FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 5, 2019) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team had five players score in double-figures for the third time this season, but struggled to keep Idaho State away from the rim in an 80-69 loss Saturday afternoon in the Walkup Skydome. The Bengals shot 54.5 percent for the game and scored efficiently, using a 44-30 points in the paint advantage to hand the 'Jacks a home defeat.
Idaho State blitzed NAU (5-8, 1-3 Big Sky) in the opening 10 minutes, scoring 18 of its 25 points in the paint to claim a 25-16 lead after the end of the first quarter. The Lumberjacks played the Bengals close in the remaining three periods, being outscored by just two the rest of the way, but Idaho State did its damage early.
"We weren't quite dialed in defensively as we needed to be," said head coach
Loree Payne. "Idaho State is a great team and they execute very well. Offensively we missed some easy buckets, and that's been a little bit of a trend for us. We lost this game in the first quarter defensively when we were a step slow. If we step it up defensively, that'll help (our offense)."
The Bengals grabbed an initial 10-4 lead before the Lumberjacks answered with six straight to tie it up at 10-10 five minutes into the game. Idaho State immediately answered with a bucket on the next possession, jumpstarting a 9-0 run that secured a lead the Bengals would not relinquish. Idaho State shot 64.7 percent in the opening quarter.
Sophomore
Lauren Orndoff led the Lumberjacks with 16 points on an efficient shooting night herself, making 5-of-6 from the field and 5-of-7 at the free throw line. Freshman
Regan Schenck added 12 and redshirt sophomore
Jacey Bailey, sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed and junior
Peyton Carroll each tallied 11 points in a balanced team scoring effort.
However, NAU shot just 35.9 percent for the game and 23.1 percent from behind the arc. Despite Idaho State not making a single three-pointer on four attempts, the Bengals controlled the interior with 22 of its 30 field goals coming in the paint.
NAU trailed 38-29 at halftime despite outrebounding Idaho State by a 25-16 margin in the first half. For the game, the Lumberjacks posted their best rebounding margin of the season, 44-32. NAU, led by Rasheed's team-high nine boards, pulled down 18 offensive rebounds, but were unable to turn them into points netting just 13 second chance points.
"We dominated on the boards, but my issue is that we had 18 offensive boards and only 13 second chance points," Payne said. "We put all the effort in rebounding, but we weren't able to convert on second chance opportunities."
After playing the Bengals even in the second quarter, the Lumberjacks were outscored by eight in the third period as the Bengals once again shot over 60 percent. Sixteen of Idaho State's 24 points in the third quarter came in the paint.
NAU trailed 62-45 going into the final quarter, and fell behind by as many as 18 in the third, but the Lumberjacks strung together a spirited rally as they got as close as five with under a minute to play.
The 'Jacks opened the fourth quarter with a 10-2 run with a Schenck three-pointer pulling them within 64-55 with 6:52 left. Consecutive layups by Orndoff twice got NAU within seven – the last time coming with 2:12 remaining in the game. Schenck split a pair of free throws on consecutive trips down the court, at which point NAU trailed 72-67 with 53 seconds on the clock.
However, Idaho State knocked down 6-of-8 free throws in the final minute to withstand a further push by NAU. NAU shot 53.3 percent in the final quarter to buoy its overall field goal percentage.
The Lumberjacks did manage to record 16 assists on 23 made field goals with senior
Kaleigh Paplow registering a game-high six. Redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar also posted her second straight game with five assists against just one turnover.
The game was littered with fouls with both teams making 20 free throws apiece. Idaho State was 20-for-31 while NAU went 20-for-28, setting a new season-high for free throws made and attempted. Carroll and Orndoff each made five free throws.
After playing four games in eight days, the 'Jacks will play just one game next week. NAU will host Southern Utah to conclude its three-game homestand next Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Skydome.
