| GAME 7: Northern Arizona (2-4) vs. Utah Valley (6-3)* |
* - Utah Valley plays at the University of Arizona on Dec. 6
GAME NOTES (PDF)
PROMOTIONS
- First 500 Fans in attendance will receive a free limited edition NAU Snow Globe
- First 100 Students wearing pajamas will receive free NAU Pajamas
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 5, 2018) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team will return home for the first time in 28 days and play its first game in the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome this season when it hosts WAC member Utah Valley on Saturday, December 8 in a 6 p.m. MST tip.
The Lumberjacks-Wolverines clash will be televised live on Your Phoenix CW (Suddenlink Channel 6 in Flagstaff) and streamed to a national audience on Pluto TV (Channel 239).
The game will also be aired on the Lumberjack Radio Network beginning with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m. MST with
Mitch Strohman (play-by-play), Matt Jarecki (analyst) and Corderro McMurry (sideline) on the call.
NAU will be looking to improve to 2-0 at home this season and snap a three-game losing streak when it faces Utah Valley. The 'Jacks posted a convincing 97-82 victory over Jacksonville in their initial home game this season on Nov. 10, which was played at the Rolle Activity Center.
The Lumberjacks have played each of their last five games on the road and Saturday's game will mark NAU's final home non-conference game of the season before it closes out the non-league schedule with three consecutive games away from home at San Jose State (Dec. 15), San Francisco (Dec. 19) and Utah (Dec. 21).
NAU and Utah Valley will be meeting for the third time in the history of the series which is tied 1-1. The 'Jacks and Wolverines previous two meetings both came during the initial seven games of the 2008-09 season. Utah Valley posted a 68-62 victory on Nov. 14, 2008 in Orem, Utah and the Lumberjacks followed with a 64-63 triumph in Flagstaff on Dec. 6, 2008.
Utah Valley, which faces plays the University of Arizona on Dec. 6 before facing NAU in Flagstaff on Saturday, currently boasts an overall record of 6-3. The Wolverines rank among the top 50 teams nationally in three pointers made with 79. Jake and Conner Toolson have combined to hit 41 shots from beyond the arc and rank among the team's top two scorers with averages of 15.3 and 15.2 points per game respectively.
The Wolverines are a perfect 4-0 in home games this season but have dropped all three of their games on the road.
The Lumberjacks currently have a total of three players averaging double-figure points, led by sophomore
Carlos Hines' team-best 14.0 points per game. Junior
Ted McCree has tallied a 12.2 ppg average over the first six contests and sophomore
Bernie Andre has netted 12.0 ppg.
The battle of the boards could prove decisive in Saturday's game as NAU is 2-1 when outrebounding its opponent and 0-3 when it is bested by its opponent on the glass.
