BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Northern Arizona continued to struggle in road play this season as it fell to CSU Bakersfield tonight at the Icardo Center 72-55.

Kris Yanku led the Lumberjacks with 13 points and six rebounds, but he was the only NAU player to finish in double figures.

"We have to continue to get better," said head coach Jack Murphy. "These games right now are about learning and toughness. The games come January are about heart. Two assists and 13 turnovers are not the stats we're trying to produce. We did do a much better job in the second half. There are positives to take from it, but we still have a lot of learning to do."

NAU's 23.5 percent performance from the floor in the first half resulted in a 14-point deficit on the road to the Runners. The Lumberjacks moved the ball with seven different players chipping in on the scoring. CSUB had double the amount of made field goals than NAU, and that's how it entered the half with a 39-25 lead.

The one thing NAU did not lack in the second half was energy. The Lumberjacks could be seen fighting for loose balls and being aggressive on the boards. The shots for NAU were falling to start the second half, as the Lumberjacks came to within seven points after a Mike Green made three-pointer with 16 minutes to go.

CSUB (4-3) went on a 15-1 run next to build a steady gap between the two teams.

At the 10-minute mark in the second half, the Lumberjacks (2-6) found themselves in a 15-point hole, down 56-41.

It was ultimately the defensive play by the Runners that kept NAU from a fighting chance to really get back into the game. CSUB out-rebounded NAU 24-17 in the second half and tallied five blocked shots to keep the Lumberjacks away from the basket.

Tonight was NAU's worst shooting performance of the season making just 16 of 57 field goals.

The Lumberjacks' next game will be on Dec. 16 on the road at the University of Arizona.