FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Friday night's Senior Night looked like a track meet at times. The Northern Arizona women's basketball and Sacramento State sprinted up and down the Walkup Skydome floor, but while the Lumberjacks were getting shots in the paint the Hornets were hitting often from three-point range. In the end, Sacramento State sprinted out with a 111-79 victory over NAU in the regular season finale for both teams.

NAU finishes the regular season with a 6-23 record and a 2-16 record in conference. The Lumberjacks will be the 12th seed in the Big Sky tournament and will open up with fifth-seeded Montana on Monday at 3:35 p.m. MT from Reno, Nev.

"We got beat soundly tonight and they are a hard team to play and prepare for," said head coach Sue Darling. "They were hitting on all cylinders. But starting right now, it's a new season and we're undefeated. We have to put the losses behind us and be excited for going to Reno and having a new life. It's not often that you get a new life."

Freshman Alyssa Rader's 24 points and season-high 17 rebounds were not nearly enough against a Hornet squad that set a new Skydome record with 21 three-pointers made in 47 attempts. Sacramento State shot 44.7 percent from behind the arc and 44.2 percent for the game, and made NAU pay for 26 miscues by turning them into 39 points off turnovers.

The Lumberjacks grabbed a season-high 57 rebounds led by Rader's best output of her freshman campaign and tallied 21 assists, but the Hornets separated themselves in the middle quarters, outscoring the 'Jacks by 28 points in the second and third quarters.

Sacramento State led 27-20 after one quarter of play and in a blink of an eye, went on a 17-0 run to open the second quarter in less than three minutes. The Lumberjacks went into halftime down 62-41 despite 12 first half points from Rader and eight points by junior Catelyn Preston and fell behind by as much as 35 in the third quarter with Sacramento State hitting seven treys immediately after halftime.

NAU outscored Sacramento State in the fourth quarter, 21-18, and posted its best quarter field goal percentage of the game at 45 percent in the final 10 minutes. A three-pointer by junior Taylor Leyva capped an 8-0 run – the Lumberjacks' best run of the game – but the Hornets' pressure and long distance proficiency were way too much to handle in their final game at home this season.

"I thought we played them well after settling in during the first quarter and then better in the fourth quarter," Darling said. "But every team in this league is a quality team and you have to play for 40 minutes. If you can maintain good basketball for 40 minutes, you can win a lot of games."

Preston finished with 13 points and redshirt junior Shay Young came off the bench to score 10 points. In their final home games of their career, seniors Mariah Willadsen and Monique Mulder both drew the start. Willadsen recorded eight points on 4-for-6 shooting, while Mulder scored four points and handed out two assists.

Now the Lumberjacks turn their attention to the conference tournament where they will face the defending Big Sky champions – the Lady Griz of Montana – in the opening round. Despite a disappointing regular season, NAU will have a shot, like every other team in the conference, to start new on the Road to Reno.

"We're disappointed with our conference season, but it's a fresh start," Darling said. "We're excited about the opportunity in Reno. Anybody who knows anything about March Madness knows that it's a whole new ballgame. Anything can happen, so we're going to make the most of the opportunity."