FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Redshirt senior
Kenna McDavis was a force on both ends of the court, but the Northern Arizona women's basketball team fell to 0-2 on the young season with an 88-83 loss to Rice on Sunday. McDavis set a new career-high for the second consecutive game, scoring 27 points, and also tallied career-bests of six blocks and three steals in the defeat.
McDavis' six blocks were the most by a Lumberjack since 2008, and she became the eighth player in school history to hit the number. She made five three-pointers for the second straight outing, hitting 5-of-11 from deep, while also pulling down eight rebounds.
However, despite McDavis' efforts and an offense that once again was effective, the Lumberjacks suffered a similar fate as Friday's 96-93 loss to UC Santa Barbara. NAU shot 46.9 percent, including 51.5 percent in the second half, but was hurt by Rice's three-point shooting. The Owls was hot from the start, hitting six three-pointers in the opening quarter forcing the 'Jacks to play catch-up the rest of the way, and wound up 11-of-23 overall from behind the arc.
"We just have to figure out how to lock in defensively," said head coach
Loree Payne. "We can't give up (29) points in the first quarter. That put us in a hole right from the start. We switched up our defense a little bit (at halftime), and our zone was pretty successful for us today. The game was probably lost in the first quarter honestly, and that's something we need to change; making sure that the first quarter is one of our strongest."
Trailing by as much as 15, the Lumberjacks made a series of runs at the Owls – who won the WBI last season – to get within a single point on three occasions, but could not ultimately forge ahead.
Junior
Kaleigh Paplow made the game's opening bucket; however, the 2-0 lead was NAU's only advantage the whole game. Rice went on an ensuing 8-0 run, connecting on its first pair of threes in the game, and another 9-0 run put NAU at its biggest deficit, 24-9, eight minutes into the game.
The Owls maintained a double-digit lead throughout the entire second quarter until freshman
Kaprice Boston drained her first career three-pointer with just over a minute remaining in the first half. Coupled with an and-one, Boston accounted for six points during a half-ending 8-2 run by the Lumberjacks over the final 2:24 to slice Rice's lead to 45-38 going into the locker room.
NAU's first major run at Rice occurred early in the third quarter when NAU scored seven consecutive to close to 48-47. McDavis started the spurt with a layup and freshman
Lauren Orndoff followed with a three-point play before Paplow capped the run with another basket at the rim. A 10-2 run by Rice, however, pushed its lead back to double-digits at 64-54 though and the visitors would lead by nine at the end of three periods.
McDavis netted 10 of her 27 points in the final quarter, but NAU's efforts would just shy for the second straight game. Trailing by six, 69-63, McDavis initiated the Lumberjacks' final push with a three. An Orndoff triple got the 'Jacks to 71-70 with 4:12 remaining, only for the Owls to score the next seven points to effectively put the Lumberjacks away. One final three by McDavis made it an 84-80 game with 17 seconds on the clock, but Rice would hold on to win its second game of the season.
Sophomore
Peyton Carroll posted her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while making 6-of-7 at the free throw line. Paplow and redshirt senior
Olivia Lucero both added 13 points.
"Kenna, Olivia and Kaleigh are playing about 40 minutes, and at one point we had three freshmen on the floor," Payne said. "We're learning and the young ones are getting a lot of experience. We have a whole list of things we'll be working on this week to get ready for our next game."
Despite the loss, there were many positive aspects for the Lumberjacks as they get ready for their trip to Hawaii for the Bank of Hawai'i Classic this upcoming weekend. After being outrebounded 23-15 at halftime, the 'Jacks held the second half rebounding advantage, 21-15. Carroll collected nine of her career-high 11 rebounds in the final 20 minutes alone. The Lumberjacks also shot 14-of-18 from the charity stripe, eclipsing 75 percent for the second straight outing.
NAU also scored 80 points or more in consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 13-15, 2014.
NAU will play the host Hawai'i in Honolulu on Friday, Nov. 17 at 10 p.m. MST. While in the islands, the Lumberjacks will also play Boise State next Sunday to wrap up the Bank of Hawai'i Classic.
