the wire again.
And UND survived again, taking a 59-58 win over Northern Colorado on two Leah Szabla free throws with 1.9 seconds to go.
UND improved to 9-5 in the Big Sky Conference and 13-12 overall while UNC dropped to 6-8 and 11-13.
UNC's Kourtney Zadina hit a 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds to play, giving the Bears a 58-57 lead. Szabla then took an inbounds pass from Mia Loyd. Szabla drove to the rim from near the midcourt stripe and was fouled, setting up the game-winning free throws.
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"Cardiac kids do it again," said UND coach Travis Brewster. "Our defense in the first quarter was stingy as it's been all year. Mia Loyd was doubled team whole game; she adjusted well. Makailah Dyer and Lexi Klabo played well in our two-man game. Leah Szabla had a big game on both ends of the floor for us and had those clutch free throws. The team showed composure in the chaotic part of the game and that's attributed to maturation."
Szabla led UND with 16 points. Dyer finished with 13, while Klabo-in another strong performance off the bench-ended with 10. For the freshman, it was the fourth-straight game she finished in double figures.
UND jumped to an 8-0 lead and led most of the way. UND shot 68 percent in the first half in leading 31-26 at the break.
UND won its third-straight game in Greeley in as many seasons. Also, it was UND's fourth-straight road win this season.
UND's win mirrored most of the Hawks' triumphs this season.
The Hawks again committed more than 20 turnovers (21) but dominated the boards, outrebounding UNC 37-18.
The Bears were led by Savannah Scott's 17 points.
UND remains on the road next week, playing at Portland State on Thursday and at Sacramento State on Saturday.
