Bears earn first bid

GREELEY, Colo. – Devon Beitzel scored 13 of his 27 points over the final 5 minutes, helping top-seeded Northern Colorado earn a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history with a 65-60 win over Montana on Wednesday night.

The Bears (21-10) have only been postseason-eligible since 2007 after moving up from the Division II ranks.

Their capacity crowd stormed the floor moments after the win, mobbing Beitzel and Co. after Northern Colorado dethroned Montana (21-10), the defending conference tournament champions.

Beitzel put the finishing touches on the win by hitting two free throws in the waning seconds, setting off the celebration.