FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 15, 2019) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team will travel across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii for a pair of games at the fourth installment of the Maui Jim Maui Classic to close out their non-conference schedule. While the 'Jacks will spend their final week of games before the start of conference play in paradise, they will collide with two teams off to strong starts in No. 4/4 Oregon State and San Jose State at 10:30 p.m. MST and 8:30 p.m. MST on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
Oregon State welcomes NAU, San Jose State and BYU in the four-team tournament at the Lahiana Civic Center in Lahaina on the island of Maui. BYU will face San Jose State on Wednesday and Oregon State on Thursday in the tournament's two other games.
NAU has dropped four of its last five games, but will be 10 days removed from their 71-61 loss to UC Davis on Dec. 8 in Prescott Valley, Ariz. by the time the 'Jacks tip-off versus the nationally-ranked Beavers on Wednesday.
Despite carrying a 2-5 record into its final two non-conference games, the Lumberjacks remain third in the conference in scoring with 72.3 points per game. However, NAU is 11th in scoring defense allowing an average of 78.3 points per game. The 'Jacks are also third in field goal percentage (.428), three-point percentage (.350) and free throw percentage (74.2).
Redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey is the Big Sky's fourth-leading scorer with 14.7 points per game. Additionally, she is tied for 13th in the league with 6.1 rebounds per game and is third with 2.4 three-pointers made per game. Junior
Khiarica Rasheed is sixth in the conference in scoring with 13.6 points per game, ranking just behind Bailey. Redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford is not far behind in eighth with a scoring average of 13.0.
Meanwhile, redshirt junior
Caitlin Malvar continues to pace the conference, and ranks 25th nationally, with 5.6 assists per game. Over her last six games, Malvar owns an impressive 3.7 assists-to-turnover ratio.
The Lumberjacks have not played a nationally-ranked opponent since they faced No. 15 Nebraska on Nov. 16, 2012. Oregon State will also be NAU's first game against a top five opponent since No. 1 Stanford on Nov. 22, 1996.
NAU has dropped both of its previous meetings with Oregon State, including a 62-33 loss at home on Nov. 28, 2009 during its Thanksgiving Tournament. The Lumberjacks do own the all-time series lead with San Jose State at 4-2. However, the Spartans claimed a 74-64 victory in the teams' last meeting on Dec. 1, 2011 in San Jose.
Oregon State, an NCAA Sweet 16 team last season, is one of 14 remaining unbeaten teams at 9-0 following its 75-46 home win over Utah State on Saturday. The Beavers currently hold their highest AP ranking in program history at No. 4, a ranking which is also matched in the Coaches Poll.
San Jose State hammered La Verne, 128-62, on Saturday to earn its third straight win. The Spartans, who are already 2-0 in Mountain West play, is off to an 8-3 start to the season after picking up just six victories last season.
Only NAU's game versus Oregon State will be streamed via Facebook Live at this
link. Live stats for both games will be available at this
link.
About No. 4/4 Oregon State:
Record: 9-0, 0-0 Pac-12
All-Time Series: OSU, 2-0
Last Meeting: OSU, 62-33 (Nov. 28, 2009)
About San Jose State:
Record: 8-3, 0-0 Mountain West
All-Time Series: NAU, 4-2
Last Meeting: SJSU, 74-64 (Dec. 1, 2011)
