FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The NAU women's basketball team will open its season on Friday when it will host defending NAIA national champion Azusa Pacific in an exhibition game at 6:35 p.m. in Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks return eight letter winners and welcome six newcomers and two redshirts who will see their first NAU action against the Cougars. Admission for the game will be free.

"More than anything this game will be a measuring tool for our team," said head coach Laurie Kelly, who begins her ninth season leading the NAU program. "It will give us a chance to try some different lineups and work on some areas that we need to improve upon. We need to see who's ready to step up in a game situation and see what kind of shape we are in."

With half the roster having never played for NAU and some new variations to their motion office, the team is using the contest as a chance to see what areas they thrive in and what areas they need to improve upon. The Lumberjacks return two seniors that have been three-year contributors in Caty Huntington and Katie Pratt, plus a strong junior class led by defending Big Sky scoring champion Amy Patton and Tyler Stephens-Jenkins. NAU also returns three sophomores who played significant minutes last season – Khyra Conerly, Shay May and Trinidee Trice – and welcome four true freshmen and two junior college transfers to go with redshirts Shayla Batson and Patricia Gortarez.

Friday's contest will be the lone exhibition game for the Lumberjacks this season, though they also competed in a closed scrimmage at Arizona State last Sunday. The Lumberjacks will open the regular season at Colorado next Friday, Nov. 10, before returning home to host UC Riverside and Adams State. NAU also has home non-conference games against Utah Valley, Kent State, Cal State Fullerton, and Big Ten team Nebraska, and will open Big Sky play on Dec. 29 at Sacramento State.

Azusa Pacific went 33-5 last season, defeating two-time defending champion Union (Tenn.) 65-59 to win the NAIA national championship. The Cougars lost four of their five starters from last year's squad to graduation, with senior point guard Briana Hall the only holdover. Hall averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game with 102 steals last season while center Amber Williams (6.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 32 blocks) also returns for her senior year. Azusa Pacific, in the first year of a three-year transition to NCAA Division-II, will play an exhibition game at Arizona State Thursday night before coming to Flagstaff.

"Azusa Pacific has a tremendous tradition," noted Kelly." They're the defending NAIA champions, but like us they're a young team with a lot of new players. Win or lose, this game is part of the learning process for us to get ready to play at Colorado. I expect it to be a competitive game, and we are going to approach it with our normal game mentality that we are going to do whatever it takes to win."