TUCSON, Ariz. (December 21, 2018) – Senior
Kaleigh Paplow collected her second double-double of the season, but the Northern Arizona women's basketball team fell to Arizona, 71-47, in the McKale Center Friday night to close the non-conference schedule. The Lumberjacks dropped their fourth straight game and will go into Big Sky play with a 4-5 mark.
"Arizona is very athletic and we didn't match up size-wise with them," said head coach
Loree Payne. "It was a challenge and we had to throw a bunch of different defenses at them to try and match up. Rebounding was a huge bright spot for us. We're excited to get into Big Sky play. We scheduled tough intentionally so that when we got into Big Sky, we'd be prepared."
Paplow scored a team-high 13 points and secure 11 boards, including eight on the offensive glass, to notch her 12th career double-double. Paplow's efforts on the glass helped NAU outrebound an Arizona team that was outrebounding its opponents by 10 a game. NAU grabbed a season-high 18 offensive boards in a 38-36 rebounding advantage. The Lumberjacks posted a 14-11 advantage in second chance points.
"One of the things we worked on during our two weeks off was coming together as a team," Payne said. "Celebrating each other in great times and coming together in tough times; I felt like we did that tonight."
NAU finished the contest by shooting 41.2 percent – its best clip of the game – in the fourth quarter, but still only shot 31.7 percent for the game. Arizona shot 49.2 percent and took advantage of 22 NAU turnovers to hold a 21-15 edge in points off miscues.
The 'Jacks got out to a fast start as redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar drilled a corner three and sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed converted down low on NAU's first two possessions, pushing NAU out to an initial 5-2 lead. However, NAU missed its next seven attempts from the field during which Arizona went on a 7-0 run to take a 9-5 advantage the Wildcats would not relinquish.
Despite NAU shooting just 29.4 percent in the first quarter, the 'Jacks went into the second quarter trailing just 17-11. The two teams traded baskets to open the period, with sophomore
Lauren Orndoff finishing a transition opportunity with a layup, before Arizona broke the game open. Orndoff's layup was NAU's final field goal over a nearly eight minute stretch in which Arizona surged ahead 36-13 behind a 17-0 run.
The Lumberjacks missed five shots and converted seven turnovers during their lengthy scoring drought, but capped the half with two offensive putbacks by redshirt sophomores
Brianna Lehew and
Jacey Bailey. Still, NAU went into the break facing a 36-17 deficit with Arizona shooting 48.5 percent in the first half. NAU shot just 25.8 percent and was minus-five in the turnover column.
NAU extended its run to 8-0 with four free throws by Rasheed and Paplow to close to 36-21, but another huge Arizona run furthered the Wildcat lead. Following a 16-1 Wildcat run over a five-minute stretch put the 'Jacks in a 56-24 disadvantage on the scoreboard before NAU went into the final quarter down 63-30.
The 'Jacks closed the game strong, outscoring the Wildcats by a 17-8 margin over the final 10 minutes. NAU made seven of its last 17 from the floor with Paplow scoring six of her 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Bailey and Rasheed were the Lumberjacks' next highest scorers with eight points apiece. Freshman
Morgan Gary and redshirt freshman
Alize' McCormick each scored their first collegiate points off the bench, with McCormick – a Tucson native – hitting a long jumper for the game's final points.
"I felt like we had a successful non-conference; we started strong and then we took a dip," Payne said. "We're excited to reset to 0-0 heading into Big Sky play. If we continue to make progress the way we are, I feel like we're going to have a pretty good Big Sky record at the end of it."
NAU opens up its conference schedule on Saturday, Dec. 29 versus Montana in Missoula. The Lumberjacks will also face Montana State on Monday, Dec. 31 during their Big Sky opening road trip.
