POCATELLO, Idaho – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team worked hard and hustled through three quarters, but a big fourth quarter by Idaho State propelled the Bengals to a runaway 76-59 victory Thursday night. The Bengals finished the game on a 17-6 run to turn away the Lumberjacks (4-17 overall, 1-9 Big Sky) in Reed Gym despite a game-high 21 points from redshirt senior
Olivia Lucero.
NAU went into the fourth quarter down by just seven, 55-48, but Idaho State used a critical 11-0 run to put the game out of reach. Freshman
Kaprice Boston's drive to the rim had NAU within striking range with 7:24 remaining at 59-53, only for the Lumberjacks to go more than five minutes without a field goal. The Bengals' knockout 11-0 run followed Boston's layup, and sent the Lumberjacks to their seventh straight defeat.
The final score was not a direct reflection of NAU's gritty performance for most of the evening. Unfortunately, a season-high 28 turnovers did not help the Lumberjacks' cause with 17 marring an otherwise spirited first half.
Returning from a two-game absence due to injury, Lucero forced a quick Idaho State timeout after her first shot found the bottom of the net. However, the Bengals immediately answered the Lumberjacks' game-opening 6-0 run with a 10-0 run of their own. NAU bounced back and would take a 15-14 lead into the second quarter after freshman
Lauren Orndoff hit a jumper in transition.
Following a three by redshirt senior
Kenna McDavis, the Lumberjacks led 20-17 with seven minutes left in the first half, only for the Bengals to rattle off eight straight points. In all, Idaho State went on a 15-2 run after the McDavis triple before NAU scored the final five points of the half to slice its deficit in half to 32-27.
NAU pounded Idaho State on the glass in the first half, 20-14, which kept the 'Jacks in the game in spite of their 17 turnovers at the half.
The Bengals scored the first seven points of the second half, prompting a Lumberjack timeout. Lucero refused to let Idaho State pull away though as scored 13 points in the third quarter alone – matching the most points in a quarter by a Lumberjack this season. She scored nine during an 11-2 run, capped by a putback from freshman
Khiarica Rasheed, that pulled NAU within 45-42 at the 3:33 mark of the third.
McDavis drilled her third three to open the fourth quarter scoring to make it a 55-51 score, but the Lumberjacks would not get any closer as Idaho State outscored NAU by 10 in the final period.
Idaho State shot 45.6 percent in the victory, while NAU shot 40.4 percent. The Bengals outrebounded the Lumberjacks, 37-32, largely due to a 17-4 advantage in the fourth quarter. Idaho State outscored NAU, 42-20, in the paint.
Lucero notched her sixth 20-point game of the season on 6-of-12 shooting. She was 7-for-9 at the free throw line and also added six rebounds. McDavis finished with 13 points, while Rasheed and Orndoff each scored eight points. Rasheed tied Paplow for team-high honors with seven boards with Paplow also recording four of NAU's nine steals.
The Lumberjacks will play at Weber State on Saturday at 2 p.m.
