GRAND FORKS, N.D.-- Junior Mia Loyd scored her 1,000th career point but it was the lone highlight as host North Dakota dropped a 67-56 decision to streaking Northern Colorado Saturday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in the regular season finale. UNC (18-11, 12-6) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never trailed as UND suffered its third home loss of the season and the Bears bring an eight-game winning streak into next week's postseason Big Sky Conference Tournament.

North Dakota (17-13, 9-9) was held off the scoreboard for the first five-and-a-half minutes until Kelsey Knox sliced through the teeth of the defense on her way to the rim to make it a 10-2 game. The Bears would not relinquish the lead, however, had to stave off UND on multiple occasions, closing it to within a basket in the final stages of the opening stanza. UNC (18-11, 12-6) would carry a 31-26 edge into the halftime break.

UND tied it on three separate occasions in the second half, but a 14-5 run gave Northern Colorado an 11-point cushion with just under four minutes remaining. During that run, UND was held to just one field goal in a span that stretched six minutes. Kourteney Zadina scored 10 of the 14 Bear points during that run and Northern Colorado handed UND just its third home loss all season.

Northern Colorado was led by D'Shara Strange's effort of 22 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and four assists, part of four Bears in double figures scoring. Kyleigh Hiser added 17 with 10 apiece from Stephanie Lee and Zadina.

Makailah Dyer paced UND with 14 points off the bench. Mia Loyd's basket in the closing seconds gave her exactly 1,000 for her career, becoming the 32nd UND player to reach that honor and second in as many games (Emily Evers at SUU last Saturday). Loyd finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

UND (17-13, 9-9) will be seeded sixth in the upcoming league tournament and a rematch of today's game will apear with Northern Colorado earning the three seed. The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m. Central tip on Wednesday. With the Montana men also earning hosting rights, the women's quarterfinal games have been moved up to Wednesday with the semifinals Friday and the championship Saturday. 

Notes: North Dakota honored its three seniors playing in their final regular season home game (Siri Burck, Emily Evers, Megan Lauck) ... UNC earned the No. 3 seed.