No. 2 seed Montana took out top-seeded Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Championship title game on Wednesday night to earn its first NCAA tournament bid since 2019.

Coach Steve Smiley’s Northern Colorado Bears fell to Montana, 91-83, late Wednesday night in the Big Sky men’s basketball tournament championship in Boise, Idaho. Thanks to senior wing guard Kai Johnson (23 points), the Grizzlies (25-9) notched the league’s automatic, and likely only, bid to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Montana made 65.2% of their attempts and won the conference title with a 91-83 win over Northern Colorado at Idaho Central Arena for a berth in the NCAA tournament.