| BIG SKY - ROUND 1: #8 Northern Arizona (10-20, 8-12 Big Sky) vs #9 Sacramento State (14-15, 8-12 Big Sky) |
NAU GAME NOTES - BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 1
2019 BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 11, 2019) – The No. 8 seed Northern Arizona men's basketball team begins its postseason run on Wednesday morning with an 8:30 a.m. MST tip against No. 9 seed Sacramento State in the opening round of the 2019 Big Sky Conference Championship at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho.
The winner of Wednesday's opening round game will advance to Thursday's quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Montana in an 11 a.m. MST tip.
Wednesday's game vs. Sacramento State will be streamed to a national audience on Pluto TV (Channel 231) and aired on the Lumberjack Radio Network, beginning with the pregame at 8 a.m. MST.
The Lumberjacks enter the conference tournament as the No. 8 seed after posting an 89-78 overtime victory at Northern Colorado in the regular-season finale on Saturday and stealing a share of the Big Sky regular season title from the Bears in the process.
The No. 8 seed is the best for NAU in the Big Sky Tournament since 2015 when it entered the conference championship as the No. 4 seed. The Lumberjacks last posted a victory in the Big Sky Tournament in 2015 and has dropped each of its last four contests at the event.
The Lumberjacks currently own an overall record of 10-20 and posted an 8-12 mark in Big Sky Conference action.
NAU enters Wednesday's game vs. Sacramento State leading the Hornets in the all-time series 35-13. The Lumberjacks defeated Sacramento State 78-66 on the road on Feb. 16 after dropping a heart breaker at home 66-64 on Jan. 17 which saw the Hornets hit the game-winning shot with under two seconds left in regulation.
NAU has never met Sacramento State in the Big Sky Tournament but did defeat the Hornets in the second round of the 2015 CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament by a score of 78-73.
The Hornets currently own an overall record of 14-15 and finished 8-12 in Big Sky play (tied for eighth). Sacramento State has alternated wins and losses for each of its last eight games -with the last being a loss -entering Wednesday's meeting with the Lumberjacks.
The Lumberjacks currently have a total of three players averaging double-figure points, led by sophomore
Bernie Andre's team-best 13.6 points per game. Andre became the first Lumberjack in over four years to be honored by the conference as player of the week on Feb. 26 after posting back-to-back double-doubles and career bests in both points and rebounds.
Joining Andre in double-digits for the 'Jacks are sophomore
Carlos Hines, who has tallied a 12.9 ppg average and scored a career-high 32 points vs. Eastern Washington on Feb. 23. Junior
Ted McCree rounds out the Lumberjacks' scoring leaders with an 11.1 scoring average.
In addition, freshman
Luke Avdalovic continues to be a major weapon for the Lumberjacks from beyond the arc. He currently leads the Big Sky and ranks fourth nationally with a .496 (70-of-141) shooting percentage from three-point range.
NAU (10-20, 8-12 Big Sky) has already eclipsed its conference and overall win total from last season. The conference win total marks the earliest point in a season that the 'Jacks have secured three Big Sky victories since 2014-15.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE:
Record: 14-15, 8-12 Big Sky
2018-19 Preseason Big Sky Coaches/Media Polls: 10th/10th
All-Time Series: NAU leads 35-13
Last Meeting: NAU, 78-66 (Feb. 16, 2019)
BIG SKY STORYLINES
- NAU is 15-24 all-time in Big Sky Tournament Games and 1-6 under head coach Jack Murphy.
- The Lumberjacks have lost each of its last four games in the Big Sky Tournament with the last win coming against Northern Colorado by a 63-57 margin in 2015.
- The Jacks will be facing Sacramento State for the first time in the Big Sky Tournament when they face the Hornets in the opening round game on Wednesday.
- NAU and Sacramento State have met in the postseason once previously - with the 'Jacks claiming a 78-73 win over the Hornets in the second round of the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
- NAU has made eight appearances in the Big Sky Championship game and own a 2-6 mark in those previous title games appearances with the last coming in 2008.
- NAU enters the 2019 Big Sky Championship as the No. 8 overall seed.
- The Lumberjacks split a pair of games with Sacramento State this season - with each team winning on the other's home court.
BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
NAU All-Time Big Sky Tournament
Results By Year
1976 Weber State 63, Northern Arizona 58
1979 Northern Arizona 90, Idaho State 76
1979 Weber State 92, Northern Arizona 70
1984 Montana 69, Northern Arizona 54
1985 Northern Arizona 69, Montana State 62
1985 Idaho State 89, Northern Arizona 86
1986 Montana State 80, Northern Arizona 74
1987 Nevada 82, Northern Arizona 80
1988 Montana 77, Northern Arizona 72
1997 CSUN 93, Northern Arizona 84
1998 Northern Arizona 86, CSUN 79
1998 Northern Arizona 77, Montana State 50*
1999 Northern Arizona 73, Portland State 56
1999 Weber State 82, Northern Arizona 75*
2000 Northern Arizona 77, Portland State 75
2000 Northern Arizona 82, E. Washington 65
2000 Northern Arizona 85, CSUN 81(ot)*
2001 Northern Arizona 65, Montana State 62
2001 E. Washington 58, Northern Arizona 53
2002 Montana 82, Northern Arizona 64
2003 Idaho State 85, Northern Arizona 74
2004 Northern Arizona 91, Idaho State 72
2004 E. Washington 71, Northern Arizona 59*
2006 Northern Arizona 98, E. Washington 83
2006 Montana 73, Northern Arizona 60*
2007 Northern Arizona 78, Montana 71
2008 Northern Arizona 75, Weber State 70
2008 Portland State 67, Northern Arizona 51*
2010 Montana 81, Northern Arizona 60
2011 Northern Arizona 65, Montana State 62
2011 Northern Colorado 73, Northern Arizona 70
2013 Weber State 84, Northern Arizona 58
2014 Norther Colorado 62, Northern Arizona 60
2015 Northern Arizona 63, Northern Colorado 57
2015 Montana 61, Northern Arizona 59
2016 E. Washington 74, Northern Arizona 52
2017 Portland State 80, Northern Arizona 67
2018 Northern Colorado 82, Northern Arizona 59
* Denotes Championship Game
Championship Game Facts
Championship Game Appearances 8
Championship Game Record 2-6
NAU All-Time Big Sky Tournament Results
By Opponent
| CSUN^ |
2-1 |
| Eastern Washington |
2-3 |
| Idaho |
0-0 |
| Idaho State |
2-2 |
| Montana |
1-7 |
| Montana State |
4-0 |
| Nevada^ |
0-1 |
| North Dakota |
0-0 |
| Northern Colorado |
1-3 |
| Portland State |
2-2 |
| Sacramento State |
0-0 |
| Southern Utah |
0-0 |
| Weber State |
1-5 |
| Overall Record |
15-24 |
^ Denotes schools no longer in the Big Sky
QUICK HITS
- The Lumberjacks rallied from a 14-point deficit to post an 89-78 victory in overtime in the regular-season finale at Northern Colorado on March 9.
- Sophomore Bernie Andre scored 18 of his career-high 26 points in the win at Northern Colorado on March 9.
- The win over Northern Colorado snaps a 12-game losing streak for the 'Jacks against the Bears in road contests and marks NAU's first victory in Greeley since 2006.
- NAU led by as many as nine points and for over 27 minutes in a 66-64 loss at Montana on March 4.
- NAU has led by nine points in each of its losses vs. Montana this season.
- The Grizzlies outscored the 'Jacks 20-6 over the final 6:30 to secure the victory.
- Freshman Luke Avdalovic connected on 6-of-10 treys en route to a career-best 24 points at Montana on March 2.
- Sophomore Bernie Andre pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds at Montana State - it marked his eighth game this season with double-digit boards.
- NAU's 75-54 win over Idaho on Feb. 21 allowed the Lumberjacks to sweep a season series from a conference opponent for the first time since the 2014-15 season, when they posted a pair of regular-season victories over Southern Utah and Portland State.
- The 21-point margin of victory over Idaho on Feb. 21 marked the Lumberjacks' largest against a conference foe since it defeated North Dakota 88-63 on Feb. 7, 2015 – a span of 77 Big Sky regular-season games.
- It was also the Lumberjacks' largest margin of victory overall since defeating Benedictine Mesa 92-63 on Nov. 17, 2016.
- Sophomore Bernie Andre scored a career-high 22 points and added 13 rebounds in the win over the Vandals. Andre followed with 10 points and a then career-best 16 rebounds for his team-leading seventh double-double of the season vs. Eastern Washington on Feb. 23.
- Sophomore Carlos Hines scored 32 points in the Feb. 23 loss to Eastern Washington.
- It marked the most points by an NAU player in over a calendar year - former Lumberjack Torry Johnson posted 33 points at North Dakota on Feb. 17, 2018.
- Hines made 13-of-18 free throws, the most by a 'Jack since JoJo Anderson connected on 17 vs. Montana on Dec. 28, 2017.
- The Lumberjacks worst two shooting performances from the field this season have come in each of their losses to Eastern Washington.
- Sophomore Bernie Andre has recorded double-digit point totals in 15 of the last 19 games overall.
- Andre has had two streaks of six consecutive games in double-figure points this season - the longest by a Lumberjack.
- NAU shot a 57.4 (27-of-47) clip from the field in its win at Sacramento State on Feb. 16. It marked the Lumberjacks' highest shooting performance this season, besting a .563 (27-of-48) clip at Idaho State on Jan. 5.
- The 'Jacks handed out a total of 19 assists in its Feb. 16 victory at Sacramento State, which matched a previous season-high effort vs. Montana State on Dec. 31. The two games mark the most helpers for NAU since dishing out 21 at UTEP on Dec. 17, 2016.
- NAU's victory at Sacramento State marked the second victory this season which has seen the 'Jacks never trail - joining the Feb. 2 win at Idaho as wire-to-wire victories for NAU.
- NAU had a total of five players register double-figure points in its 103-94 loss at Portland State on Feb. 14 - it marked just the third time this season that the 'Jacks have had five double-digit point producers in the same game.
- Portland State's 103-point scoring total marked the most points allowed by the Lumberjacks against a Big Sky opponent in over 15 seasons with the most previous on Jan. 31, 2004 in a 110-97 loss to Sacramento State.
- The Lumberjacks' 48 points in their loss vs. Northern Colorado on Jan. 26 marked its fewest points scored since posting 47 vs. CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 5, 2016.
- NAU registered double-figure steals in two straight games on Jan. 17 & 19 vs. Sacramento State (10) and Portland State (11).
- The 'Jacks only had one previous game this season with double-figure steals - vs. Jacksonville (10) on Nov. 10.
- The 'Jacks had a total of three players score 18 points in the win over Portland State on Jan. 19.
