FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 2, 2018) – Redshirt senior
Kenna McDavis' last home game as a Lumberjack was one of the single greatest offensive performances in program history, but was outdone by Eastern Washington's Delaney Hodgins Friday night. McDavis recorded the third-highest scoring game in program history with a career-high 39 points in a 98-83 Northern Arizona women's basketball loss to Eastern Washington.
McDavis also tied the school record of eight three-pointers in a game, shooting 8-for-12 from behind the arc. Her second trey of the game at the 8:12 mark of the second quarter pushed her into first all-time in program history for three-pointers in a season. She finished with 83 threes, surpassing Kim Winkfield's previous mark of 76 set during the 2006-07 season.
However, Hodgins was a thorn in the Lumberjacks' side all evening as she set a new Big Sky Conference single game record with 46 points. The previous record was 41, shared by six players including former Lumberjack Amy Patton. In a snapshot of what Friday's entertaining affair was like, McDavis finished just two points off the previous conference mark.
McDavis, who eclipsed the 30-point mark just one game after redshirt senior
Olivia Lucero did, was one of three 'Jacks celebrated before tip-off on Senior Night. Lucero scored nine points and led the team with five assists, while senior
Chelena Betoney knocked down a triple off the bench in their final games in the Walkup Skydome.
"It was awesome to celebrate our seniors, but disappointed with the outcome," said head coach
Loree Payne. "We're putting up numbers right now, we just have to buckle down defensively heading into Reno. There have been a lot of ebbs and flows this year. We're hoping to put two and two together come Monday."
As a result of the loss, NAU will enter the Big Sky Championships as the No. 11 seed and will face the No. 6 seed Portland State at 9:05 p.m. MST Monday night in the first round in Reno, Nev.
The Eagles shot 57.1 percent – the highest by any NAU opponent this season – and were lethal from the outside with a 12-of-18 showing on threes. That offset another strong performance by the Lumberjacks as they posted their third 80-point game in their last four. NAU shot 42.2 percent overall and 39.1 percent from three-point range.
Eastern Washington scored the game's first eight points and in all opened on a 12-2 run to lead wire-to-wire. NAU had a brief 7-0 run that brought the 'Jacks to 19-13 with three and a half minutes left in the first quarter, but would not get any closer throughout the rest of the game.
A 25-16 first quarter Eastern Washington lead turned into a 52-36 halftime advantage in the highest scoring half by an opponent this season. McDavis had exactly half of NAU's points with 18 at the break.
The Lumberjacks scored on three straight possessions to start the second half with layups by McDavis, freshman
Khiarica Rasheed and junior
Kaleigh Paplow which shaved four points off the Eagle lead. A 9-0 run by Eastern Washington later in the period pushed the lead to 66-44 midway through the third and the Eagles led by at least 16 the rest of the way until the Lumberjacks scored the final basket of the game.
Paplow had a solid all-around game with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Rasheed added 10 points and five rebounds. Off the bench, redshirt freshman
Brianna Lehew scored eight points.
Both teams pulled down 35 rebounds each with 12 of NAU's coming on the offensive end. The Lumberjacks also posted 16 assists to just nine turnovers.
Monday's first round conference tournament game can be seen on Pluto TV Channel 231 and heard on the radio on KAFF Country Legends 93.5 FM/AM 930 locally in Flagstaff. An audio stream of the game will also be available at
nauathletics.com/listen.
