RIVERSIDE, Calif. (November 21, 2019) – As quickly as the Northern Arizona women's basketball team snatched momentum in fighting back from a 15-point deficit, they had momentum taken away from them in an eventual 98-79 loss to unbeaten California Baptist on Thursday. Redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford scored 27 points in the loss, as the 'Jacks fell to 1-2 on the season.
Trailing 42-27 midway through the second quarter, NAU sliced its deficit to nine by halftime and managed to tie the game at 62-62 with 2:39 left in the third period. However, California Baptist closed the quarter on a 9-0 run and then scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to stop NAU in its tracks. The 16-0 Lancer run negated a spirited run by the Lumberjacks, which erased their largest deficit of the season at the time.
Radford shot 10-for-24 from the field and drilled four three-pointers to lead the Lumberjacks with senior
Peyton Carroll adding a season-best 12 points off the bench. Redshirt senior
Caitlin Malvar set a new career-high with nine assists and turned the ball over just once in addition to pulling down a team-best seven rebounds.
The Lumberjacks shot 43.1 percent overall, but the Lancers shot 51.4 percent – including 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter. California Baptist hit 11 three-pointers with seven coming in the first quarter as the home team opened up a 28-21 advantage at the end of 10 minutes.
Although NAU connected on seven of its first 11 attempts from the field, the 'Jacks were unable to snag a lead because California Baptist hit four triples to keep pace. With the score tied at 17-17, NAU missed seven of its next nine shots, while California Baptist proceeded to drain three more treys in a 11-4 run to close the opening quarter.
The Lancers opened up their lead to 42-27 with 4:36 remaining in the first half before the Lumberjacks went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit in half. Freshman
Emily Rodabaugh's layup on NAU's final possession sent the 'Jacks into halftime trailing 46-37, but the Lumberjacks' charge forward was just beginning.
California Baptist held a 13-point lead, 60-47, four minutes into the third quarter when Radford drilled a three to ignite a 15-2 Lumberjack run. NAU turned up the defensive pressure and forced California Baptist into turnovers on three consecutive possessions, which aided the Lumberjacks' comeback efforts.
After Radford tied the game at 62-62 with a jumper, NAU came up empty on its next six possessions missing four shots and committing a pair of turnovers during which California Baptist scored nine straight. The Lancers never trailed again and led by double-digits throughout the entire fourth quarter.
California Baptist outrebounded the Lumberjacks, 43-38, and also recorded 27 assists. NAU did tally 20 assists on 31 made field goals. Carroll's 12 points in reserve also helped NAU's bench outscore California Baptist's by a 25-18 margin.
The Lumberjacks will look to get back in the win column on Sunday at Fresno State. Tip-off from the Save Mart Center will be 3 p.m.
