GAME NOTES (PDF)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Northern Arizona women's basketball team heads way west to the 50th state on their first road trip of the season this weekend. The Lumberjacks will play the host Hawai'i, as well as 2017 NCAA Tournament qualifier Boise State, on Friday and Sunday during the Bank of Hawai'i Classic. Friday's contest will tip-off at 10 p.m. MST and Sunday's game is slated for a 5:30 p.m. MST start.

"Getting out of a routine at home, practicing in the same gym, brings some excitement," said head coach Loree Payne. "We're excited to learn from what we did offensively last weekend. We're right where we want to be offensively, but obviously defensively we need to tighten the ship up and put a little more emphasis on that, especially being on the road. As a staff, we want to have patience, but we also want to raise the expectation."

Despite an 0-2 record, the 'Jacks are the Big Sky's highest scoring team heading into the weekend at 88.0 points per game. NAU shot 47.2 percent from the field in its first two games and 41 percent from three-point range. Where NAU struggled was on the defensive end where it allowed 92.0 points per game and its opponents to shoot 48.5 percent overall and make 25 three-pointers. The Lumberjacks suffered a pair of narrow losses, 96-93 to UC Santa Barbara and 88-83 to Rice, at home during the first weekend of the season.

Redshirt senior Kenna McDavis leads the Lumberjacks, and ranks third in the conference, with 24.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, hitting 10 three-pointers in two 20-point games. She set new career-highs last weekend in every statistical category. The Lumberjacks also got double-double performances from redshirt senior Olivia Lucero, junior Kaleigh Paplow and sophomore Peyton Carroll last weekend. All three players are averaging at least 12.0 points per game, giving NAU four players in double-figure points.

Video streaming will only be available for Friday's game versus Hawai'i at this link.

Keeping it Fresh: A trio of freshmen look to be counted on heavily in their first seasons. Kaprice Boston, Lauren Orndoff and Khiarica Rasheed are all part of the rotation and showed flashes. Orndoff was the only newcomer to start during the opening weekend and averaged 23.0 minutes per game. She is averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. Boston and Rasheed both came off the bench and are the only two players in what is essentially a seven-player rotation. Rasheed averaged 19.0 minutes per game and grabbed six offensive rebounds in two games. Boston is the leading scorer off the bench with 7.5 points per game in 17.5 minutes.

It's Been a While: Lucero and McDavis both had efforts that the program had not seen in a number of years during the first weekend of the season. Against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 10, Lucero recorded 11 assists, which was the first double-digit assist game by a Lumberjack since Brittani Lusain had 12 versus CSUN on Dec. 18, 2014. McDavis turned it up on the defensive end two days later on Nov. 12 versus Rice, swatting six shots. It was the most blocked shots in a game by a Lumberjack since Ashley Ingle tallied seven on the road at Weber State on Feb. 28, 2008.

No Rust Here: After missing all but five conference games last season with an injury, McDavis was back to full health and had a stellar opening weekend. Entering the second week of the season, McDavis is third in the Big Sky with both 24.0 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game. She registered her first two career 20-point games against UC Santa Barbara and Rice, and also notched her first career double-double. McDavis' 10 three-pointers topped the Big Sky in the first weekend as did her six blocks.

NAU Quick Hits: NAU's .472 field goal percentage is second in the Big Sky...The Lumberjacks also rank fourth in three-point percentage at .410...NAU's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.7 leads the conference by a wide margin...Carroll (.692) and Paplow (.611) both rank in the top 10 in the conference in individual field goal percentage...Lucero paces the Big Sky with 7.5 assists per set...Lucero, Paplow and McDavis all rank in the top five in minutes played per game.

About Hawai'i: Hawai'i went 1-1 on its season-opening road trip, picking up a 73-58 victory at Seattle after a disappointing 76-46 loss to Portland in its 2017-18 opener. The Rainbow Wahine were picked fourth in the Big West preseason poll by both the coaches and media. Julissa Tago averaged 21.5 points per game last week, shooting 59.4 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from behind the arc. She scored 28 points in the loss at Portland. Sara Toeaina is the only other Rainbow Wahine in double-figure scoring after the first weekend of the season. The First Team All-Big West performer, and preseason all-conference selection, is averaging 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Hawai'i shot only 35.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the free throw line as a team last week.

About Boise State: Boise State routed Northwest Christian, 83-51, in its only game during the first weekend of the 2017-18 season. The Broncos were tabbed as the preseason Mountain West Conference favorite after winning the tournament championship last season and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. Shalen Shaw was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team and responded by leading five Broncos in double-figures with 16 points against Northwest Christian. She made 7-of-11 from the field and also recorded six rebounds. Marta Hermida nearly tallied a triple-double in the first game of the season, recording 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. The Broncos hit 10 three-pointers in their victory and outrebounded Northwest Christian, 57-35. Boise State shot 39 percent from the floor.