FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 14, 2019) – In their only game in Flagstaff until its conference opener at the end of December, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team hosts Seattle at 2 p.m. MST in the Rolle Activity Center on Saturday. The Lumberjacks' home opener will serve as their only true home game before the start of Big Sky play on Dec. 28.
NAU will seek its first win of the season following an 83-76 loss last Friday at New Mexico. The Lumberjacks got out to fast start, leading by 15 at the end of the first quarter, but fell short in the end when the Lobos closed on an 11-3 run. Redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey, the Big Sky's leader in points per game entering the weekend, led the 'Jacks with 21 points and eight rebounds.
"We were excited about how we came out of the gates," said head coach
Loree Payne. "We played very confident and that shows the maturity of this team. We got a little on our heels in the last five minutes when the crowd got into it and they made a run. Overall, I was incredibly pleased with how the team fought and went toe-to-toe with some incredible athletes and very good basketball players. We take away the learning opportunities and I already see the growth in our team in areas that we can get better."
The Lumberjacks had a total of four players score in double-figures in their season opener with junior
Khiarica Rasheed (15), junior
Lauren Orndoff (14) and redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford (12) all backing Bailey's 21-point showing. Rasheed is tied for seventh in the league in scoring and Orndoff is tied for 10th as NAU is the only team in the conference with three players in the top 10 of the league in scoring to begin the weekend.
NAU is averaging 96.0 points per game in its last three home openers – all in the Rolle Activity Center – and are 2-1 in those games. The Lumberjacks defeated Fresno State, 86-73, last season and Antelope Valley, 109-60, in 2016. In their 2017 home opener, the 'Jacks fell narrowly to UC Santa Barbara, 96-93.
The 'Jacks will face Seattle for the second consecutive year, and just the second time in program history, on Saturday. The Lumberjacks defeated the Redhawks, 65-58, on the road last season behind an efficient performance by Rasheed. Rasheed led all players with 24 points, which remains a career-high, and was nearly perfect from the field at 11-for-12.
Seattle is already three games deep into its season, holding a 1-2 record following a 73-48 loss to Idaho State on Monday. The Redhawks have dropped their last two games since a 91-81 season-opening victory over Saint Martin's. The Redhawks are just two seasons removed from winning the WAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Seattle was picked seventh in the Preseason WAC Media Poll and eighth in the Coaches Poll.
"Seattle U is a team that played in the NCAA Tournament two years and won the WAC," Payne said. "Last year they had a bunch of injuries and I think they're trying to find themselves again. They have an incredible player in (Kamira) Sanders and she can flat out shoot. They're starting to get a couple of players back who were hurt last year, and we definitely don't want them to find themselves against us. They're a team we have to play the way we're capable of for 40 minutes."
Fans can catch Saturday's game from Rolle on Pluto TV Channel 539 available
online and on the free mobile app. The first 200 fans at Saturday's game will receive a free NAU tie dye t-shirt.
Ticket Packages are currently on sale for the 2019-20 NAU women's basketball season. Fans can purchase tickets online at
nauathletics.com/tickets or by calling the Lumberjack Ticket Office at 928-523-0639. Tickets for Saturday's game can still be purchased online for $1 at this
link. The $1 tickets will not be available at the Rolle Activity Center ticket office on day of game.
About Seattle:
Record: 1-2, 0-0 WAC
All-Time Series: NAU, 1-0
Last Meeting: NAU, 65-58 (Nov. 9, 2018)
