POCATELLO, Idaho – Northern Arizona women's basketball lost its Big Sky Conference opener at Idaho State, 64-54, in Reed Gym on Thursday.  Sophomore Amy Patton led the way for the Lumberjacks with 16 points.

NAU (5-9, 0-1 BSC) came out shooting 22.9 percent in the first half and was down 33-22 by halftime.  The Lumberjacks fought back in the second half with a 7-0 run midway through the period.

The women trimmed Idaho State's lead to two points at 50-48 with three minutes to play on a three-point basket from sophomore Tyler Stephens-Jenkins.  On the next possession, Idaho State's Kaela Oakes put the Bengals back up by two with a pair of free throws.

The NAU women brought the Bengal lead back to two points with a layup from freshman Shay May with under two minutes to play.  A pair of missed opportunities from the Lumberjacks and free throws from Idaho State put NAU down eight points with 40 seconds to play.  The Bengals closed the game with a 10-point win.

Patton scored the team-high with 16 points followed by May's 10 points.  NAU shot 29 percent for the game but outrebounded the Bengals 45-41 over 40 minutes and 18-6 on the offensive glass.  The Lumberjacks' reserves also outscored the Bengals' bench, 15-4.

Idaho State's Kaela Oakes scored 21 points to lead all players while Chelsea Pickering and Ashleigh Vella chipped in 14 a piece.

NAU plays Weber State on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. in one of four afternoon matchups for the Lumberjacks during the Big Sky regular season.

DID YOU KNOW…Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc., honored 167 Northern Arizona University student-athletes for their scholastic and athletic accomplishments at the 32nd annual Golden Eagle Awards.  The Golden Eagle Awards recognize NAU student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the Lumberjack athletics program while maintaining a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average.