GAME NOTES (PDF)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 19, 2018) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team wraps up their non-conference schedule on Friday in Tucson versus Arizona. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. at the McKale Center.
The Lumberjacks are looking to snap a three-game losing streak with a victory before heading into Big Sky play. NAU opened the season 4-1, but sit at an even 4-4 on the heels of its current skid. To do so, the 'Jacks will need to slow down a Wildcat squad that is on an eight-game winning streak and takes a 9-1 record into Friday's in-state showdown. Arizona defeated UTEP, 62-40, at home on Monday to notch its eighth win by 20 points or more this season.
"Arizona is a very good team and they are much improved from last year," said head coach
Loree Payne. "They're very similar to us in that there are a lot of new faces on their team. They did a great job in recruiting and they have a lot of talented players. We're going to have our work cut out for us. Our biggest key is stopping them in transition because they push the ball and they have a lot of players who can score the basketball."
During their three-game losing streak, the Lumberjacks' offense has endured a slump with NAU averaging only 52.3 points per game and shooting 28.3 percent overall during this stretch.
NAU last played on Dec. 8 at home, suffering an 84-55 loss to New Mexico in the Walkup Skydome. The Lumberjacks shot a season-low 23.5 percent, but did record a season-high 45 rebounds.
"Offensively, we've had our struggles, but we're getting open looks," Payne said. "We just have to start knocking them down. I would be more concerned if we were struggling to get open looks. It comes down to making open shots. We've been shooting a lot this week and trying to get back into a flow. We're hoping to get some momentum heading into conference play."
Freshman
Regan Schenck recorded her second consecutive double-digit scoring effort with a team-high 12 points against the Lobos. Senior
Kaleigh Paplow, ranked sixth in the Big Sky in scoring, chipped in 11 points.
Paplow, averaging 16.3 points per game while averaging the second-most minutes per game (37.2) in the league, has scored in double-figures in all eight games this season. She also leads the team with 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar has started the last two games and ranks eighth in the Big Sky in three-pointers made per game (2.3). Malvar, is shooting a team-high 42.1 percent from behind the arc and averaging 8.1 points per game.
Sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed ranks behind Paplow in both scoring (12.8) and rebounding (5.8) per game for the Lumberjacks.
Last season, NAU defeated Arizona in the Rolle Activity Center, 84-66, on Dec. 7. The win was the Lumberjacks' first over the Wildcats since 1988 and their first over a Pac-12 team since 1995. The Lumberjacks had five double-digit scorers in the game, including three whom return this season. Sophomore
Lauren Orndoff's 16 points are still a career-best for her, while Paplow (13) and junior
Peyton Carroll (12) also reached the double-figure mark.
NAU has not defeated Arizona in back-to-back meetings since doing so in 1977 and 1978.
Friday's tilt will be streamed
online on Arizona's Pac-12 live stream.
About Arizona:
Record: 9-1, 0-0 Pac-12
2018-19 Preseason Pac-12 Poll: 10th
All-Time Series: UA, 25-7
Last Meeting: NAU, 84-66 (Dec. 7, 2017)
