FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team shot 57.6 percent in the second half and erased a two-point halftime lead to run away with a 82-64 victory over Loyola Marymount on Wednesday. The Lumberjacks (4-3) had four players in double-figures led by senior Raven Anderson, who posted a near triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds a career-best nine assists, in winning their Skydome opener this season.

"We just kept playing hard and we found an offense we liked," said head coach Sue Darling. "We kept grinding at it and finding ways to score out of it. We also did a better job on the boards in the second half and finishing our defense with great rebounding makes it a long night for our opponent. You have to stay disciplined to do that and we did that tonight."

The first half was a back and forth affair as the teams exchanged leads eight times in addition to being tied on eight occasions. Sophomore Brittani Lusain found Anderson early and often in the first half, as the pair connected for three layups on the way to an early 8-4 Lumberjack lead. After a pair of free throws from Anderson, NAU held its biggest advantage, 14-8, six minutes into the game, but LMU managed to tie the game at 14-14. From there, neither team would lead by more than four during the final 13 minutes of the half.

Senior Erikka Banks gave the 'Jacks a 32-28 lead with 1:34 before the half, only for the Lions to score the final six points to take a slim 34-32 lead into the intermission. Anderson led NAU with 12 first half points in addition to five rebounds, scoring all five of her field goals off assists from Lusain.

The start of the second half continued to remain closely contested, but the Lions found itself up, 44-41, before sophomore Rene Coggins knocked down a three-pointer to knot the game up at 44-44 all after four minutes of play.

Her second triple started a 14-0 Lumberjack run that thrust NAU in front, 55-44, with 9:25 left in the game. During the run, the Lumberjacks forced the Lions to miss 10 straight attempts from the field, while Coggins had the hot hand scoring eight points, including her third trey of the half, over the LMU drought that spanned over seven minutes.

"My mentality is to never stop shooting and it was a close game," Coggins said. "We wanted to pull away and I didn't remember the shots that I missed; I kept shooting. This is a huge win, especially for me personally because I was injured last year when we played them. It was important to me to help my team win."

Loyola Marymount answered by closing with five at 59-54, only for NAU to counter with nine straight points – all coming from Coggins and Lusain – to push its edge back out to 14 at the 3:26 mark that gave the 'Jacks all the cushion it needed during the stretch run. Despite constant full court defensive pressure applied by the Lions, NAU got the easy buckets on the offensive end to successfully avenge its 21-point loss to LMU in Los Angeles last season.

"Every year, there are certain games you schedule and this was one of those games for me," Darling said. "I didn't like the way we played there last year and tonight was personal for me, to not just win but to well and we were able to do that."

After shooting just 35.3 percent in the first half, the Lumberjacks exploded offensively in the second half in large part because of their ball movement, assisting on 15 of 19 of their made field goals in the final 20 minutes. For the game, NAU tallied a season-high 25 assists in their best offensive game of the season in terms of points scored and field goal percentage (46.3 percent).

"This year, we've been focusing on unselfish play and we are taught to make the easiest pass," Anderson said. "I was happy to help my teammates score."

Coggins and Lusain each finished with 18 points with the pair combining for 27 of the team's 50 points in the second half. Lusain also added eight assists while Coggins hit four threes and recorded a team-high three steals. Banks notched her second consecutive double-double, and third this season, with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The four players in double-figures were the most for NAU this season.

NAU limited LMU to just 33.3 percent shooting for the game. The 'Jacks reversed the rebounding trend in the second half to grab a 43-42 advantage on the glass.

The Lumberjacks will next play on Dec. 13 in Eugene, Ore. against Pac-12 opponent, Oregon, in the first all-time meeting between the two teams.