GREELEY, Colo.—Northern Colorado senior Devon Beitzel was surrounded from every angle as the capacity crowd spilled onto the floor.
In his bewilderment, Beitzel didn’t know what to do or where to escape.
So he simply joined the crowd in the spontaneous celebration, quickly lost in a sea of blue and gold as the player of the hour.
Beitzel tied a career high with 32 points to help the Bears wrap up the Big Sky Conference title with an 84-54 win over Sacramento State on Wednesday night.
It was the first conference crown for Northern Colorado (19-10, 13-3) in more than two decades, the last coming when the squad was a member of the Division II North Central Conference.
“This is just incredible, to actually get this done,” Beitzel said.
With one home-court celebration down, Beitzel and the Bears hope there’s still another remaining.
As the conference champions, Northern Colorado will host the Big Sky semifinals and championship next week with a spot in the NCAA tournament on the line.
Winning the conference tournament at home would be quite a sight, even if Beitzel can’t conjure it up in his mind just yet.
“Can’t even imagine,” Beitzel said. “I’m still in shock right now.”
Having the tournament at home could be a boon for the Bears as they’ve gone 12-0 at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion this season. This was just the third time the team has gone undefeated at home in its 107-year history. Northern Colorado also was perfect at home in 1926-27 (8-0) and 1948-49 (10-0).
A crowd of 2,992 boisterous fans crammed into the tiny gym to watch the Bears cruise to the win, chanting “Big Sky champs” near the end and then storming the court after the final horn had sounded.
“This is unbelievable,” Bears coach B.J. Hill said. “We’re going to try to enjoy this one for at least a day, before we go back to the grindstone.”
Northern Colorado jumped out to a 15-point lead at halftime on Sacrament State (7-21, 4-12) and never let up, leading by as many as 35 points in the second half.
Beitzel, the league’s leading scorer, drew frequent double teams all night but found a way to still get open. The senior from nearby Lafayette, Colo., hit 11-of-19 shots, many with a hand in his face or a tiny bump as he ventured through the lane.
“Phenomenal,” Sacramento State coach Brian Katz said when asked about Beitzel. “He’s a poster child for hard work and what can happen if you make your mind up and you want to do something.”
With his 32-point performance against the Hornets, Beitzel moves into a third-place tie on the Bears’ all-time scoring list. He also matched his career-high which he set on Dec. 29, 2008, against Northern Arizona.
After the game Beitzel was besieged for autographs and photos, refusing to turn any down—much like an open jumper.
“You’re talking about a kid that wasn’t recruited and is now probably going to be Big Sky player of the year,” Hill said. “He’s a special kid that doesn’t accept anything other than his best.”
Elliott Lloyd, Tate Unruh and Mike Proctor contributed nine points each for the surging Bears, who’ve won five in a row.
Jackson Carbajal led the Hornets with 17 points, while Alpha N’Diaye grabbed 15 rebounds.
Hill has his team rolling along in his first season in charge. He took over last April when Tad Boyle bolted to become the coach at Colorado. Hill inherited a solid squad that was coming off a 25-8 season.
Northern Colorado stumbled out of the starting blocks to begin the season, going just 4-7. But since a loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 22—and a 45-minute locker-room lecture afterward—the team has gone 15-3 to capture the conference crown.
The Bears officially kicked off Division I play in 2006 but weren’t eligible for the postseason until the following season.
Now, they’re two wins away from joining the NCAA tournament field.
“We made history tonight,” said Beitzel, whose team is guaranteed at least a spot in the NIT by winning the regular season crown. “Our next goal is to make some more history next week.”
