SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Amy Patton narrowly missed a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight assists as Sacramento State outlasted NAU in a wild Big Sky opener for a 91-85 double-overtime win. The Lumberjacks played their second double-overtime game of the season after having one such game through the program's first 37 seasons, dropping to 5-8 overall, while the Hornets improved to 6-8.

"The people we want to be taking shots were taking them but we struggled as a team in field goal percentage and free throw shooting," said head coach Laurie Kelly. "You can't go on the road and not bring a win home if you hope to contend for the Big Sky championship. You have to win it on the road, because the home teams are supposed to win and the teams that are successful are the ones that win on the road."

The Lumberjacks opened up a huge lead early, as after Sacramento State hit an early three, the Hornets went scoreless for more than eight minutes as NAU went on an 18-0 run and opened up a 20-3 lead at the 11:22 mark. Sacramento State answered with a 13-0 run of their own before NAU ended a five minute scoreless drought on a basket by sophomore Trinidee Trice. NAU saw its lead get back to as many as 10 points before the half ended with a 33-27 Lumberjack lead.

Sacramento State opened the second half on a 7-0 run, regaining the lead for the first time since the opening minute of the contest at 34-33. The Hornets maintained a one point lead at 38-37 at the 16:18 mark before NAU went on another long run, holding the Hornets scoreless more than three and a half minutes on a 12-0 run to take a 49-38 lead with 12:43 to play.

A three-point make pulled the Hornets to within 49-41, but NAU maintained a two possession lead into the final two minutes. With the Lumberjack lead down to three, Sacramento State's Alle Moreno drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 60-60 with 25 seconds remaining. Patton had a shot for the win, but her jumper rolled out of the cylinder and sent the contest to overtime.

The Hornets took an early lead in the first overtime, building a six point advantage with 1:18 to play. A three-point make from sophomore Amanda Frost and a pair of layups from sophomore Khyra Conerly brought the Lumberjacks within a point, and after a pair of Hornet free throws a three-point strike from junior Tyler Stephens-Jenkins evened the score with 15 seconds remaining. A last second layup attempt from the Hornets wouldn't go to send the game to a second overtime.

The teams remained even through the first 2:15 of the second overtime before the Hornets went on an 8-1 run to build an 89-82 lead, its biggest advantage of the game. Trice hit a three to cut the deficit to four points with 22 seconds to play, but Sacramento State made a pair of free throws to ice the game and finish off a 91-85 win.

In the 37 prior seasons in program history, NAU had played one double-overtime game, in 2005. The Lumberjacks have played two this season, having pushed Nebraska to double OT in Flagstaff on Dec, 10. NAU shot 35% in the game and had six more made field goals than the Hornets, who shot 32% but made 28 free throws compared to 13 free throw makes for the Lumberjacks. The teams were even with 64 rebounds apiece.

Patton was one of five Lumberjacks to finish with double-digit scoring totals along with Conerly, Trice, Frost, and junior Aubrey Davis. Her 23 points brought her career scoring total to 1,180 points, moving her past Julie Hanks into fourth place on NAU's all-time scoring list.

NAU will play at Northern Colorado on Saturday, New Years Eve, at 5:05 p.m. The game will open a doubleheader with the NAU men facing the Bears at 7:35.