FORT COLLINS, Colo. (December 5, 2018) – After a slow start, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team battled back but ultimately could not break all the way through in a 65-54 loss to Colorado State Wednesday morning. NAU (4-3) cut a 17-point deficit down to as little as one in the third quarter in the matinee loss in Moby Arena.
"We spent a week working on getting good looks and I thought we did so today," said head coach
Loree Payne. "But it was one of those games that we couldn't buy a bucket. I thought we played a very good game in every other category. It's one of those things where sometimes you make shots and sometimes you don't. Right now we're struggling with the confidence to take open shots and knock them down."
Freshman
Regan Schenck led the charge back with all 11 of her points coming in the third quarter. Schenck drilled three triples in the third quarter when the Lumberjacks trimmed an eight-point halftime deficit down to one. She was one of two 'Jacks in double-figures, behind senior
Kaleigh Paplow's 15 points.
Facing Colorado State's 2-3 zone, NAU shot just 28.3 percent for the game. However, the Lumberjacks found their footing after the first quarter, shooting 33.3 percent in the final three periods.
Paplow, Schenck and sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed each grabbed seven rebounds to pace NAU's season-best rebounding performance. The Lumberjacks secured a season-high 41 rebounds, but were outrebounded slightly, 45-41, by the Rams.
The first half was an offensive struggle for the 'Jacks, but the Blue & Gold went into halftime with the momentum. Trailing by as much as 17 with four minutes remaining in the first half, NAU closed with an 11-2 run – spurred by six points from Paplow.
NAU shot just 1-for-12 in the first quarter and trailed 15-7 after 10 minutes of play. The Lumberjacks' field goal woes continued into the second quarter with NAU missing eight of its first nine shots in the period. Meanwhile, the Rams struck quickly, opening with a 7-0 run that forced the 'Jacks into an early timeout.
Colorado State led 29-12 with 4:17 on the first half clock before Rasheed knocked down a pair of free throws to start NAU's half-closing run. Following a Paplow jumper right before the half expired, the Lumberjacks went into the locker room down, 31-23, successfully managing to slice their largest deficit in half.
While the 'Jacks relied on a 9-for-11 showing from the free throw line to keep them in the game in the first half, they turned to the three-ball in the second half to further their rally. NAU hit six of its eight three-pointers in the final 20 minutes and wound up shooting 40 percent from behind the arc. Schenck and redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar combined for five of the Lumberjacks' eight triples.
Schenck's first of three treys capped a 9-2 quarter-opening run that brought NAU within 33-32 with 6:42 left in the third period. Colorado State pushed its lead back out to five, but Schenck's third three once again closed the deficit to one at 43-42 with a minute and a half left in the quarter.
The Lumberjacks remained within striking distance throughout the final period and twice got within two following threes by senior
Tate Tsingine and sophomore
Lauren Orndoff. Another triple by Paplow closed NAU's deficit to 54-51 with three minutes remaining, but the Lumberjacks could not get any closer with the Rams immediately scoring on consecutive possessions to extend their lead out to eight.
NAU finished an efficient 12-for-15 from the line and turned the ball over just 11 times – their second-lowest total of the season.
Colorado State shot 39.4 percent for the game and held off NAU by making 7-of-15 from the floor in the final quarter.
The 'Jacks will play their Walkup Skydome opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. versus New Mexico. The game will be the first game in an NAU doubleheader with the men's basketball team hosting Utah Valley at 6 p.m. later that night.
