GREELEY, Colo. (AP) -Devon Beitzel came off the bench to score 17 points in leading Northern Colorado to a 67-57 win over Montana on Thursday night.
Chris Kaba added 11 points, while Jabril Banks finished with a team-high 11 rebounds for the Bears (12-17, 6-8 Big Sky).
Northern Colorado, which never trailed, took a 33-25 lead into the break. But the Grizzlies (17-10, 11-4) rallied in the second half and narrowed the margin to 37-35 on a pair of free throws by Anthony Johnson with 15:38 remaining. Montana remained within seven points of the lead after that, but Kaba hit a 3-pointer to give the Bears a 63-55 advantage with 53 seconds left.
Johnson was 5-of-10 from the field and 6-of-9 from the free throw line to lead Montana with 17 points. Jordan Hasquet finished with 15 points.
The Bears' win qualified them for the Big Sky's postseason tournament, while the Grizzlies remain in second place, leading Portland State by one game.
