FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 30, 2019) – For a second straight game, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team forged a fourth quarter comeback effort only to come up just short. The Lumberjacks fell to 3-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play following a 72-64 loss to preseason favorite Montana State in the Walkup Skydome Monday evening despite outscoring the Bobcats by eight in the final 10 minutes.
"I'm proud of the team," said head coach
Loree Payne. "We had a great practice yesterday and our energy and effort were there tonight. We had an eight-point (second) quarter which killed us. We're close, but we're telling our team it's time to put it all together and we can't have five-to-six minute lapses."
NAU trailed by as much as 17 in the third quarter before climbing back within four on two occasions in the fourth. Redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford's layup brought the Lumberjacks within 66-62 with 57 seconds remaining, but the 'Jacks could not get any closer as the Bobcats made four of their six attempts at the line in the final minute to put the game away.
The Lumberjacks bounced back from a tough first half by shooting 46.2 percent after halftime. NAU finished the game at a 35.1 percent clip, while Montana State shot 40.3 percent. Both teams shot under 30 percent from behind the arc, but the Bobcats held critical advantages in the paint (34-22) and on second chance opportunities (14-6).
Junior
Khiarica Rasheed scored 17 of her game-high 23 points in the second half and finished 7-for-13 from the floor. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 at the charity stripe to lead an exceptional team free throw shooting performance. NAU was 20-of-25 for the game at the line.
The 'Jacks raced out to a 7-0 advantage following a trey by redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey in the game's first two minutes and still led 12-6 following a three-point play from sophomore
Morgan Gary at the 5:33 mark of the opening quarter. Montana State chipped away though and shot 50 percent in the first quarter to even the score at 16-16 by the end of the period.
The Bobcats took advantage of the Lumberjacks' cold shooting – just 3-of-15 from the floor – in the second quarter to take a 30-24 halftime lead. Montana State opened with the quarter's first seven points before NAU converted a pair at the free throw line, and led by eight before Radford knocked down NAU's first field goal of the quarter with 2:49 left in the half.
Montana State methodically opened up a double-digit lead in the third quarter and led by as much as 17 at 57-40 late in the quarter. Although NAU wound up trailing 57-41 going into the final period, the 'Jacks made a push with Rasheed spearheading a strong fourth quarter effort.
Rasheed scored eight points in the final quarter and junior
Lauren Orndoff added six as NAU whittled the Montana State lead down to four with an 11-3 run. Redshirt junior
Caitlin Malvar drilled a three to make it a 64-60 game with 1:47 remaining. Radford's basket less than a minute later once again brought the 'Jacks within four before the Bobcats sealed up the win at the line.
"Our 21 turnovers hurt us," Payne said. "If we take care of the ball and make better decisions, knock down open shots and play with that same energy effort, we're going to be in position to contend. Right now, we have work to do this week before Weber State."
The Lumberjacks outrebounded the Bobcats, 43-41, with Radford leading the way with a season-high nine boards and Malvar totaling eight. The two players also combined for 11 of NAU's 17 assists on 20 made baskets. On the other side, Montana State only tallied nine assists.
Radford and Orndoff both scored 11 points to complement Rasheed's second 20-point game of the season and her sixth of her career.
The 'Jacks will not play again until Saturday when they travel to Ogden, Utah to face Weber State at 2 p.m.
