FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 16, 2019) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team led for a single possession in the second half, and it came when it mattered the most. Senior
Kaleigh Paplow's game-winning jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining lifted the Lumberjacks to a critical 71-69 victory Sacramento State on Saturday as NAU tied Sacramento State in the win column in the Big Sky standings.
The Lumberjacks (9-15 overall, 5-10 Big Sky) successfully overcame an 11-point deficit, equaling their largest deficit overcome in a victory this season. Paplow finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals.
"We had an interesting talk at halftime and we challenged our team to step up defensively," said head coach
Loree Payne. "In the second half, to hold Sacramento State under 30 points was huge and then we had players step up and hit shots down the stretch. The second half was critical for us."
Paplow's game-winner was set up by a key charge taken by sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed on Sacramento State's Hannah Friend giving the Lumberjacks possession with 7.7 seconds on the clock and the score knotted up at 69-69. After an NAU timeout, Paplow curled into the paint and knocked down the jumper off a feed from redshirt sophomore
Caitlin Malvar. Sacramento State would not get a shot off before the buzzer sounded, securing NAU's victory in the Walkup Skydome.
"Khia (taking the charge), that was the game-changer," Payne said. "We got the stop defensively and then KP had a chance to win the game on a last second shot. Not a lot of players get those opportunities to hit the game-winner. I'm super happy for her given everything she's poured into this program. That was a special moment."
After Sacramento State scored the opening basket of the second quarter, snapping what was a 19-19 tie, the Hornets led the entire way until Paplow tied the game at 69-69 on the possession before Rasheed took the charge. Paplow's game-winner pushed NAU in front for the only time in the second half and for the first time since a Malvar three-point gave NAU a temporary 15-14 edge in the first quarter. The Lumberjacks led for all of 29 seconds in notching their first home victory since Jan. 3.
Sacramento State outshot NAU, 44.6 percent to 41.9 percent, and made five more three-pointers. However, NAU posted a slim 38-37 rebounding advantage and was plus-five in the turnover column.
Malvar came out firing in the first quarter, hitting three of the Lumberjacks' four triples. But the Hornets shot 53.3 percent from the field and the two teams went into the second quarter tied at 19-19. The Hornets continued to click offensively in the second quarter, while the Lumberjacks struggled with turnovers leading directly to 10 Sacramento State points.
The Hornets went into halftime with a 40-32 lead – aided by a commanding 12-1 points off turnovers advantage – but their offense dipped considerably in the second half. After shooting 50 percent in the first half, Sacramento State shot just 37.5 percent after halftime.
Still, NAU trailed throughout the third quarter – by as much as 53-42 with three minutes left – and headed into the final period down 58-51. Layups by redshirt sophomore
Jacey Bailey and Paplow to open the fourth quarter trimmed the Lumberjacks' deficit to 58-55, but the Hornets opened up an eight-point lead at 65-57 with 6:28 remaining in the game.
The 'Jacks fought back and tied it at 67-67 off two free throws by Rasheed only for the Hornets to snag a 69-67 lead with 1:35 left. Sacramento State would not attempt a shot in the final stretch though due to two turnovers, both of which Paplow converted into baskets to snatch victory away from the Hornets.
Sacramento State was plagued by 10 turnovers in the final quarter, which directly led to 15 NAU points. The points off turnover count wound up tied at 18-18.
"We weren't playing to our potential and we came out with a little more fire and energy (in the second half)," Paplow said. "I was frustrated because I missed some big-time free throws. At the end of the game, we executed a play that we run all the time."
The performance Paplow's fifth 20-point game of the season as she moved up to both seventh in program history in scoring and third in rebounding.
Rasheed posted 14 points, including a career-best eight free throw makes, and led the team with eight rebounds. Bailey also finished in double-figures with 12 points, while freshman
Regan Schenck posted a season-high tying five assists for the second straight game.
The Lumberjacks will embark on their final road trip of the regular season next week with games at Idaho and Eastern Washington on Thursday and Saturday respectively.
