FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team held as big as an 18-point lead, then needed to make a last possession defensive stand to hold off Dixie State, 68-66, in their final home game of the 2015 calendar year. The Lumberjacks got back into the win column by denying the Red Storm and is now 4-5 this season.

"The key to any game is playing 40 minutes of basketball with energy, focus and discipline," said head coach Sue Darling. "We dominated the first half both offensively and defensively and then they outplayed us in the second half. Credit Dixie State because they never gave in and played us until the end."

The Lumberjacks shot 45.5 percent from the floor in the first half in building a 17-point lead at halftime, 39-22. They led by 11 after one quarter of play and put up their best quarter shooting 50 percent in scoring 21 points in the second quarter.

Freshman Passionate Amukamara spurred the Lumberjacks off the bench in the opening period scoring six points during a 12-0 run that broke a 4-4 tie. After taking an 18-7 lead into the second quarter, juniors Rene Coggins and Brittani Lusain each scored four points during NAU's 10-3 run that extended the Lumberjacks' advantage to 28-10 with 6:46 left before half.

As efficient as NAU was in the paint in the second quarter, the 'Jacks took advantage of the charity stripe missing just one of their eight attempts going into the break ahead 39-22.

The third quarter started to take on a different feel with the Red Storm hitting up from long distance in cutting their halftime deficit to eight by the end of the period. After hitting just two three-pointers in the first 20 minutes, Dixie State came back with three in the next 10 minutes. However, NAU still managed to carry a 53-45 lead into the final quarter.

Weathering the storm was exactly what the Lumberjacks needed to do late in the game. Despite holding a 68-58 lead following a jumper by senior Monique Mulder with 2:58 left in the game, NAU would not score a point from that moment forward. Dixie State strung together a furious rally in the final three minutes and got within two with 44 seconds remaining.

Coggins misfired on a three-point attempt from the corner with 11 seconds left, giving Dixie State one final shot at sending the game into overtime. The Red Storm's final shoot clanked off the rim as the buzzer sounded and the Lumberjacks were able to survive.

"My belief is that we have a chance to be a really special team," Darling said. "We've got to have the grit and desire to do what we did in the first half for 40 minutes. We've got stuff to work on, but when we play together we can beat anybody."

Freshman Alyssa Rader posted team-highs of 14 points, seven rebounds along with a season-high five assists. She also tied her season-high of two blocks. Coggins used a 5-for-8 shooting effort to score 13 points as she also chipped in five rebounds. Mulder scored nine points and Amukamara and Lusain each totaled eight points.

The 'Jacks shot 37.9 percent in the second half and finished at 41.9 percent for the game. Dixie State shot 31.5 percent for the game and outrebounded NAU by a 47-44 margin. The Lumberjacks did manage to dominate the paint, outscoring the Red Storm 40-24 in the paint and their bench was plus-14 in the scoring column.

Every active Lumberjack on the roster scored and grabbed a rebound in the victory.

"Basketball is a game of runs so you have to be ready for that," Coggins said. "Dixie State was a great team and hit shots when they needed to. For us, we needed to find a way to win today and that's something we should be proud of. What we need to take away is that we need to start strong and keep that momentum throughout the entire game."

The 'Jacks conclude their non-conference schedule on the road at Nebraska on Dec. 19 and Iowa State on Dec. 22. NAU will not be back at home again until Jan. 9 against Southern Utah.