FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Senior Erikka Banks posted a double-double and the Lumberjacks received exceptional bench play as the Northern Arizona women's basketball team seized control at the end of the first half and took off in a 61-43 victory over Fort Lewis College on Saturday. Banks notched 16 points and 12 rebounds, while the NAU bench scored 30 points, helping NAU even its record to 3-3.

"The first five or 10 minutes of the game, we allowed Fort Lewis to do what they wanted to do offensively, instead of making them run it the way we wanted them to," said head coach Sue Darling. "We threw some zone at them and then our bench came in and played great defensively and that was the key to the game. We put more pressure on them and they coughed up the ball a few times and allowed us to get out on the fast break. That changed the tempo of the game; our defense created offense."

With Fort Lewis holding its biggest lead, 17-10, eight minutes into the game, NAU used a 6-0 run with baskets from Banks, sophomore Rene Coggins and junior Monique Mulder to cut the Skyhawks' lead to one. Mulder then tied the game at 22-22 with a corner three-pointer and Banks' free throw put NAU in front for the first and final time, 25-24, with 6:31 left in the first half.

Senior Raven Anderson followed with a three-point play which ignited a 13-3 run to close the first half allowing NAU to take a 37-27 lead into the intermission. During the final six and a half minutes of the half, Fort Lewis missed 13 of 14 attempts from the field, while five different Lumberjacks scored during the stretch epitomizing their offensive balance for the day. Heading into halftime, five different Lumberjacks had scored at least five points.

Although the Lumberjacks' offense started the second half slow, their defense continued to shut down the Skyhawks as they made their first field goal – and scored their first points of the half – at the 15:00 mark. The basket ended Fort Lewis' nearly 10 minute drought from the field. Sophomore Catelyn Preston made two consecutive baskets during a 6-0 run that pushed NAU's lead out to 48-29 with 13 minutes to play, but Fort Lewis closed within 13 just a minute a half later.

The 'Jacks used one final surge to put the game out of reach with an 11-0 run, capped by two free throws from redshirt sophomore Shay Young to claim their biggest lead of the game, 59-35, with 6:47 remaining on their way to their third win at home this season.

"It all started with our defense today," Mulder said. "We didn't play great defense in our last game, so we emphasized it in practice. Offensively, we executed and did what we needed to do and we got the 'W'."

Banks was the only player on either team to reach double-figures in scoring, but for the second straight game, NAU had 11 of its 12 players score. The bench outscored Fort Lewis' bench, 30-17, and was led by Mulder's season-high nine points. Freshman Tori Lloyd scored seven, while Preston added four points and six rebounds. Sophomore Taylor Leyva also chipped in four points and four rebounds.

"Our bench was fantastic," Darling said. "Erikka had a slow first half, but came on extremely strong in the second half. Mo, Tori, Taylor and Catelyn all came in and they did a really nice job both offensively and defensively. That makes for a good day. If our starters are a little sluggish, we have players who can come in off the bench and produce."

NAU shot just 33.9 percent from the field, but shot 42.9 percent to start to pull away in the first 20 minutes. Fort Lewis shot just 29.3 percent and was the fourth team to shoot under 35 percent against the Lumberjacks this season. NAU held a 49-40 advantage on the glass, including pulling down 19 offensive rebounds, and forced 20 Skyhawk turnovers.

The Lumberjacks will next play on Wednesday, Dec. 3 in their first game in the Walkup Skydome this season. They will host Loyola Marymount at 5 p.m. in the first game of an NAU basketball doubleheader with the men's team, who will host UTSA at approximately 7:30 p.m.