FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 21, 2018) – Winners of three of four to start the season, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team will spend their holiday weekend in Los Angeles competing at the LMU Thanksgiving Classic. The Lumberjacks' first game of the tournament will be against the host Loyola Marymount on Friday at 4 p.m. MST before facing either Robert Morris or SMU in their second game on Saturday depending on their Friday outcome.
"LMU is 3-0 and two of their wins are against Pac-12 teams, so it's going to be a challenge," said head coach Loree Payne. "They're a very different type of team than we've faced. It'll also be important for us to get into that tournament mindset with the winners advancing and the losers play in the consolation game. I'm happy with how we've started; we don't want to be playing our best right now. So if we can get through our growing pains and focus on the process, we'll be in a good place."
NAU, led by 22 points from senior
Kaleigh Paplow and a double-double performance by redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar, defeated California Baptist, 91-88, last Saturday at home in its most recent game, allowing the 'Jacks to carry a 3-1 record with them to Southern California.
Loyola Marymount is off to a fast start this season, winning its first three games including two Pac-12 victories. The Lions started the season with an upset win over No. 23 UCLA and then went on the road to defeat Arizona. On Monday, the Lions defeated UC Santa Barbara, 70-57. Robert Morris and SMU will face each other on Friday prior to NAU and Loyola Marymount. Robert Morris is 1-3 overall while SMU is 2-3.
Sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed leads the team, and ranks sixth in the Big Sky, in scoring with 16.8 points per game. She has been extremely efficient from the floor, ranking second in the league with a .622 field goal percentage. Rasheed and Paplow have scored in double-figures in all four games. Paplow has a pair of 20-point efforts and is averaging 16.5 points per game, eighth-best in the league. NAU is one of two teams – the other being Weber State – to have two players in the top 10 of the conference.
Malvar recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds versus California Baptist and has come off the bench to average 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Malvar has also made a team-high 11 three-pointers on 50 percent shooting from behind the arc. Sophomore
Lauren Orndoff ranks second in the Big Sky in three-point percentage at .636. Orndoff is NAU's third-leading scorer with 11.0 points per game.
As a team, the 'Jacks lead the conference with a .444 field goal percentage. NAU is averaging 75.2 points per game, but is also allowing 75.0 points per game.
Both of NAU's games this weekend will be streamed online at
thew.tv.
About Loyola Marymount:
Record: 3-0, 0-0 WCC
2018-19 Preseason WCC Poll: Fourth
All-Time Series: NAU, 8-2
Last Meeting: NAU, 82-64 (Dec. 4, 2014)
About Robert Morris:
Record: 1-3, 0-0 NEC
2018-19 Preseason NEC Poll: First
All-Time Series: First Meeting
About SMU:
Record: 2-3, 0-0 American
2018-19 Preseason American Poll: Seventh
All-Time Series: SMU, 1-0
Last Meeting: SMU, 69-57 (March 2, 1984)
