FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 15, 2018) – Before playing their next three on the road, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team makes a short trip home to host California Baptist in the Rolle Activity Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. The first 300 fans will receive a free t-shirt with "Lumberjacks" translated in either Hopi or Navajo for NAU's Native American Heritage Game.
The Lumberjacks were impressive last week, going 2-1 to start the season with victories over a pair of postseason teams from last spring. NAU opened the season with victories over Fresno State (86-73) and Seattle (65-58) before falling to Washington this past Sunday. NAU played Washington tough on the road and trailed by just seven with four and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, the Huskies went on a 22-3 run and eventually dealt the 'Jacks an 81-59 loss.
"California Baptist is a team who likes to run in transition and shoot a lot of threes with over 30 attempts per game," said head coach
Loree Payne. "Our defense has to be on point. Our offensive flow last weekend wasn't quite there, so we've been working on that this week. Along with our offensive flow, we'll have to step up our defensive intensity to make sure that they don't get hot behind the arc."
California Baptist has started the season 1-2, most recently dropping a 79-65 game to Cal State Fullerton at home on Tuesday. The Lancers, in their first season as a Division I institution out of the WAC, notched their first DI win against Long Beach State, 85-83, last Friday on the road.
Sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed picked up her first career Big Sky Player of the Week award on Tuesday after averaging 17.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last week. Rasheed ranks eighth in the league in scoring and fourth with a .656 field goal percentage thus far. Rasheed's opening week performance included a career-best 24-point outburst versus Seattle last Friday. She made her first eight shots from the field and finished 11-for-12.
Along with Rasheed, senior
Kaleigh Paplow scored in double-figures each game and enters Saturday's tilt with an average of 14.0 points per game. Paplow leads the Lumberjacks in rebounding with 7.0 per game. She started the season with a double-double effort of 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win versus Fresno State.
Behind the arc, redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar and sophomore
Lauren Orndoff is leading the team with seven three-point makes. Both have shot the ball exceptionally well from deep with Orndoff ranking third in the Big Sky with a .700 three-point percentage. Malvar also ranks in the top 15 at .467.
The Lumberjacks hope that a return home to Rolle will reenergize their offense. After shooting 57.1 percent from the field in its season-opening win against Fresno State, NAU shot 36.5 percent and 35 percent respectively on its road trip to Seattle and Washington. Still, NAU ranks fifth in the league in shooting (.425) and scoring (70.0 points per game) entering the weekend.
About California Baptist:
Record: 1-2, 0-0 WAC
2018-19 Preseason WAC Poll: Seventh/Eighth
All-Time Series: First Meeting
