RENO, Nev. (March 5, 2018) – A 13-0 Portland State run to close the second half ultimately proved to be the Northern Arizona women's basketball team's demise in a 77-61 loss. The Lumberjacks' season reached its end Monday night with the first round Big Sky Championships loss in the Reno Events Center, finishing with a 7-23 record.
"I felt we played a really solid game, but we just couldn't make shots," said head coach
Loree Payne. "First quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, there are identical scores. We got great looks, but it was one of those nights that we couldn't knock down the open shots that we generally do. I'm very proud of this team."
The Lumberjacks played the Vikings even, literally, in every quarter with the exception of the critical second period. The bulk of the 16-point difference came in the final 5:27 before the intermission, with NAU missing on nine consecutive field goals. In the mean time, Portland State scored 13 unanswered points to take a 37-21 lead into halftime.
Junior
Kaleigh Paplow posted a double-double to lead the Lumberjacks with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Finishing their careers with solid lines were redshirt seniors
Olivia Lucero (14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists) and
Kenna McDavis (14 points, seven rebounds and four three-pointers).
NAU outrebounded Portland State, 54-47, and recorded 23 boards on the offensive end. Unfortunately, the 'Jacks only were able to convert those 23 offensive rebounds into five second chance points. Freshman
Khiarica Rasheed posted a team-high 13 rebounds with eight on the offensive glass.
"When you're playing a team who plays zone, offensive rebounding is key," Payne said. "I'm proud of the team of how they crashed the glass. Their resiliency after the second quarter, we came out in the second half and played tough. That's one thing about this team, despite their record, they battled until the end every single game and that's something we'll take into the future of this program."
The Lumberjacks' inopportune misses on extra opportunities were a microcosm of their overall offensive struggles with NAU only shooting 28.9 percent for the game. NAU's defense kept Portland State under 40 percent shooting, but the Vikings were able to get to the line 30 times, making 24 compared to just nine makes at the line by the 'Jacks.
The Lumberjacks were able to strike fast with Paplow spurring a 9-4 start with four points. McDavis drilled a three to give the Lumberjacks a 16-12 advantage with less than two minutes left in the first quarter, but the Vikings soon seized control.
Portland State managed to tie the game at 16-16 by the end of the period and over the course of a 12-2 run following the McDavis three, the Vikings opened up a 24-18 advantage. Sophomore
Kaprice Boston converted a three-point play to slice the NAU deficit in half before the decisive stretch of the game.
"We went hard and it was a winnable game," McDavis said. "Unfortunately, in the second quarter we couldn't hit shots. I think if we did hit those shots, this would be a very different story."
NAU only could muster up five points in the second quarter, but NAU started the third on an 8-0 run before anyone could blink. Paplow and Rasheed each scored four points in the first 1:40 of the third quarter, forcing a Portland State timeout after NAU closed to 37-29.
However, Portland State quickly answered back with eight straight points of its own to regain its halftime advantage and the lead grew to as much as 23 in the fourth quarter.
"It was a really a dream come true," Lucero said. "I'm really grateful to have gotten the opportunity to have played for this staff and with my teammates this year. It's been incredible."
