FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Before the Northern Arizona women's basketball team officially opens the season on Nov. 14 versus UC Irvine, the Lumberjacks will host New Mexico Highlands in their only exhibition contest in the Rolle Activity Center on Monday, Nov. 3. Admission is free for all fans with tipoff at 5 p.m.

"Our sights are set on UC Irvine on Nov. 14 because that's our official first game, so Monday's exhibition is like another practice for us," said head coach Sue Darling. "We're preparing like it's a huge game. We play great basketball every day in practice so now we need to see if we can do it in a game-like situation and we're excited about the opportunity."

Head coach Sue Darling and the 'Jacks return seven letterwinners led by four returning starters - seniors Raven Anderson and Erikka Banks and sophomores Brittani Lusain and Rene Coggins. Banks is the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder at 13.5 points and 7.7 rebounds, while Lusain led the 'Jacks with 4.9 assists per game. NAU was 9-20 last season and finished ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a 6-14 conference mark. The Lumberjacks led the conference in field goal percentage at 44.7 percent and was the fourth-highest scoring team with 72.8 points per game but finished 10th in opponent scoring average and opponent field goal percentage.

New Mexico Highlands finished 12-14 overall, 8-14 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season and were picked to finish 14th in the preseason RMAC coaches poll. Although the Cowgirls return 10 players, they will need to replace four starters with senior Jenny Johnson the lone returning starter. Johnson was the Cowgirls' second-leading scorer a season ago with 11.3 points per game and she also led the team in assists with 65, three-pointers made with 35 and three-point percentage at .422. Monday's exhibition contest will also be a homecoming for redshirt freshman Savannah Bix, who starred at Flagstaff High School.

Live stats for the game will be available via www.nauathletics.com.

To purchase 2014-15 NAU women's basketball season tickets, please call 928-523-0639.