MOSCOW, Idaho (Feb. 2, 2019) – Junior
Ted McCree scored a career-high 24 points and sophomore
Bernie Andre registered his fourth double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Northern Arizona men's basketball team to a resounding 86-73 road win at Idaho on Saturday night.
The win marked the Lumberjacks second straight and third in the last four games overall. The 'Jacks led by as many as 24 points and never trailed after the 10-minute mark of the first half.
McCree hit a total of eight three pointers in the win, which tied for the sixth most in a single game in NAU history. He finished 8-of-13 from beyond-the-arc in joining six other Lumberjacks who have knocked down eight treys.
NAU improves to 7-13 overall and evens its record in Big Sky action at 5-5. Idaho slips to 4-16 and 1-8 in league action. The loss marks the sixth straight for the Vandals.
"The guys played their tails off," NAU head coach
Jack Murphy said. "They played and competed really hard. With the talent I believe we have, when you get guys that compete and play hard, you are going to be really good. It was probably one of our most complete games of the year. I am proud of the guys for sure."
The 13-point margin of victory is the largest for NAU against a Big Sky opponent since defeating Eastern Washington 76-61 on March 4, 2017. It also marked the first time the Lumberjacks have posted consecutive wins in conference play since Jan. 26 (Northern Colorado) and Jan. 28 (North Dakota).
The game was tight for the opening 10 minutes as neither team led by more than three points. The lead changed 11 times in that span and was tied once. McCree gave NAU a lead it would not relinquish with a three-pointer at the 8:12 mark of the first half that made the score 24-21. The Lumberjacks used a 12-0 spurt in the second half to stretch out the margin.
NAU was dominant in the paint as a total of four Lumberjacks pulled down at least five rebounds. The 'Jacks turned 15 offensive rebounds into a 19-9 advantage in the second chance points battle and won the overall points in the paint category 46-36.
"I am proud of where we are and I am proud what we have done, but we have to keep it going and be ready for Monday," Murphy said.
Andre shot 10-of-15 from the floor en route to his 20-point and 11-rebound performance. Sophomore
Carlos Hines handed out six assists – his fifth game with five or more assists this season.
The Lumberjacks shot 50.0 percent (34-of-68) from the field in the win – their second-highest shooting effort of the season. NAU hit a total of 10 three pointers in a game for the fifth time this season.
Idaho was led in the loss by Jared Rodriguez, who finished with 19 points. Tyson Cameron added 13 for the Vandals.
The Lumberjacks conclude their current road trip on Monday night at Eastern Washington in a 7 p.m. MST tip.
The 'Jacks-Eagles contest will be streamed on Pluto TV (Channel 234). It can also be heard on the Lumberjacks Radio Network beginning with the pregame show at 6:30 p.m. MST.
The Lumberjacks will be looking for their first three-game winning streak since the 2014-15 season when they face Eastern Washington on Monday.
