ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. – Northern Arizona women's basketball fell behind 12-0 to open the game and was unable to ever get within single digits in the Lumberjacks 72-40 loss to New Mexico at The Pit on Tuesday night. NAU slips to 0-5 on the season completing its five-game road trip to open the year.

“We didn't do a good job executing tonight,” said head coach Laurie Kelly. “We played tired tonight. You come here and sit in front of 6,000 people—it is intimidating. My challenge to them was take care of the things you can control and from the get-go that was not the case.”

NAU shot 24.1-percent trailing by as much as 24 in the first half. The Lumberjacks went 7-of-29 from the field with 3-of-12 three-point shooting. NAU was more composed in the second half but could not recover from the 22-point deficit in the first period of play.

The Lumberjacks shot 29.6-percent in the second half and 26.8-percent for the game. All three numbers were season-lows and evidence of a team feeling the effects of five road games in 12 days.

Melissa Spaich came off the bench for a career-high 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting hitting her first three-point field goal since January 24, 2008. She also went 3-of-3 from the line, added in two rebounds and one block.

New Mexico (3-1) finished with three players in double figures led by Amy Beggin's 15 points. Amanda Best and Lauren Taylor added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

“It's a good learning experience, but it is also a mental challenge playing here,” Kelly said of New Mexico's 6,903 fans at The Pit on Tuesday.  “We had some people tonight who were not mentally and physically in the game.”

The Lumberjacks who will look to rebound later this week hosting their annual Thanksgiving Classic. NAU welcomes Belmont, Oregon State and Siena to the Mountain Campus.

The first  of four games is scheduled for Friday, November 27 at 4:05 p.m. with Belmont facing off against Oregon State.  NAU plays Siena and 6:35 p.m. followed by a consolation and championship game on Saturday beginning at 2:05 p.m.