FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 13, 2019) – On Wednesday, Northern Arizona head women's basketball coach
Loree Payne proudly announced the Lumberjacks' 2020 incoming freshman class upon receiving National Letters of Intent from a trio of athletic prep players. NAU will welcome twins, Olivia and Nyah Moran (Riverside, Calif.) and Shira Patton (Houston, Texas) to the program next fall after they finalized their commitments on the first day of the national signing period.
"We're super excited about this class," Payne said. "These three players fit our system really well and they absolutely will be able to come in and contribute right away to help our program to be successful."
The Lumberjacks received commitments from the Moran twins out of King High School in Riverside. Although both are 5-11 left-handed guards, Olivia and Nyah offer slightly different skill sets.
"They're both very versatile and can play anywhere from the one, two, three and four," Payne said. "Olivia is probably an outside shooter first and driver second while Nyah will attack the rim, but she can also knock down the outside shot. They're good defenders and they're very passionate. They'll fit our program culture very well."
Last season, Olivia averaged 14.7 points per game and shot 43 percent from the field. She was a threat on the perimeter, draining 74 three-pointers in 27 games at a 36 percent clip. The All-CIF First Team honoree knocked down nine three-pointers in a game.
Meanwhile, Nyah averaged 11.4 points per game as a junior last season. She shot 51 percent from the field and while she only made 12 three-pointers, she was effective in limited attempts hitting at 39 percent from behind the arc. Nyah was an all-league honoree as a freshman and last season was named an Inland Sports All-Area honorable mention.
Both sisters were also proficient rebounders with Olivia averaging 8.0 boards per game and Nyah at 7.7 per game last season. They have helped their team win back-to-back league championships on their way to a second-place finish in the CIF Southern Section.
NAU's final signee for the 2020-21 season hails from the Lone Star State as Patton will join the Lumberjacks from Cypress Ranch High School. Patton is an accomplished two-sport athlete having also won a district championship in the high jump and ran on her school's record 4x1 relay team in track.
"Shira is a very dynamic guard out of Texas and we're excited because she can play the one, two or the three," Payne said. "She's aggressive to the rim and she can shoot the outside shot. She's a good defender and she's very well-rounded. We're excited about her athleticism."
Patton averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game and was a starter during her team's district championship season. Patton helped her team reach the regional quarterfinals.
She shot 43 percent from the field and connected on 31 three-pointers while shooting 36 percent from long distance.
